Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. Legacy Archives

Google Now spotted in builds of Chrome browser for Windows and Chrome OS

Add as a preferred source on Google
google now privacy data
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Like a trail of bread crumbs, Google has been leaving clues and references to what could be the eventual integration of Google Now on its Chrome web browser. Chromium (an open source browser where the more widely used Chrome browser gets its source code) expert François Beaufort did a little digging and found codes left by Google engineers indicating the arrival of the Android feature on PCs and Chromebooks or Chromeboxes. Unfortunately, no clues hinting at Chrome for Mac have been found.

Google Now is digital personal assistant introduced with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Think of it, like a combination of Siri, Google search, and an app that predicts your behavior. It delivers information – say, your schedule, Gmail Events, hotel and restaurant reservation, and even traffic info, among others – by displaying “cards” with the information you need on the interface of Android devices. Beaufort peviously spotted a code that would add a “Show Google Now notifications in Chrome” option to Chrome browsers on the Chromium Code Reviews page. This time around, he spotted the same code on a full beta release version of the Chrome browser. You can already enable the option if you have the technical know-how and the Google Now server you need, but you won’t be able to see the cards until the feature goes public, rendering it useless at this point. 

Recommended Videos

It’s unclear when Google will make the feature available on Chrome as the company has yet to confirm that it actually exists. 

Mariella Moon
Mariella loves working on both helpful and awe-inspiring science and technology stories. When she's not at her desk writing…
Gemini Notebook’s new Collections arrive just as Google turns it into a bigger workspace
Google is cleaning up notebook organization as the former NotebookLM expands across Gemini and Search
Gemini Notebook branding on a MacBook

Google has barely finished renaming NotebookLM, and it’s already addressing one of the headaches that comes with building a large research library.

Collections are rolling out to all Gemini Notebook users, giving them a way to group related notebooks while keeping everything visible under My Notebooks. The dashboard gets some structure without asking users to rearrange the library they’ve already built.

Read more
Samsung’s humanoid robot ambitions are real, but factories come first
Samsung’s new robotics division has humanoids in its sights, although its immediate business is far more practical factory automation
Robot Touch Human Finger

Samsung wants a place in the humanoid race, but its new robotics push begins with machines built for factories rather than homes.

The CEO-led RX robotics division will initially focus on manufacturing robots. Samsung has separately identified humanoids as a priority, although it hasn’t announced a commercial model or explained where one fits into the division’s immediate plans.

Read more
WhatsApp’s Liquid Glass redesign is finally coming to Mac after months of waiting
WhatsApp's Mac app is getting Apple's Liquid Glass-inspired makeover
WhatsApp

WhatsApp has been steadily adopting Apple's new design language across its apps, but Mac users have largely been left watching from the sidelines. That is finally beginning to change.

The messaging platform has started rolling out its Liquid Glass redesign for the WhatsApp Mac app, bringing the desktop experience much closer to what iPhone and iPad users have been seeing over the past few months. The update introduces a refreshed interface with redesigned navigation elements, updated menus, and a cleaner layout that aligns with Apple's latest software aesthetic. According to WABetaInfo, the rollout has begun through the latest Mac App Store update and is currently reaching a limited number of users.

Read more