Google beefs up 'Google Now' service for holiday travels

Google has beefed up its "Google Now" service for users of its Android mobile platform in time for the holiday travel season.

 

In a blog post, Product Management Director Baris Gultekin said the service will now automatically pull up the user's boarding pass to reduce airport hassles.

 

"At the airport, your boarding pass is automatically pulled up, helping you breeze through to the gate ... (It is) launching shortly for United Airlines, with more to come," Gultekin said.

 

Once the user arrives at his or her destination, "Google Now" can show you events happening around him or her, suggesting websites to explore.

 

It can also let the user learn more about specific pieces while at a museum by using Google Goggles.

 

Gultekin said this builds on top of some of the other cards designed for travel, like the currency conversion, translation, and flight status cards.

 

These should take "a little bit of the stress out of holiday travel so you can focus on family and fun," Gultekin added.

 

Meanwhile, Gultekin said Google is making Voice Search even more powerful.

 

"You can find out the name of the song that’s playing ('What’s this song?'), quickly find product info ('Scan this barcode') and post updates to Google+ simply by using just your voice," Gultekin said. — TJD, GMA News