Google Now lands on iOS Google has released its signature search app, Google Now, on Apple's iOS. Google's search apps have been on iOS for years and have included voice search for quite some time. The new release is notable inasmuch as it brings some of Google's more advanced search services that resemble, challenge or surpass Apple's own voice- …
It's not competition of course, as Apple have ensured all non-Apple products on iOS don't play on an even playing field.
Google could never integrate with iOS like Siri does so Siri is always more accessible, Chrome on iOS is forced to use WebKit and the non accelerated javascript engine, so Safari is always better.
Android of course doesn't have these imposed limitations. If Apple wanted to make a Siri for Android, they could simply hook onto the search intent and offer the user the option to replace the built in search with Apple's offering. Ditto for maps, ditto for web browsers..
See how evil Apple are? This is not dissimilar to what Microsoft did to Netscape.
This post has been deleted by its author
Assuming that voice becomes a primary way to interact with mobile technology, and that this lasts for a few decades, could this actually alter pronounciation of some words to better fit the foibles of the technology? Once someone gets used to asking their phone for information on transport disruptions in 'South-Wark,' the new computer-friendly pronounciation may well slip into use in conversation too.
The Google test-to-voice system in navigation app on android regularily gives utterly weird pronunciations. On a recent trip in Bristol to pick up something from a ship I'd never been to before it was managing qiute happily with "Stapleton Road" until we got to Staple Hill - which it transformed into the much more interesting sounding "Stap Le Hill".
Anyway, its probably just American-ised pronunciatiation that produces Glow-sester-shire and War-sester-shire (though quite how they get Jag-war is beyond me!). Remember once being on a tube train in London where someone was trying to persuade a group of Americans that the station they wanted was really called Totnam Court Road and not Tote-en-ham Court Road!
Best American pronunication came when I was at a conference in Glasgow and went out with a group of other attendees for a meal one night and an American who'd been recommended the restaurant told use to drive along the road and turn right at "Soo-see-hal" ... took bit of time to realize he meant Socky-hall (or even Sauciehall) Street
So basically adverts which try and make more money for Google
Nope, just cards with info on, what the weather is like, how long it will take to get home, traffic issues etc - never once had an advert pop up.
Just searched for Google Now (UK) in the itunes store and got no results.
As for which is better, Siri does appointments and understands 'comma', 'full stop', 'new paragraph' better, where GNow seems better at dictation (it'll write comma perfectly, nearly everytime).
The Register 
Biting the hand that feeds IT
Copyright. All rights reserved © 1998–2024
