surf the Web, use email and stream movies and music. But Android's system allows much more customization than other operating systems, like Apple's iOS 8 for iPads and iPhones.
Plus, lots of different manufacturers make and sell Android gadgets in a range of price points and options. It seems like every day a new Android smartphone hits the market. Between Samsung, LG, HTC, Motorola and the four major carriers, smartphone shoppers looking for high-quality handsets with Google’s OS have lots of choices.
But Apple stepped up the game in voice-controlled personal assistants with the latest Siri updates in its iOS 8 release. Now Siri can respond to user questions even when the phone or tablet is charging and asleep, completely hands-free. Apple’s Siri is not the only mobile virtual assistant in town. Android fans, don't despair, you too have an option for a voice-controlled assistant.
Google Now
Google Now gives you just the right information at just the right time – even before you even ask. Use Google Now to get commute traffic before work, popular nearby places, your favorite team's current score and more. Google Now is free. It runs on any smartphone running Android 4.1 or later. If your phone doesn’t have Google Now pre-installed, you can set it up by downloading the Google Search app to your phone.In a lot of ways, Google Now is pretty similar to Siri. You can dictate emails and texts, ask for directions, have it read out your calendar schedule, make reservations for some restaurants, and search for facts and trivia. It can help you find where you parked your car. It can identify song titles, and one report I read even claimed it could play along with Jeopardy.
But here's what makes Google Now really special, and useful. Google Now "learns" based on your previous requests. For example, ask about your favorite sports team. Then follow up with a question about a specific team member and Google Now will connect the two searches and give you an answer based on that athlete's connection to the team.
Using Google Now
To open Google Now, just touch the Google Search bar at the top of the screen. You may be able to swipe up from the bottom of the screen on certain devices.
After you start using Google Now, you really don't need to do
anything else. If you like, you can fine-tune some settings, but Google
Now doesn't need any elaborate setup. The information you need is always
at your fingertips. I recommend you take a few moments when you first
start using Google Now to "teach" it what you're interested in.
You can do this by pressing the little icon that looks like a magic wand. Google Now will ask you questions based off your previous searches to figure out what you're interested in and what you don't care about. Then it will show you "cards" with new and pertinent info.
You can also control how Google Now uses your current location. When your location is turned on, certain apps can use it to give you more relevant information, such as nearby restaurants or commute traffic. Also, Google Now uses the time of day and your Location History to show you what the traffic on your commute is like when you wake up in the morning. It also uses information from Google services such as your Web History for sports or flight updates, or from your synced calendar entries for appointment reminders.
Click here to get Google Now now.
You can do this by pressing the little icon that looks like a magic wand. Google Now will ask you questions based off your previous searches to figure out what you're interested in and what you don't care about. Then it will show you "cards" with new and pertinent info.
You can also control how Google Now uses your current location. When your location is turned on, certain apps can use it to give you more relevant information, such as nearby restaurants or commute traffic. Also, Google Now uses the time of day and your Location History to show you what the traffic on your commute is like when you wake up in the morning. It also uses information from Google services such as your Web History for sports or flight updates, or from your synced calendar entries for appointment reminders.
Click here to get Google Now now.
