Google Now on Jellybean

What if a your phone could know where you are, what your interests are, when you have your next appointment, what time of the day is, and give you the right information just when you need it? This is what the new Google Now does.

Let's assume you are commuting from or to home. Google Now tells you how long your usual commute is going to be and if there is a faster route.


When you are close to a bus stop or a subway station Google Now tells you when the new vehicle will arrive.


Google Now tells you about bar and restaurants around you when you walk down the street. When you are in a restaurant trying to order, Google Now tells you what that restaurants is most known for.


When you have a calendar appointment Google now will tell you how to get there on time. For example, if you usually take the bus to get around, Google Now will tell you when to leave, based on how long will take you to walk to the bus stop, when the next bus will arrive, and how long that bus ride will take to get there on time.


If you have an upcoming flight that you searched for Google Now keeps you up to date on the current status, which terminal to go to and updates you if there is a delay.


Google Now keeps you updated on your favorite sport team in real time. There is no need of customization. Google Now knows about your favorite team based on the search you had done.


Google Now knows when you are traveling. When you travel internationally Google Now gives you a card for currency convention, translation, and it even tell you what time is back home.



How it works

The way to access Google Now is by swiping from the home screen.



Google now display a home screen with all the cards that apply to your specific situation. In the image below the first card list an upcoming meeting, and tell me how long is going to take me to get there.



A notification will warn me when is time to leave, based on how long is going to take me to get there.



Google Now knows if I are a Giant's fan, and tell Me that there is a game in a few hours, and I can buy tickets from here.


Google now knows that I am not here too often, and that I don't know the area too well. Google now shows few interesting places nearby, including some restaurants.



If a tap on a specific restaurant, this takes me to google maps, and from here I can get various information, and even book a table if I want to.



Google Now knows that I have a flight scheduled, and that it is delayed, so I have time for my usual workout to the gyn if I want to.

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Jellybean new search UI

Jellybean introduced Search Cars as the new UI for displaying featured search results. Search Cards provide a visual and easy-to-scan display of the results, accompanying textual information with images and link to the source.
Following some examples. A search of Angelina Jolie's movies would return a picture of the actress alongside with a list of her most popular movies and a link to Wikipedia.
A search of the earth's mass would return an image of our planet with the mass value in kilos and a link to Wikipedia.
In a way Google was already experimenting with a similar approach in their new search "what do you love"

But this is not all. Searching is getting smarter using your current location to provide results that better fit your needs. Searching for the weather forecast displays information about your current location and five days forecast. Searching for Starbucks displays Starbucks location around you.

Searching for pictures of a specific subject returns a set of images organized in a grid.

Swiping away the search card would reveal more results.

In place of the cards Jellybean will then display a more traditional scrolling list of all results.

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Thumb Reach Area on Smartphones

Luke Wroblewski in his seminar, Designing Mobile Web Experiences, speaks about the area of easy reach in mobile devices. Luke claims that smartphones have preferred reach zones when operated in portrait and landscape orientation. Devices used in portrait orientation are usually operated with one hand, and the preferred reach zone is located in the lower center of the screen.



Devices used in landscape orientation are usually operated with two hands, and the reach zone is significantly different.



While listening to Luke's explanation I realized I have always seen this, but somehow my brain never registered the observation.
Few popular iPhone apps, took this lesson to heart and opted for a custom tab navigation bar, placing the main action in the lower center of the screen. This is, in fact, a convenient location for both left and right handed individuals that operate their smartphone in landscape orientation.



The article below is a collection of different visual designs for tab navigation, most of which seems to emphasize the central tab with a larger size and distinctive style
Examples of iPhone iOS UITabBar Interfaces

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