37 
An Android user has recorded a fantastic video interrogation of Google Now, badgering Google’s new virtual assistant and life-streamlining app beyond belief. And it turns out Google’s modernised search app is very, very cool indeed.
The way Google Now can automatically work out percentages will save us all many, many hours of staring at a calculator in bewilderment, for a start, plus it never skips a beat in a wide range of questions, from listing Bill Murray films to coming up with a number for the net worth of Angelina Jolie.
And there’s some good news for those of you using other Android 4.0 phones, as developers over at the XDA Forums have extracted the Google Now file from the Nexus 7′s “Jelly Bean” OS and served it up for everyone to install, although you will need to be running a standard version of Android 4.0 free from manufacturer skins and on a rooted phone. And parts of it won’t work. But still. [Android Police and Lifehacker -- Thanks, Darrell]
You Can Grab Apple's First Mountain Lion Update Right Now
If You've Got a Mac, Grab Crossover For Free Right Now
Grab Photoshop and CS2 For Absolutely Free, Right Now
Could someone with Siri do exactly the same questions, we could all use a good laugh.
Hah hah hah
I would, but I’ve vowed not to use Siri anymore, it puts me into a dangerous place.
It’s seriously impressive stuff, but it’s probably helped by the fact that the guy making the recording sounds like a computer voice himself. What you really need is someone from Dundee badgering it.
“Whuraboot can eh get an ingin peh? Onnywhur in the Wellgate, it’s pishin’ doon the noo, eh naw?” etc.
Hahaha, you think people from Dundee use words.
And phones, I know, right? Hahahaha, I’m dumb.
“5 paiys, twa bridies an’ a ninganing an’ aw.”
True, though. Although I have recently been impressed at Samsung’s S-Voice understanding my Glasgwegian tones.
Well, I’m not a broad Fifer, and Siri is hopeless. I suspect though, it’s not because it doesn’t understand me, it’s actually born of a loathing for Fifers; which is fair enough.
And you can grab it now for your phone!
..if you have android
..and if you are one of the 10% that has ICS or higher
..and rooted
..and is stock android
Patience, patience
But I want it NOW!
http://www.fanpop.com/images/polls/5849_1_full.jpg
I want Now, now too
You at least CAN get it. Rooting and installing Jellybean is simple and painless on the Galaxy Nexus. If you are still scared of doing it I’ll make you a deal. We can meet up somewhere and I will do it for you. If I screw it up, you can have my phone. Can’t say fairer than that.
I will try. Let me just ask, if I do root it. Can I still get the OTA?
No, Root removes the OTA because if it didn’t then the next OTA would kill root. I may have come on a bit strong there, don’t want you to do anything you aren’t comfortable with. My offer stands, I’m happy to do it for you, with the 100% guarantee of a working phone with Jellybean at the end of it.
I rooted my One X and it didnt kill the OTA for some reason. The OTA installed fine after I disabled some check in CWM recovery and it unrooted the phone. Now further OTAs have been downloaded but won’t install because CWM recovery doesnt seem to like them.
I could change the OTA name to update.zip and install it like that through CWM (a few people have had the same problem and posted about it). But since I’m not rooted anymore, I cant copy it to the cache folder, and if I root it again to install, it’ll just unroot again afterwards. sigh..
So now I’m just going to root it and ignore the OTAs
Everything was going swimmingly until the Nexus bit for me
Any chance you’d be willing to make that deal with my Nexus S?
No, since I couldn’t give you JB on the Nexus s yet.
I will be moving this to the not so secret G+ Giz UK circle.
Shush. Don’t talk about it, or everyone will want to join
Well, yes I can see how that would be a problem…..
Meh, I would just buy the very latest and supported phones anyway (Galaxy S3, Google Nexus) will be easy to get latest Android versions.
Still waiting for ICS, HTC!!! Impressive speed in the responses as well.
That is pretty incredible. What makes this voice assistant actually worth using is the fact that it’s responding in less time than it would take to search the internet via typing. Also, the voice just sounds incredible!
Can’t wait until Google add in functionality like turning off Wifi, turning on Silent Mode
I am really tempted to make my next phone an Android one. I won’t decide until the iPhone 5 keynote, but damn, this has to be hard to beat. Google are leading in this feature, and Apple looks to have already let out the best Siri features ahead of the iPhone 5 keynote… will they under-deliver?
It’s hard to see them being able to match this. Getting results from Wolfram Alpha instead of Google & Wikipedia has to be killing them. I suspect google can ensure that Google Now queries take less time than standard web queries too.
I’m also considering a droid next. I love Apple’s hardware, but the software is getting on my tits.
Having said all that, even if Siri was fast and accurate (and it really couldn’t be much further from that), I suspect I still wouldn’t use it much. This voice assistant crap looks cool in demos, but it’s not all that.
If I change to droid, it won’t be because I want to improve my relationship with my voice assistant, it’ll be because Apple’s walled garden policy is killing it’s user friendliness.
I think the coolest thing about Now isn’t the voice assistant alone, but rather they’ve integrated the results into the software. You only have to open the app to find all that contextual goodness, no need to speak a word.
Ah. That sounds pretty good. I haven’t been paying attention to it…
All the “cards” of info it finds most important, with regards to context such as the time on previous searches, are at the top as soon as you load the app. It’s this feature that, for me, makes it better than Siri and why Apple are unlikely to do any better (I don’t think they’ll add this sort of feature but instead improve the pointless voice assistant).
DO A BARREL ROLL!
Now that was impressive… quick responses; responses read out and the responses were pertinent to the question in context…
Mitigated by the fact the the speaker was in a quiet environment so his words were clear; I can’t see it working with the same spped/accuracy when asking it Q’s down the pub on on a high street, or in public, etc.
Still, the response was quick and accurate… unlike Siri’s… which still says when I ask it “Who sung Dancing Queen?” with “Now playing Dancing Queen…” and proceeding to open my Music app; when I don’t even have that track on my phone…. effing useless feature!
Let’s hope Siri 2.0 works as well as this video.
With the exception of the voice recognition, it’s working well on my SGSIII