"Today" vs "Google Now"

[C DM]

"Today" is your lifestyle info between you and your iPhone.

"Google Now" is your lifestyle info between you and Obama and Google and the CIA and Mark Zuckerberg and the whole world.

Damn, I hate Google, you can't trust them.

Why can't you trust them again (and in the same way you can Apple or some other similar companies like Yahoo!, Microsoft, etc.)?

 

[Todd B.]

I haven't seen much info on it so I'm curious how "Today" (in the current beta form) compares with Google Now from an information standpoint.

For example, Google Now gives commute, weather for where I am, also weather where it thinks I'm going, gives me directions to places it thinks I'm going and sports scores for the teams I follow, among others. From what little information I've seen on "Today" it appears to be calendar and weather and that is it.

How does Today compare?

I'd imagine that Today doesn't require a Google account (and probably doesn't drain your battery in an hour without even having it open either).

Still, I never understood the fascination with either; are you that self-absorbed that you have to know things right this instant?

And Google Now isn't really anything new... I have a weather and a maps app since before Google Now came out. Plus I can just toss on BBC Sport and get sports scores, too. And how often do you check package tracking? It's not like looking at it will make it get there any faster.

Coupled with the fact that it's pretty much a complete battery drainer with the always location services thing enabled makes it worthless.

 

[robjulo]

I'd imagine that Today doesn't require a Google account (and probably doesn't drain your battery in an hour without even having it open either).

Still, I never understood the fascination with either; are you that self-absorbed that you have to know things right this instant?

And Google Now isn't really anything new... I have a weather and a maps app since before Google Now came out. Plus I can just toss on BBC Sport and get sports scores, too. And how often do you check package tracking? It's not like looking at it will make it get there any faster.

Coupled with the fact that it's pretty much a complete battery drainer with the always location services thing enabled makes it worthless.

I find it very useful, info I need at a quick glance.

It also does not "drain the battery in an hour". The battery life on my GS4 (which I went back to this week), lasts me far more than my work day.

Google Now (nor Today) has nothing to do with being "self absorbed". The fact that you would make some bizarre connection like that, tells me everything I need to know. I was simply looking for solid factual discussion and educated opinions on both, which I got, save one.

 

[IFRIT]

"Today" is your lifestyle info between you and your iPhone.

"Google Now" is your lifestyle info between you and Obama and Google and the CIA and Mark Zuckerberg and the whole world.

Damn, I hate Google, you can't trust them.

You think your info is any more safe with Apple? Please, you really need to stop drinking that Apple coolaid..

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I'd imagine that Today doesn't require a Google account (and probably doesn't drain your battery in an hour without even having it open either).

Still, I never understood the fascination with either; are you that self-absorbed that you have to know things right this instant?

And Google Now isn't really anything new... I have a weather and a maps app since before Google Now came out. Plus I can just toss on BBC Sport and get sports scores, too. And how often do you check package tracking? It's not like looking at it will make it get there any faster.

Coupled with the fact that it's pretty much a complete battery drainer with the always location services thing enabled makes it worthless.

So you would jump into several apps to get the relevant information, rather then one which does it all for you.... right i see your logic, actually no i don't. And Google Now does drain a bit of battery but you're way over dramatising it.

 

[alent1234]

I find it very useful, info I need at a quick glance.

It also does not "drain the battery in an hour". The battery life on my GS4 (which I went back to this week), lasts me far more than my work day.

Google Now (nor Today) has nothing to do with being "self absorbed". The fact that you would make some bizarre connection like that, tells me everything I need to know. I was simply looking for solid factual discussion and educated opinions on both, which I got, save one.

i tried google now on a S3 and turned it off after a week
it would tell me the traffic going home right after i got to work via the train. and it would tell me the movies playing a mile away 8am when i was dropping my kid off at day care. useless

 

[jrswizzle]

Fine, three things.

Google Now IMO is more "Life Aware" (package tracking, sports scores, traffic conditions, weather, live flight status thats automatically setup, events nearby, nearby public alerts, public transit times, location based reminders, just to name a few)

Today is more, well, "Today Aware" (Forecast, how long until you're home, Today's upcoming appts(even though the calendar is right underneath)).

If you'd like to compare a Yugo to a Porsche because they both have wheels and seats then I guess thats fine too.

EDIT: Google Now is completely setup using your Gmail Account. Package Tracking, Hotel Reservations, Flight Status, etc cards are populated using confirmation emails to your gmail account. In case anyone wondered how that worked.

But see, I have apps that send me all that information already anyways (I don't have to enter the apps, I can get push notifications on my lock screen). Google Now is redundant for me personally. The things "Today" does, like give a snapshot of my day's calendar, a quick reading of the weather and commute times are really all I would be looking for. Passbook holds my tickets and alerts me when I need to be alerted. I get tracking info via email (have for years - why if I have the email would I need it to also show in Google Now) and I have MUCH more robust options for checking sports scores. And of course, I could always ask Siri.

IMO, with the advent of "today" there isn't much that Google Now has that's unique anymore.

 

[Jab00]

I think the only feature of Google Now that I wish Today had is the ability to find flights or tracking information in emails. I realize many don't like the idea of it being fully immersed into your email but at least for me it seems like that would be a very helpful feature.

 

[iFiend]

Updated to beta 4 yesterday, went to clear my NC center just now, and look what I found

 

[makotoisle]

Updated to beta 4 yesterday, went to clear my NC center just now, and look what I found

It's been like that since Beta 1?

 

[TennisandMusic]

i tried google now on a S3 and turned it off after a week
it would tell me the traffic going home right after i got to work via the train. and it would tell me the movies playing a mile away 8am when i was dropping my kid off at day care. useless

Ok, so dismiss the cards you don't want when you don't want them. It learns over time what you like and adapts to you. It's an amazing system. Of course this is on Android, where it is far better.

Extremely useful.

 

[nerdfighter]

"Today" also learns about your pattern of travel. I usually go to the cinema on Tuesday (cheap tickets where I am). "Today" for the past couple of weeks has been displaying the estimate travel time to the cinema only on Tuesday. It also learns about my other travel pattern and display the estimate time accordingly. Very cool. Hope Apple will add more functions and features to "Today".