“Google Now” Available for AOSP Based ICS ROMS

Good afternoon folks.

If you have been looking to get a taste of what Google Now is all about, here’s your opportunity. As you may or may not know Google Now is a core feature baked in to Jelly Bean 4.1, and was not available on prior OS versions. Well that’s about to change. XDA developer febycv has figured out a way to bring the feature to devices running AOSP Based ICS ROMS. Apparently, there are two methods to achieving Google Now glory. One involves modifying your build.prop and the second (more attractive) option is a modified version of the app that does not require a modification to the build.prop file.

If you are interested in taking the plunge and giving Google Now a try, head over to XDA for details. I have included the XDA post below to get you started.

If you’ve been following our recent coverage on the events and highlights of the Google I/O 2012 conference, you no doubt have heard of Google Now. While the location-, time-, and user habits-aware functionality may be eerily reminiscent of SkyNet; the service has the ability to help you be as productive as possible. In my own usage walking around downtown San Francisco after I/O, I found it quite useful. It routinely gave me traffic, weather, and mass-transit information—all based on what it had learned from my habits.

Unfortunately, Google Now is not available for everyone. As a core feature of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, it is not available for previous versions of the OS. However, XDA Recognized Developer febycv has figured out a way around this. By simply modifying thebuild.prop, users on older versions of Android can enjoy the latest in Google’s privacy intrusions as well. All jokes aside, the service is genuinely useful, and is at least worth a shot.

Regarding compatibility, users have thus far reported mixed results. It seems to be incompatible with OEM-skinned ROMs, and some have reported application stability issues after installation. However,febycv suggests that in order to prevent this, the build.prop modifications should be reverted once the application has been installed.

If you are looking to get in on the Google Now action on your own AOSP-based ICS device, head over to the original thread.

Update: As pointed out by XDA Forum Member dave7802, there is also a modified version of the app available on the forums that doesn’t require editing your build.prop. This can be found in post 14 of this thread.

Keep in mind that for you privacy minded individuals, you will have to loosen the slack a bit to get the most out of Google’s most recent addition to our beloved OS. I have used it for just a short time, and I have to say it’s pretty awesome.  I love getting score updates for my Yankees, and knowing in advance if my commute home will be delayed.  Looking forward to broadening its use.

Give us a shout if you get Google Now working on your ICS device. We would love to hear what you think.

Until next time…..