After announcing integration with Google Keep yesterday, Google also just updated Google Now for Android to include new and improved cards. Google Now is a tool available on mobile devices as part of Google Search that uses your location information, time of day, and other information to provide useful information and reminders such as transit information and shopping lists exactly when you need them. With this update, Google Now will keep you up-to-date with NCAA football scores, automatically provide your concert ticket when you arrive at a venue, suggest car rental information when you arrive in new places, and more.
Car rentals: Now when you visit a new place Google will provide reservation details for cars available nearby along with directions to the car rental centers. This card goes hand-in-hand with Google Now’s boarding pass and hotel reservation cards, allowing you to travel without searching through apps and emails to find your travel information.
Concert tickets: When you arrive at a concert venue Google Now will have your concert ticket ready. This card will also display locally relevant websites such as the venue’s upcoming events page.
Improved public transit cards: For those who regularly use public transit, Google Now will alert you of the last train or bus home.
Commute sharing: Put your friends and family at ease by automatically letting them know when you leave work, all through Google+. Learn how to enable commute sharing here.
Set reminders while you search: On Google Now, reminders are one of the most useful features. Now when you search for music artists, actors, filmmakers, and TV shows, you’ll see a “remind me” button you can click to set a Google Now reminder. You’ll then be alerted when new albums and books are released or when TV episodes you’re interested in are coming up.
Updated TV card: Previously the TV card provided you information about the program you were watching and the people mentioned in the show. Now the card will also tell you about the news mentioned and music playing. To enable the TV card, simply tap on it if you have a smart TV using your WiFi network or, for other TVs, tap on the mic and say “listen to TV.”
NCAA football scores: When football season starts, visit Google Now to find real-time scores for your favorite NCAA team.
These updates are rolling out today to all Android devices using Android 4.1 and up. If your device doesn’t update automatically, you can try manually updating the app from Google Play.
