TechSource: 8 Google Now Tricks That Will Make You More Productive

8 Google Now Tricks That Will Make You More Productive

Posted: 28 Mar 2014 05:18 AM PDT

Google Now began merely as Google's answer to the then-revered Siri. What the search giant needed was a service that users could rely on - A service that could combine the big G's search prowess and your personal information to become your own assistant. And yes, Google achieved that. In fact, far from being a personal assistant, Google Now evolved into a service that becomes an integral part of its future line of products like Google Glass.

When compared with the popular Siri, Google's service packs a lot of punch. Not only does it let you search with your voice, it also intelligently presents information that's relevant to you at the right time and at the right place. Therefore, it's easy to see that Google Now is more than just a digital assistant. It is a full-fledged productivity powerhouse that will help you get things done much more easily. That's why we have for you a list of cool Google Now Tips and Tricks that could help you ramp up your productivity in no time.

1. Practice Pomodoro On the Go

The Pomodoro Technique consists of working in 25-minute sprints with 5-minute breaks. Use Google Now's timer feature to set an alarm for 25 minutes into the future by saying "Set a timer for 25 minutes." Do this and go to work, as Google's alarm will remind you after 25 minutes.

2. Use with Task Management Apps

Popular to-do applications like Any.do, Todoist and Wunderlist make use of Google Now to make it easy for you to add new tasks. Stay productive on the go by installing any of those apps and hooking them up with Google Now.

3. Make Better Reservations

With Google Now at your disposal, you can make hotel or car-rental reservations without having to check the progress from your inbox. Google Now has a feature that conveniently shows up a card of your reservation along with the booking number, your name, date, and the name of the service. This can be used to get details about flights, hotels, and restaurants. In fact, Google Now can even track packages and show the relevant information as a card. Here's how to enable it: open Google Search application. Then, go to Settings -> Google Now -> Gmail Cards. Select the cards you want to enable and relax as Google gives you the relevant information at the relevant time.

4. Save Time with Commute Sharing

It's a huge annoyance when you're running late for a meeting or even a date and you have to keep updating the other person about your location every 2 minutes. Google's Commute Sharing is a lesser-known feature that allows you to share your current location with your friends and loved ones. On your Android, simply go to Menu -> Settings -> Accounts & Privacy -> Commute sharing and enable the feature. This way, from the moment you leave your house to the minute you reach the meeting, the other person will be able to keep a tab on your progress. The feature might seem creepy at first but is actually very useful in certain situations.

5. Save Travel Time

Get to the nearest bus stops with Google Now's cool location-enabled feature. Simply click on the wand icon in the search app and go to "Everything Else". From there, enable the option that says "Continue to get nearby public transit stops?" Once enabled, Google Now will notify you of the nearby bus stops or train stations.

6. Find Anything On the Go

Google Now is backed by the most powerful search engine in the world. Make use of it by asking it the right questions that save your precious time. Ask questions like: "Who is the CEO of Google?" or "30 US Dollars in Euros?" to get the info you want.

7. Take Quick Notes

Google Now allows you to send yourself quick notes that remind you of the important things you need to do. For example, you can send yourself a note saying: "Note to self: write article tomorrow" and Google Now will then send you an email along with an audio transcript of a reminder. It is surely a great way to capture ideas on the go.

8. Do Quick Math

Are you bad at math? Don't worry. Google Now lets you speak math problems into your phone and get answers real quick. Feel free to ask questions like: "100 divided by 5 times 20" and see the answer pop up in no time. This is a great way to save time that is normally wasted in looking for a calculator.