New API to Allow Developers to Work With Third Party Google Now Cards More Easily
Google was said to expand Google Now functionality for a while now, via third party apps, but we didn’t exactly have many details about that. Well, it appears a group of developers were privileged enough this January to get to code for third party apps with Google Now features. In the future even smaller developers will get that functionality.
Speaking at SXSW, Aparna Chennapragada, Google’s director of product manager for Google Now claimed that there’s a fresh open API coming soon, that would allow developers to provide Google Now cards in a way they see fit. A new Google Now card is rumored to show queue times for favourite attractions at a theme park and that’s only an example of how far this can evolve.
Initially Google Now had Google guessing what was useful, but then there was a survey done on a panel of users. They were provided with an app and they were asked several times a day what info they would find helpful at that point. Thousands of users were surveyed at the same time over several rounds, to generate trends that in turn generate cards.
It’s very important for Google Now not to get diluted into showing irrelevant info…
