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Help Google Now cards?

Kookas

Kookas

Well-Known Member
Just wondering how exactly the Google Now cards work? It doesn't seem to show directions/route before appointments as it does on the website, and I'm wondering why that is. How does it know where 'home' is, and where 'work' is, and when you're going to be travelling between the two?

Also, how is it with the public transport in the UK - I know that National Rail's API is public, did they implement that? And whilst I'm throwing questions out en masse here, what about British bus schedules?
 
Kookas said:
Just wondering how exactly the Google Now cards work? It doesn't seem to show directions/route before appointments as it does on the website, and I'm wondering why that is. How does it know where 'home' is, and where 'work' is, and when you're going to be travelling between the two?

Also, how is it with the public transport in the UK - I know that National Rail's API is public, did they implement that? And whilst I'm throwing questions out en masse here, what about British bus schedules?
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I have found similar frustration in trying to get it to give me ETA's and/or flight info before meetings (both near and far). I tried entering in the location in the Calender event, but that doesn't do it.

As for home, after using the phone for several days in my house and then travelling to New Jersey for a few days, on my drive back the phone seemed to register that I was heading "home" and had marked my house correctly on the card. It did ask me to confirm on the card that this was "home".

I can't speak to the transit in the UK, but here in the States, anytime I hung out in a city for a short time, a card would pop up with the next few bus times specifically for the closest bus stop to my current location.
 
So I'm guessing it works out 'work' based on where you travel to on a daily basis. Pretty clever, though I wish our bus systems were fully integrated with Google. I mean, National Express (the big guy in bus services over here) already uses Google Maps to show their routes on the website, but the routes aren't actually part of Maps' public transport database. Irritating oversight, but hopefully they'll fix it eventually.
 
I posted this in another threat in the Root forum and I figured id repost it here...

I had the same question, so I looked at the XDA forums and found my answer there. Essentially the easiest way is to open up Google Latitude and when it finds where you are you tap the icon you have set for yourself.

It should pop up with a screen showing your name and 3 options, Check in, Location History and Location Settings. You'll want to click Location History. On that screen click the 3 little dots to bring up settings. That menu will have Change home location and Change work location. Essentially you'll need to have Latitude enabled for it to work (from what I can tell, and read about). I just did this, so I dont know that its learned my location or times yet.

Hope this helps!
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Kookas said:
But it will also work both of them out automatically, right?
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I assumed it would, I just got impatient and looked around online for the answer. Im just waiting for it to start to know what time I go to work and when I usually go home as I just looked at GNow (at 8 in the morning) and its showing me the traffic going home. Thats useless info for the time being.
 
Hmm, it still doesn't show directions to my appointments or anything even after I've set a home and work location, strange.

Funnily enough though it has decided it's time for work, and that card does have navigation on it.
 
Kookas said:
Hmm, it still doesn't show directions to my appointments or anything even after I've set a home and work location, strange.
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Do you have recognizable places or locations for your appointments? I have a weekly volleyball game that includes the location of the Gym by a name that can be found on google maps, and an hour before the game a card popped up showing the route and time it would take to get there.

Also, you might want to go into the settings for Google Now and make sure you have that card turned on or includes calendar events and whatnot.
 
Belx said:
Do you have recognizable places or locations for your appointments? I have a weekly volleyball game that includes the location of the Gym by a name that can be found on google maps, and an hour before the game a card popped up showing the route and time it would take to get there.

Also, you might want to go into the settings for Google Now and make sure you have that card turned on or includes calendar events and whatnot.
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I'm not sure. One thing that seems to have been removed in JB is the ability to click on the locations you've set for events in the calendar and go straight to that place in Maps (I can only assume that was due to Apple or something, no other explanation for that being taken out). I'm pretty sure they're all valid places, though.
 
Kookas said:
I'm pretty sure they're all valid places, though.
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I would check this out to see. I just went into my calendar and looked at a camping trip I have next month and when I click the event, next to the 'Where' part theres a map link (browser version from my computer) that takes me to the google map of the location. I would suggest you check this out to see if your appointments have locations set. Its the only thing I can think of off the top of my head. I know I dont always set locations for things in the calendar, so that could be it.
 
It just showed me the route to an appointment that's still 14 hours away. Huh. Hopefully if I swipe it, it'll reappear later. Though it doesn't work for public transit, it'll be nice for when I fix my bike.
 
I do definitely think some tweaks still need to be made on the timing of things like calendar events and when I go home or go to work. I believe tues night it was showing me the traffic conditions to my work at that point in time, like I was going to go to work already (not taking into account that I had wed off due to the holiday). I haven't tested the calendar entries yet as ive had no new appointments. Im hoping it really starts to learn the times I do things and how far in advance I need to know about traffic conditions.
 
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