Android 4.4 KitKat: Some says that Google Now is the future - but Google needs to give it international support first

With the new Android 4.4 KitKat, Google integrates Google Search and Google Now even more, and some people from the US says that Google Now is the future, and will be what Android and Google is all about very soon. But as I have said before - they forget that Google Now is still quite useless outside of the US.. And no it doesn’t matter if we here in Europe change to US or English in the settings, it doesn’t work better anyway. The reason is that it doesn’t support European content or context. For example finding restaurants, our sports results, news and so on. The only thing that works here is the weather and getting directions to drive to work and home again.. And I already know how to drive to my work and the weather I get from my weather widget…

Google Search is the new home screen

While developing KitKat, Google decided to replace the existing home app, and turn all the home screen functionality over to the new Google Search app. Google Search isn’t just integrated into the home screen now, it really is the home screen. Everything you see on the home screen, wallpaper, icons, widgets, and even the app drawer, are now all drawn by the Google Search app.

Instead of launching Google Search as a completely separate app, you’re already technically inside Google Search when you unlock your phone. So now when you pull your home screen to the right, it immediately brings up a panel that includes your full Google Now interface. So now you can launch Google Now and Voice Commands directly from your homescreen without starting an app or using a widget.

Google Now gives you even more personal results now

When you are into the Now panel, there will be a selection of new cards now. Google is now keeping track of what people search for in different locations, so that it can bring up relevant websites and other content automatically. For example websites with popular attractions nearby or sites with movie info about the movie that you are about to see at the cinema. Google Now will now also bring up news that you really care about, based on what websites you usually care about. And you can now say “OK Google” to start searching directly from the home screen.

Again, all this only works in the US, and need international support before it will be useful here where I live…

Google needs to give Google Now international support

Android has begun a slow, gradual transformation into a Google Now operating system, a personal assistant device, and I really hope that Google is prioritizing the work on translating all this for international support before moving this to the next step. I don’t want to see an Android version that only works good and are useful in the US and some few other countries…