So far, there's a lot to like about the latest version of Android, and especially its Google Now feature. However, I am skeptical about its potential applications.
For a few days, I've been using the Galaxy Nexus phone running Jelly Bean (also known as Android 4.1, for anyone keeping score), and while the feature list seems insignificant, I have come to realize that it is an improvement worth desiring. And I'm warming up to Google.
This phone OS represents the future. It's startling, invasive, creepy, amazing, useful, foreboding, and desirable, all in one.
Everyone seems to be noting the smoothness of the OS. Sure, it greatly improves the user experience, but at some point, you have to wonder how much of the new "feel" is from simply faster processors. We will not know the answer to that question until Google sends out the upgrades to the Google Nexus S and other older phones.
My Nexus S was only recently upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich, which made a huge difference in everything, including the GUI. I'm particularly enamored with the startup sequence, which is a light show of sorts. This was removed with Jelly Bean and I was hugely disappointed.
However, there are a few ways Jelly Bean more than makes up for the lost boot screen. First of all, the camera software is a killer. It fires with flash as fast as a professional camera. You can get some hilarious sequence photos.
But the most interesting feature of Jelly Bean is the spooky Google Now software.
The company began to explain this system at Google I/O, but just managed to frighten users. If you have a Google+ account, it will enhance the ability of your phone to run Google Now, I think. I do know that Jelly Bean wants you to have a Google+ account so it can check you into Google Voice.
Thus, by turning on sync, I found all my contacts that were stored in the cloud were combined with all my Google Voice contacts in one massive contact list, complete with pictures of my contacts.
But more eerily, the system pokes into your search habits and starts to feed you information you are glad to see, but were unaware you wanted to see. If you thought Google was prying before, you're in for a surprise. But so far, so good. I'm not about to complain yet, although I worry that something weird is going to happen.
For example, if I swipe down the top menu bar to see if any messages have come in, I get the San Francisco Giants score and a note on how many minutes I have been away from home. Did I ask for this? No. But I'm not complaining.
The new system looks at the search history from my home and office machines and figures I am a Giants fan. (Indeed, I search for the schedule on Google every so often.) It has not figured out that I am also an Oakland A's fan, yet.
The same algorithms that serve you targeted ads are obviously being employed here. Again, I'm skeptical, but not freaked out yet. I actually like this so far.
On the opening screen of the new phone, you have the new Google Now option, too. You can open the phone by moving the icon to the right. You can go instantly to the camera by moving the icon left. Moving the icon up, you can go into Google Now and set options or just play around with the new cards, which look a lot like Windows 8 tiles.
Privacy mavens will freak out, although it appears to me that users can avoid the whole thing by not joining Google+ and avoiding Gmail and Google search. There is definitely a trade-off to get these new services and features. It does seem that most are opt-in, although I got the Giants score before I even began to explore any of it.
At some point, this subsystem may become annoyingly commercialized to an extreme. That, or the cops will bust down your door because of some search you did by accident. I don't know.
Here's an interesting example of what the product can do: You can set it up so it knows exactly where you are at all times. When it senses you are waiting at a bus stop, it will generate a bus schedule out of the blue. Wow. Creepy or great? You tell me.
Supposedly, it will also look at your Google Calendar, check your location, and decide if you are going to be late to an appointment. If so, it will also tell you to get going. This has to be useful, if it works. Of course, I think it will require you to put some details in the calendar.
I'll let the phone follow me around. I'll turn off the GPS when I do not want to be tracked and I'll hope it leaves me alone. We'll see. Whatever the case, you can be sure that Google Now is going to be a topic of much conversation.
You can Follow John C. Dvorak on Twitter @therealdvorak.
More John C. Dvorak:
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•  Google I/O Redux
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