Infotech Lead India: Google has unveiled Siri rival for iPhone and iPad.
Both iPhone and iPad app features Google Now, a technology that performs many of the same functions as Siri.
It’s the first time that Google Now has been available on smartphones and tablet computers that aren’t running on the latest version of Google’s Android software.
The technology, which debuted nine months ago, is being included in an upgrade to Google’s search application for iOS, the Apple software that powers the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. It’s up to each user to decide whether to activate Google Now within the redesigned Google Search app, which is available through Apple’s app store.
Google Now’s invasion of Siri’s turf marks Google’s latest attempt to lure iPhone and iPad users away from a service that Apple built into its own devices.
Google won over millions of iPhone users in December when it released a mapping application to replace the navigation system that Apple dumped when it redesigned iOS last fall. Apple’s maps application proved to be inferior to Google’s ousted service, AFP reported.
Since the release of Siri technology in October 2011, Apple has made it a centerpiece of marketing campaigns.
Google believes its Siri counterpart is smarter because Google Now is designed to learn about a user’s preferences and then provide helpful information before it’s even asked to do so. The technology draws upon information that Google gleans from search requests other interactions with the company’s other services. Knowing a person’s location also helps Google Now serve up helpful information without being asked.
