It appears that Google’s Chrome web browser will soon be getting fast access to Google Now.
For the uninitiated, Google Now is a service that displays relevant information depending on the physical location of the user, the time of day, or other specified cues. Google Now is currently bundled into Mountain View’s search app for Android 4.1 (JellyBean) devices and later.
Google Now for Chrome was actually spotted by a developer by the name of François Beaufort, who identified specific Now comments hidden in the latest version Chromium (the open-source iteration of Google).
According to Beaufort, Google Now will likely be implemented in the Chrome browser via Chrome desktop notifications. This will alllow users who travel with a laptop to enable Now when they arrive in a specific city where they will be offered information such as weather forecasts and sports scores – if they’re so inclined.
Personally, I can see some benefit of having Google Now available on a notebook, but it seems like a service that is probably most appropriate on a smartphone. However, having Google Now running on a Chrome browser could be a good thing even if you aren’t traveling.
To be sure, it seems like you can configure the service on your home or office computer to track important things you’re interested in such as changes in the weather, your favorite team’s scores, and other information. Of course, it might also be nice to find out how your favorite sports team is doing without having to go through the tedious steps of opening Google and executing a specific search.
