Amazed by some of the Google technology

[petvas]

I have always been a big fan of Apple. This post is not a rant against Apple and it does not intend to make people start discussing which OS is better. At the end of the day, everybody should choose what he/she thinks fits better in his/her life.
Being an HTC fan also I had always some connection to the Android world. With the M8 I got my first Android phone and since then I had a couple of Android devices. I have been going back and forth between Androids and iPhones for quite a while now and I have to say, at least for me and my needs, I feel that the Android world is better (for me).
I have been using a Nexus 6P since last November and I might upgrade to the new HTC 10 when it is released in the next weeks. (after all I am a big HTC fan, loving Sense and Blinkfeed).
I have been using Google Now here in Germany for a few months, but it never felt that it was good or helpful....until I made the switch to Gmail a couple of days ago. Now, I get package tracking information, bus schedules, flight information and much more in Google Now. I am loving it.
Another thing that amazed me was the Inbox client. It is very innovative and has a clean interface that I love to use. I even switched to Google Keep for my basic notes and todo lists (for everything else I use OneNote).
On my Macbook Pro I switched to Chrome from Safari and the first thing I noticed is that I am much more productive with it. The amazing extensions that are available and the apps are really good. I have pinned Inbox, Google maps, photos, facebook and twitter and for the most time I never leave Chrome. All these work very well together. I am amazed by how good sync is working. I never had a single issue with Google so far.
I know it is far from perfect though and I am excited about what Apple is working on for the next OS releases, but for the moment I am in the Google camp and am enjoying the beautiful Inbox client (which is also available on iOS) and the seamless sync of my notes. I am enjoying Google Now and I feel that my life is being enabled by technology in ways that Apple didn't quite succeed.
I am still a big OS X fan and I hope Apple improves its software and services in the near future.

Using Android makes everything much easier for me, despite the fact that Google makes iOS version of most (if not all) of its software.

 

[Surf Donkey]

Absolutely. When someone flying to town sends you their itinerary, then you get a ding in Google Now that it is time to drive to the airport, it is a wow moment.

And when it knows you go to the grocery store every other sunday morning, and it tells you the time to drive, amazing.

When it knows that I am out of town, and it tells my wife the best route to get to the local burger joint (something my wife and daughter on Fridays when I have to leave town, not consistently), it is downright creepy.

To your point, yes, the more services you use, the more useful the information. You search something on Amazon, it tells you a price drop. Packages are coming, sports teams are play, etc etc. I totally feel stalked by Google at times, but they are my personal assistant. It really is impressive stuff.

 

[MadeTheSwitch]

Yeah Google is great. I also recommend the Google Opinion rewards app. It sends you surveys about the places you have been or how good service was at a particular store and pays you for the info. Ten cents here. Sixty cents here. Small amounts but it all adds up pretty quick. I have only been using it a few weeks and have $4.05 that I will use for free movie rentals. Not a bad deal!

 

[JackieInCo]

I had the same kind of experience once that was kind if freaky. Looked up the opening day hours for Water World last spring and was taken to their website.

An hour later, I picked up my phone and maps had the time listed on the notifications for how long it would take to get to Water World.

I haven't had that happen since though.

 

[ozaz]

Google probably have me locked in for life when it comes to my personal email. I suspect the same is happening with my photo storage.

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Q for anyone,

If you add non-gmail accounts to the Gmail app, does it expose them to Google Now, or does Google Now only look into your Gmail account?
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I had the same kind of experience once that was kind if freaky. Looked up the opening day hours for Water World last spring and was taken to their website.

An hour later, I picked up my phone and maps had the time listed on the notifications for how long it would take to get to Water World.

I haven't had that happen since though.

This is an issue I have with Google Now. The information it chooses to surface is unpredictable, so you can't depend on it too much.

It's like a real assistant who makes his/her own decisions on when and what to help you with, rather than one who works the way you request.