Google Now could be added to the search giant’s homepage in the not too distant future

Google appears to be inching ever closer to a wider rollout of its predictive personal assistant Google Now, following segments of test code reportedly added to the company’s homepage.

The feature, spotted by the Google Operating System blog, is mentioned sporadically throughout the webpage, alongside the following introduction: “Get started with Google Now. Just the right information at just the right time.”

It’s not clear whether the new integration will look and function similar to the Android iteration, although it points to most of the basic cards such as weather and traffic conditions.

“Google Now uses your Home location to show relevant information like weather, traffic conditions, and nearby places,” it reads.

The following lines of code, meanwhile, hint at user preferences and initial settings for Google Now, similar to the initial setup found on Android.

(1,”Edit Home Location”,”Google Now uses your Home location to show relevant information like weather, traffic conditions, and nearby places. “,”Set Home Location”,”Home”,a,b,c,d,e)};_.NEa=function(a,b,c,d,e){(0,_.qZ)

(2,”Edit Work Location”,”Google Now uses your Work location to show relevant information like weather, traffic conditions, and nearby places. “,”Set Work Location”,”Work”,a,b,c,d,e)};
_.OEa=function(a,b,c,d,e){(0,_.qZ)

(3,”Edit Current Location”,”Google Now uses your current location to show relevant information like weather, traffic conditions, and nearby places. “,”Set Current Location”,”Current Location”,a,b,c,d,e)};_.rZ=function(a,b,c,d,e,f){(0,_.Wf)(b,”now-loc-change”);(0,_.Ng)(b,”click”,(0,_.gb)(a,_.n,c,d,e,f,_.n))};_.PEa=function(a,b,c,d,e){return(0,_.rZ)

Google Now is seen as a flagship feature for the Android mobile operating system. The software’s ability to learn, predict and display information based on contextual data, such as where you are and the time of day, is unprecedented.

With support for over 25 different card types, including friends’ birthdays, restaurant reservations, boarding passes and events, it’s managed to combine and improve upon the vision set out by Siri and Passbook on Apple’s iOS platform.

Rumors about a possible launch on iOS, Chrome and Chrome OS have been rife recently, although the latter is expected to be integrated as a slightly different, yet familiar notification center.

Google Now for iOS is all but confirmed, but availability outside of the mobile landscape is yet to be verified. By bringing its cards to the Google homepage, the company would be making a big statement on the influence and value of its product.

It would also be a departure from the minimalist homepage found on the Google Search website. The simplicity of the design has become something of a calling card for the company – but perhaps it’s time for something far bolder and innovative.