Google is getting into the news game in a completely different way. Google is trying to deliver news to you based on what you like. How, you ask? Well, like all things Google, they will use your search history to provide you with news that you want to read. Google is re-branding their “Google Now” app, in what they are calling Google “feed”. Like I said, they are basing what news you will want to see on what kinds of things you’ve searched for. They will also include the top headlines of the day, and local news, which is great because it’s nice to know that these things are going on. Some are comparing this to Facebook’s news feature, and while I can see the comparison, I’m not sure I’d make it myself.
Google has been in the news business for a long time now. And while, they haven’t been in the news customization business, I don’t think that this is a knock off of Facebook. Why? Because you don’t have to like anything. You don’t have to necessarily show Google what you want to see. Yes, you’re doing it indirectly when you’re searching for something. But they do it now with advertisements. So how is this any different than that? Also, isn’t it nice to be able to get all the news you actually want to read in one place? Think about the news sites that you follow. You have to scroll through everything in order to find out if there’s anything you want to read. But with Google feed, a lot of that is done for you. Or at least that’s what they say.
It’s been reported that maybe the app isn’t quite ready to do this for you. It takes time to learn what it is you’re looking for. My advice, take it with a grain of salt at first. Give it a chance and see what comes of it. You might be surprised. Another neat feature is that Google is giving you the ability to fact check. Which is going to make it easier for you to spot fake news. You can also let Google know if you’re not interested in a particular topic. They will adjust the algorithm so you no longer see those kinds of news stories. This feature actually gives you control over what it is you want to read. And the ability to say when you don’t want to read something.
Because this is a re-branding from Google Now, it’s unclear if some of the app features will remain the same. Like the ability to tell you when you need to leave for an appointment. Which also makes you wonder why they’re re-branding in the first place? Google seems to know what they’re doing, so I think they will be fine with the change. Maybe some of their apps didn’t take off like they had hoped, or expected, but do you know any Google apps that are actually bad? Like I mean really bad.
The Google feed app is currently available for iOS and Android. But only if you’re in the United States. Google said that the app will become available internationally within the next couple of weeks. So some of us will have to wait to see if it’s going to be as awesome as it sounds. I personally like the idea of getting news that is customized for me. I follow specific news accounts on Twitter – some local, some big name media accounts, and some topic specific. But it’s not easy to scroll through all of these accounts to find the news that you’re looking for. Which means I’m really looking forward to giving this a try to see if it will work for me or not.