google more powerful with third party app data

Google Now is about to get even more
powerful with third­party app data

Google Now is the virtual buddy you’ll never be able to live
without. It manages to always delivers relevant news, alerts, and other
essential information throughout the day without prompting it, and with its
latest update it’s about to get even more powerful.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Google is rolling out an update today
that will allow third-party apps to integrate directly with Google Now. Apps
like Airbnb, eBay, Lyft, and numerous others will directly deliver information
without you having to actually open up the app. For instance, if you were
previously searching for a charming bungalow on Airbnb, Google Now might
later produce a card about that cute little place to remind you to book that
weekend getaway you’ve been on the fence about.

Google told the Journal that the update will introduce over 40 new cards.
None of the data routed through Google Now will be shared with thirdparties, either, though some of the cards will obviously be triggered by
location. The integration is totally optional, too, and you’ll be able to disable
it from Google Now’s settings once the update is available on your device.
Google Now can pull lots of data from other apps through the email
notifications they send you, but this direct app integration is new.

Why this matters: Google Now is arguably one of the better reasons to use Google's services, and the more powerful it gets, the harder it is to live
without. Google’s idea behind all of this is that you should get the
information you need when you need it, without even having to ask.

There will still be privacy concerns related to this latest announcement, even
though Google swears the information won’t be shared with third-parties.
That’s the paradox of being a Google Now user: you have to hand Google a
lot of information in order to really benefit from it.