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Google Now Arrives In Chrome For Windows and Mac

Posted by samzenpus on from the get-it-while-it's-hot dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Google today announced Google Now is coming to the Chrome stable channel for Windows and Mac 'starting today and rolling out over the next few weeks.' This means Google Now notifications will finally be available to desktop and laptop Chrome users, in addition to Android and iOS users. To turn the feature on, all you need to do is sign in to Chrome with the same Google Account you're using for Google Now on mobile. If you use Google Now on multiple devices, you will need to manage your location settings for each device independently (change Location Reporting on Android and iOS)."

19 of 74 comments (clear)

  1. Watch out by recoiledsnake · · Score: 2

    Google will track which stores you visit if you turn on Google Now on your Android phone.

    http://digiday.com/platforms/g...

    --
    This space for rent.
    1. Re:Watch out by mystikkman · · Score: 3, Informative

      Google will track which stores you visit if you turn on Google Now on your Android phone.

      http://digiday.com/platforms/g...

      Not just Android phones, even iOS devices.

      If iOS users open their Chrome, Gmail or Google Maps app in a store, their location can be deemed a store visit

      Even the Gmail app snoops on you. Why does it need your location? Sigh.

    2. Re:Watch out by Lumpio- · · Score: 4, Funny

      What? A company whose revenue is mostly based on targeted ads TRACKS people? Oh no! How could they do this to us!

    3. Re:Watch out by tlhIngan · · Score: 2

      Not just Android phones, even iOS devices.

      If iOS users open their Chrome, Gmail or Google Maps app in a store, their location can be deemed a store visit

      Even the Gmail app snoops on you. Why does it need your location? Sigh.

      Block it - Settings->Privacy->Location Services->Gmail - slide the slider to OFF to turn off ability for that app to use location services.

      I assume Android has a similar setting (it's been around since iOS 5 or so).

      You could also turn off location services globally, but that's a pain as you lose all ability to use GPS, especially maps and such.

    4. Re:Watch out by tthomas48 · · Score: 2

      It tells me the time with traffic to places I go most frequently. I find it very useful that Google knows my location, it's trivial to turn off, and is off by default.

    5. Re:Watch out by NatasRevol · · Score: 2

      You get what you pay for.

      And the advertisers do too.

      --
      There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
  2. I am so glad I dumped Chrome by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Interface changes, surprisingly bloaty, crashed all the time... I've been using Chrome since it launched in 2008 and watched it slide from a fast, albeit memory heavy app with no cruft to a confusing, massively bloated, unstable beast that gets worse with every iteration.

    I went back to Firefox everywhere except my workstation and the change has been night and day.

    Google can suck it for all I care

  3. Google Now Arrives in Chrome? by uCallHimDrJ0NES · · Score: 5, Funny

    What was Google planning to wear before it decided on this new metallic look?

    --
    Cloudiot: A person who does not see offsite storage as a way to lose control over access to his or her own data.
  4. WTF is Google Now? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Really, would it hurt the "editors" to have some sort of description added that explains these?

    1. Re:WTF is Google Now? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Wow. We're suppose to know what every offering of Google is now? Just wow.
       
      The other day MS OneNote was the software in question for an article and people got modded up for pretty much saying the same thing. I guess that's fanboyism for you.
       
      Just another reason to dump Chrome totally... I'm sick of the fanboys.

    2. Re:WTF is Google Now? by Khoa · · Score: 4, Informative

      It's a location-driven, search-driven, email-driven user interface that reads your, well 1) searches, 2) emails/contacts/birthdays/meetings, and 3) location and delivers you what it thinks will be the most relevant information to you. Have an Amazon package? It will read your email from Amazon, parse the tracking info, and display the tracking info for you. Read a blog recently? It will display the latest blog post as soon as it's updated. Searched for "March Madness"? It'll display scores, game broadcast times, ticket prices, etc. Searched for "Frozen showtimes"? It'll display showtimes at the nearest theaters. I'm not saying it isn't creepy. But the service is pretty neat...

    3. Re:WTF is Google Now? by swillden · · Score: 2

      You forgot my favorite feature: It looks at appointments on my calendar and, as long as they have an entry in the location field which can be unambiguously parsed by Google Maps, prompts me when I need to leave to get there on time. 10-15 minutes before I need to leave, based on current traffic conditions, my phone chimes and tells me "You need to leave by...".

      --
      Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
  5. Re:Google Now scares the living by Albanach · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It's a fair point, but at least Google gives you the means to turn this off. Also, you're getting something you can place a value on in return, so you can make a reasoned decision as to whether location services are a price worth paying.

    All the same data is, however, still available to the government. And there's no off switch there.

  6. Meh by Cinder6 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Google Now sounds really cool on paper, but I've never actually found it useful. I was intrigued when it claimed it would show you tracking information for packages shipped to you, but I never got it to work (Gmail cards are enabled, and I tried it with multiple Gmail addresses).

    The quality of and speed of it's voice recognition is impressive, though.

    --
    If you can't convince them, convict them.
  7. When will Google kill this one? by guytoronto · · Score: 2

    Should I even both installing it? With Google's track record, I'm sure this one will be dead within a couple years.

    1. Re:When will Google kill this one? by thegarbz · · Score: 2

      When Android dies off. Google so far has killed products in minor use which didn't fit in their portfolio. Google Now is actually kind of central to it. Or maybe you think they'll kill of search next?

  8. Re:Google Now scares the living by Rinikusu · · Score: 2

    Definitely, at least it's "opt-in" (for now). When my gf comes over, GN is already giving her times to get to our favorite restaurants, movie theaters, etc. Don't get me wrong, progress is great, but holy hell it's kinda creepy.

    --
    If you were me, you'd be good lookin'. - six string samurai
  9. What about normal desktop Linux? Hope standards... by Phil+Urich · · Score: 2

    So it's out for Windows, OSX, and ChromeOS . . . but what about normal desktop Linux? I'm hoping it's because they're spending a bit more time making the normal-Linux implementation follow the Desktop Notifications Specification that KDE, GNOME (and its diaspora) and others implement.

    --
    I remember sigs. Oh, a simpler time!
  10. Re:Google Now scares the living by Stephen+Chadfield · · Score: 2

    But the NSA has access to all the data Google have on you and the NSA do have SWAT teams ready to smash down your door at 3am.