14 DAY TRIAL // At the moment, Google Now only displays requested information from a few apps which exist under the Google banner. But things are going to change soon enough, and all for the better.
During a session at SXSW (South by Southwest conferences), Google Now’s Director of Product Management, Aparna Chennapragada, revealed an interesting piece of information.
According to her, Google has plans to release an open API for Google Now that will allow developers to build it into their apps (as seen at The Next Web).
Google Now search is coming to more apps
This means users will be able to search for relevant information from more apps than just those curated by Google so far.
But what would happen if Google Now stumbled upon conflicting information from two different websites? Well, Chennapregada explains that “individual user app usage patterns” algorithms will be employed to decide which piece of information ultimately gets displayed.
So, in case there are more than one answer to the question you've asked, Google Now will make a decision based on how much you've been using the apps.
Google is also thinking about those of you who love going to theme parks, so Chennapregada has announced that the Google Now team is also working on a way to display cards that can show you how many minutes you have to wait to gain access to various attractions at the park.
Google Now is becoming more personal
On top of that, in the future, Google Now could be made more “aware” of personal preferences. The example that was given is how long before the actual takeoff do people like to arrive at the airport.
What the Google Now team is aiming to do in the next six to twelve months is to strive towards combining Google’s understanding of the world with the user’s personal stance.
And since we’re fast approaching April Fool’s day, we’re told that we should be expecting to see some “Easter eggs” similar to Google Search’s “flip a coin.”
Chennapregada hasn't provided an exact timeline for when the API will be released, but we can guess that since the announcement was already made, it shouldn't be very long now.