Google is always looking for ways to make Google Now even better, and really know everything about you. Sometimes Google Now knows too much about you. Google sometimes experiments with new features, or app integration with Google Now to see how well it would work and whether their users would like the new feature or not. According to VentureBeat, Google is experimenting with Foursquare tips appearing in Google Now. These tips are appearing even when Foursquare is not installed on the smartphone. Which means it’s literally integrated into the Google app and not just hooking in from the app installed on your phone.
What’s interesting here is that Foursquare and Google are looking to get together. Foursquare’s Chief Executive, Dennis Crowley sold Dodgeball to Google back in 2005. When he left Google, it wasn’t in a good way. Foursquare had integrated with Google Maps, then switched to OpenStreetMap and back to Google Maps on Android, while on iOS Foursquare uses Apple Maps. So the relationship here is a bit rocky. The reason why Foursquare would want to integrate with Google Now is location data licensing. That’s where the money is for Foursquare right now. Seeing as their users are drifting away and using other services, including their own app, Swarm. So this could turn out to be a very finance beneficial partnership for Foursquare, in the long run.
The way that the integration appears to work, is that Google Now will pop up cards of places near you. That part’s not new really. But with Foursquare, it will show you tips for that place right there in Google Now. So one example from the screenshots above show Philz Coffee, and a tip to download the orderahead app so you can skip the line. Now if you’re not from the San Francisco area, that could be a very, very helpful tip. And that’s all right there in Google Now. Without needing Foursquare installed. A very useful feature if you ask me. Of course, you can choose to continue seeing cards from Foursquare or not, as you can with other cards in Google Now.
Currently, this feature is only alive for a select number of users. There’s no word on when it might light up for everyone. But it should be sooner rather than later.