I've had a bit more experience with Google Now, the feature of the Android operating system to give you unsolicited advice and updates. A lot of people seem to be calling its personalization "creepy," but I just find its behaviour strange:
- It notices when you frequently visit the same place, and begins giving you updates on the driving time (given current traffic conditions) to that location. I found that it was constantly giving me updates on the driving time to my doctor's office. That's odd, since I only visit my doctor every few months at most. I've heard the stories about how Google can figure out where there are flu outbreaks by detecting people searching for their symptoms, so I'm staring to wonder if Google knows something about my health that I don't. But then I realized: my doctor's office is in a shopping plaza, along with a supermarket I frequent. So it thinks I'm constantly going to my doctor when I go grocery shopping.
- During the Champions' League final between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, I - like most of humanity - asked the question, "Where the hell is Dortmund?" So I consulted Google, and discovered that it's the largest city in the Ruhr area, a densely-populated area near the Netherlands border. The next time I looked at my phone, it asked if I wanted to add Borussia Dortmund to the list of teams I get updates on.
- Similarly, I recently saw a news update on Blue Jays' shortstop Jose Reyes, who is recuperating from an injury by playing in the minor leagues for the Buffalo Bisons. And I said, "What's up with the Bisons' uniforms?" They were orange and had some octagonal symbol on the back in place of a number. I consulted Google, and found that this was their annual Star Wars Night. And the next time I look at my phone, it's telling me the driving time to the Bison's home stadium.
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