Google Search iOS app update takes on Apple's Siri with smarter conversations

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 55
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,404member
    I know that a lot of you won't like hearing this, but Siri is terribly over-rated. I have repeatedly run into issues with it. The fact is that I actually get surprised when it gets something right on my first try.

    I have pretty much stopped using it.

    Here's the heresy: I tried Google's offering a few times, and I had no issues at all. I came away rather impressed. Granted, I may have a different impression if I used it more. So I'll definitely give this a spin before forming a judgement.

    Btw, it's not my accent (in case some of you are wondering, given my name).
  • Reply 22 of 55
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SirLance99 View Post

     
    Doesn't work like that. Never had a ad with Google Now.


    Is Google Now the same as Google app on iOS? Anyway using Google voice search on iPhone, if the answer turns out to be web search results, you might not see any ads on the first page but if you click on Next, there will most likely be ads on that page.

  • Reply 23 of 55
    flipkalflipkal Posts: 28member

    Just add 'in miles' to your question to get the answer that is more meaningful to you. I will never load Google-anything to my phone, iPad, or iPod until I can be convinced that they are more concerned about my needs more than theirs. I just don't trust Google anymore.

  • Reply 24 of 55
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by flipkal View Post

     

    Just add 'in miles' to your question to get the answer that is more meaningful to you. I will never load Google-anything to my phone, iPad, or iPod until I can be convinced that they are more concerned about my needs more than theirs. I just don't trust Google anymore.


    The only person who might put your needs above theirs is your mother and maybe not even her. Why you would expect a technology company to put your needs above their own?

  • Reply 25 of 55
    disturbiadisturbia Posts: 563member

    OK, Google ... exactly how many Ads Larry and The L Team shove up citizens of the world's A$$'s ?!! :smokey: 

  • Reply 26 of 55
    lorin schultzlorin schultz Posts: 2,771member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SirLance99 View Post

     
    Doesn't work like that. Never had a ad with Google Now.


     

    Based on the example @msimpson hilariously illustrated, you would never know if you were seeing an ad or not, would you? How would you know if that first result is really based on your preferences or if the restaurant paid Google to make them first?

  • Reply 27 of 55
    flipkalflipkal Posts: 28member

    Apple is out to make a profit, but not at the expense of their customers' interests. I know. I've been an Apple customer since 1984. Google, well, that's another story. All 'technology companies' are not created equal, my friend.

  • Reply 28 of 55
    john.bjohn.b Posts: 2,742member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by genovelle View Post



    The former Apple fan sites like this one has sold their souls to Google. Why else would they post articles that praise a Google update and imply their update gives them smarter conversations. They mention Siri in the title but fail to mention Siri has long been able to do this.

     

    Increased controversy = more ad impressions.  So they encourage the shit stirrers in hopes of increased page views.  Same MO as MR, 9-to-5, etc.

  • Reply 29 of 55
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,213member
    “Answers before you ask”

    Not only is this not a point in its favor, this concept is terrifying and invasive.
    More terrifying and invasive than an app knowing just what you're doing and what mood you're in? :\
  • Reply 30 of 55
    hill60hill60 Posts: 6,992member
    I don't want or need Google's services, I lived most of my life fine without them.

    When I deleted my account the world didn't end.

    Just lots of ads for Google things started appearing.
  • Reply 31 of 55
    chipsychipsy Posts: 287member
    Based on the example <a data-huddler-embed="href" href="/u/40707/msimpson" style="display:inline-block;">@msimpson</a>
     hilariously illustrated, you would never know if you were seeing an ad or not, would you? How would you know if that first result is really based on your preferences or if the restaurant paid Google to make them first?
    You can know because advertisements are marked. On the desktop version it's recognizable by a yellow 'ad' box. On the mobile version it's identified by an 'i' symbol. If you click on it it says that it is an ad based on your search query. (The differentiation between organic and advertisement results in search engines is something that is determined by the FTC through guidelines)
  • Reply 32 of 55
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,213member
    hill60 wrote: »
    I don't want or need Google's services, I lived most of my life fine without them.

    When I deleted my account the world didn't end.

    Just lots of ads for Google things started appearing.
    You still get ads? Are any of them for things you have an interest in a.k.a. personalized? Serious question.
  • Reply 33 of 55
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by coolfactor View Post



    Speaking "OK, Google" is not working for me on my iPhone 4. Does it require a newer handset for the always-on listening?

    You need to allow the program to use your microphone in the Google Search app settings.

  • Reply 34 of 55
    hill60hill60 Posts: 6,992member
    gatorguy wrote: »
    You still get ads? Are any of them for things you have an interest in a.k.a. personalized? Serious question.

    No, just ads to install Google Apps on my iOS devices, makes me wonder how they know I don't have them installed any more, perhaps they kept my device ID from when I uninstalled every single one of their Apps.

    On my MacBook Google is blocked completely.
  • Reply 35 of 55
    asdasdasdasd Posts: 5,686member
    I too find googles voice search to be better than Siri, except for the obvious lack of integration with the OS. And it sounds a lot better.

    Both companies are recording data.
  • Reply 36 of 55
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,368member
    This feature has nothing at all to do with trying to deliver a service that will enhance the user experience. This is purely Google's move to prevent advertising revenue loss caused by Siri. At the end of the day Google is mostly an advertising and data mining company disguised as a product producer. I'm not saying this is bad, especially for stakeholders, but never forget that most everything Google and Amazon "give" you from what looks like a product or service perspective is intended to provide or preserve their ability to gather data and analytics about you for their real customers who are paying Google to push ads in your face. Maybe no different than the decades of TV and radio - but never forget that everything Google gives you comes with a price tag and most often the price is loss of privacy and having your eyes bombarded with advertising. If you're willing to live with this model then good for you, because it will never end. But just remember that many of these wonders of Google are just there to keep the data sucking pipeline and ad spew channel between Google and their real customers, not you, intact.

    Apple on the other hand uses most of its products and and features to sell you more Apple products and keep you in their customer base. Is this any better or worse than Google? Both models are legitimate. Do you want to invest in a company that devotes itself to serving you as a customer or do you want invest in a company that devotes itself to setting you up as a tool that serves the needs of customers other than you? I'd have to say that most people don't really care because they are solely focused on consuming whatever "candy" happens to be put in front of them regardless of how or why it got there in the first place.

    The choice is yours - choose wisely.
  • Reply 37 of 55
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,213member
    hill60 wrote: »
    No, just ads to install Google Apps on my iOS devices, makes me wonder how they know I don't have them installed any more, perhaps they kept my device ID from when I uninstalled every single one of their Apps.

    On my MacBook Google is blocked completely.
    So Bing doesn't serve targeted ads then or did you block Microsoft as well? Another serious question as I haven't used Bing more than a handful of times. I know Yahoo does ad targeting as that's who my wife uses.

    As far as my own ad tracking experience I use Ghostery and just block 'em all.
  • Reply 38 of 55
    hill60hill60 Posts: 6,992member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post





    So Bing doesn't serve targeted ads then or did you block Microsoft as well? Another serious question as I haven't used Bing more than a handful of times. I know Yahoo does ad targeting as that's who my wife uses.



    As far as my own ad tracking experience I use Ghostery and just block 'em all.

     

    How many times do I have to tell you, I don't care AS LONG AS IT IS NOT GOOGLE.

  • Reply 39 of 55
    ezhikezhik Posts: 101member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by hill60 View Post

     

     

    How many times do I have to tell you, I don't care AS LONG AS IT IS NOT GOOGLE.


    See, that wasn't so hard. No need to come up with excuses like ad tracking when you can just be honest and admit that you hate Google.

  • Reply 40 of 55
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,213member
    hill60 wrote: »
    How many times do I have to tell you, I don't care AS LONG AS IT IS NOT GOOGLE.
    I don't ever recall you mentioning before that it's not the tracking or ads that bother you. It's just Google just because. Thanks. No further need to rationalize it then.
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