Google Now cards can offer a lot of information at a glance. This is how to make them work for you. Google Now is much more than a Siri- or Cortana-like virtual assistant. It has cards that can let you receive a lot of information and process it quickly. They show up when they're needed, and they have very practical uses. For example, I'm a very forgetful person. With that being the case, there are some cards that are very useful. I can receive reminders to call Mom back in a couple hours after studying for exams or finishing papers that are due soon (sorry, Mom). I also like the fact that I can set reminders to give my roommate cash for my portion of the Internet bill when I get back to my apartment. It can give me a rough estimate of where I parked my car, which is useful because I can spend a good chunk of time searching for it if left to my own devices. Verizon is offering the Pixel 4a for just $10/mo on new Unlimited lines Anyway, Google Now cards are neat and nifty. A lot of what information shows up depends on what information you give Google, which will admittedly cause some people to hesitate using the services, but please read on before deciding whether or not to use the service. Displayed information will also depend on settings enabled on your phone and even your location. You can also see some cards when you're using the Chrome browser, but we'll be talking mostly about cards on Android devices here. Here we go!

Accessing, enabling and setting up Google Now cards

There are different ways to access Google Now. You could go to the app drawer (the icon usually found at the bottom of your home screen that brings up all the apps you have installed) and select the Google app. It's baked into the Android operating system on devices running Jelly Bean, KitKat and Android L. You could also swipe to the right from your main home screen on Nexus devices to bring up the cards. On other devices, you can install the Google Now Launcher to be able to do the same thing. Some cards will also display in your notification bar. In order to access the cards, you need to enable Google Now. When you first launch it, you'll see a prompt to "get Google Now." Select "Next." From there, you'll see another screen that explains that Google will need to "use and store your location for traffic alerts, directions, and more" and "use your synced calendars, Gmail, Chrome, and Google data for reminders and other suggestions." In other words, you're enabling Google to pull information from your Google accounts and to use your location history. Your location history is not quite the same thing as location services or GPS. Your location history is, well, where you've been while location services are used to track where you are. That may sound scary at first, but let's dig into the "Learn more" section. It explains that, when you enable the services, your location history won't be shared with third parties without your permission. Also, you can choose whether you want location history enabled. It also explains that Google may pull information from your calendar entries, web and search history, contacts, etc. Now can be turned off at any time, as can location history, location service, GPS and web history. Just be aware that, when you turn something off, it may affect the functionality of some cards. Hit "Yes, I'm in" to enable Google Now.

To customize your cards, enter some information about yourself. Scroll to the bottom of your cards and you'll see a few different icons. Select the icon that looks like a magic wand and go for it! You can add and remove sports teams and stocks to follow, work and home addresses under places, and TV and video on demand providers under TV & video. That will allow relevant information to be pulled up and even influence which cards show up. Some information may not be available in all places. Enabling location tracking and other settings that will influence card functionality