Google Now update introduces leaked widget plus new features

Google Now has been updated for Android Jelly Bean phones adding new card functionality and the recently leaked widgets

Google’s leaked Google Now widget has appeared officially in pretty quick time in the form of a new update for the search app, which also introduces some additional new functionality.

The update, which will work on any Android device running version 4.1 Jelly Bean or higher, brings more location contextual card prompts.

For example, there’s now additional ‘movie card’ functionality so that if you’re near a cinema it’ll pop up with what films are on, including Rotten Tomato review scores.

Much of the functionality is, sadly, excuted with more than a slight nod to currently US-only services. Pre-purchased film tickets through Fandango will appear in the movie card example just cited, but we don’t have Fandango in the UK. More’s the pity.

Likewise, a service called Zillow appears to be on-hand to help with location-based property searches and sports events are highlighted more - but again these are US-facing things.

What isn’t US-focused, however, is the Google Song Search, which is similar to existing services such as SoundHound in that it figures out what music is playing in the background.

But, importantly, like so much of Google Now, it doesn’t wait for you to ask it.

If you’re using Google Now’s voice search function and there happens to be music in the background, Google Now will go ahead and look it up for you, even going as far as to give you a little button to tap if you want to find out more or buy the track on Google Play.

What about the widget? Well there are two actually.

The homescreen widget works on any phone eligible for the update (Android 4.1 or higher) and it’ll apparently adjust the amount of information it displays dynamically depending on how you size it.

For Android 4.2 devices there’s also a lock-screen widget offering the same functionality before you’ve even unlocked the phone.

The lock-screen widget’s design might require a bit of tweaking by Google though, as PhoneArena reports:

‘The lockscreen widget is a bit annoying though, because... it will only show one small item unless you drag down the widget box to reveal more information. Additionally, no matter where you put it, the lockscreen widget seems to become the default screen, so that may not be good for some.’



by via Know Your Mobile