YouTube video may be a leak or fake, was removed quickly

A low-resolution video promoting the forthcoming addition of "Google Now" services to the iOS Google search app briefly appeared on YouTube on Tuesday but was quickly taken down (not before being captured, however). The ad, which emulates the style of genuine Google videos promoting new products, shows off the "predictive information display" that offers features such as pulling up traffic maps while users are driving or flight status updates when they are headed to the airport.

Assuming the video (seen below) was an accidental "leak" by Google, the feature would arrive on iOS less than a year after its debut on Android, and includes a Siri-like set of features users can ask for including real-time traffic information and routing options, language translation, nearby businesses and live sports scores. One hint that the video may not be authentic is that it shows a user using the app to find out the latest score while he or she is attending the game itself -- where they would presumably already know the score of the event they are watching.

The ad says that the service will be available for both iPhone and iPad, which would also include the iPod Touch. The service works by swiping upwards on the usual Google search app, offering either a natural-language interface or a predicted set of data based on location and previous search queries. The app has garnered some criticism for relying so heavily on information it collects about users' daily lives and routines.

by MacNN Staff