Android users will get a new way to access contextually-relevant information thanks to an update out today for Google Now, Google’s personal assistant.
The app provides users with context-aware “cards” filled with information they need like flight tracking, weather and more. With the update, Google Now will offer cards from 40 third-party apps, including Pandora, Airbnb, Lyft and Zillow. It’s a move to add more content to the company’s personal assistant for Android and compete with offerings from Apple and Microsoft.
For example, Google Now will show a card that when a new property shows up on Zillow that matches a user’s saved search criteria. Users can also hail a Lyft back to their home address directly from a card, and listen to tunes from Pandora using a suggested card as well.
The move comes a week after Microsoft announced that Cortana, its virtual assistant, would be making a move to the desktop with the launch of Windows 10. Third-party developers can already integrate their apps with Cortana, though it’s currently only available on Windows Phone 8.1 and the Windows 10 preview.
