Google likely to be testing Google Now for its homepage

After Android, iOS and Chrome, Google Now could possibly be coming to your Google homepage too. An unofficial report by Google Operating System reveals that Google is testing Google Now for its homepage. It discloses a code that contains an introduction to Google Now, which states, “Get started with Google Now. Just the right information at just the right time." In fact, last year Google had revealed that it could shut down its previous customisable homepage, iGoogle, on November 1, 2013. Reportedly, Google has also built a Chrome desktop extension that opens Google Now as the "new tab" page. The default language is set to Russian, but it is verified in the Chrome Web Store as coming from Google, indicating that there are possible big plans for Google Now. So, will Google Now be Google’s new homepage?

Google Now is a handy feature that uses your home location to show relevant information like weather, traffic conditions and nearby places. It is still unclear how Google Now for desktop will look, but the screenshot above shows a rough implementation from the Chrome extension by Google. Google Now made its debut last year for smartphones running on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, while Google had introduced the iGoogle homepage, which is a combination of search and widgets, back in 2005. An alleged video leak that surfaced last month shows that the company’s pet project Google Now will be coming to iPhone and iPad sometime soon.

Recently, Google upgraded its Google Now experience with several improvements in the form of real-time package tracking, better Cards and faster Search. It’s allowing Jelly Bean users to track in real-time the packages that are to be delivered to them from certain carriers – presuming they have the tracking number on them. Google Now Cards were improved with quick feedback and settings, and each card is now given separate toggle on/off options. This way, users can have individual settings for each of their cards. In addition to this, Google has made searches quicker.

Google has been giving Google Now some timely updates. In December last year, Google Now was updated to make it a perfect travel companion. The way this app works is that it will tell you what the weather will be like at your destination, even before you've left home! While at the airport, the app will pull out your boarding pass automatically, and this way you can make your way past the gate quickly. Once at their destination, users can use the Google Now app to discover some great activites – it will show you the events happening around.