I recently got frustrated with how my Nexus 9 was performing: running slow and spontaneously rebooting, so I decided to do a factory reset. I am slowly re-installing apps and trying to limit them to only the ones that I use. Right now the Nexus 9 is running very nicely and I don't know if that is due to Android 6 or running fewer apps. I do think that installing too many apps can really bog down Android due to all the notifications. My Moto X is a hot mess right now, but I am trying to hold on with it as it is until the Nexus 6P arrives.#

One of the big new features of Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) is Google Now On Tap, which is an extension of Google Now to Android apps. How Google Now On Tap works is that you tap-and-hold the Home button, Google does an image search based on what is on the screen, and provides relevant information. I am having marginal success with Google Now On Tap running on my Nexus 9.#

A simple use case is scanning email message I receive in confirmation for online webinars to simplify adding the webinar to my calendar. If you have ever attended a webinar you know the email message contains the webinar topic, date and time of the webinar, and a URL to the link you click to join the webinar at the appropriate time. #

The use case is so common I would think Google would have it optimized, but I have inconsistent results. While it correctly provides an option to create a Calendar event, it doesn't provide enough help in populating the information for the event. For example, it ever finds the subject of the webinar, even when it is in the subject line of the email message, and I find it odd that Now On Tap seems to not determine that what is displayed on the screen is an email. #

At least some times Now On Tap finds the date and time of the webinar and does populate that information correctly, but again, I find this to be hit and miss. Hopefully Now On Tap becomes more useful over time. #

© 2015 Frank McPherson.
Last update: Fri, Oct 16, 2015 at 7:06 PM.
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.