Like It or Not, Google Inc (GOOG) Is Shaping Your Future: Apple Inc. (AAPL), Microsoft Corporation (MSFT)

It’s tempting to think of self-driving cars as technology for technology’s sake, but the head of auto testing at Consumer Reports told CNN that computer driven cars could significantly decrease traffic deaths, which in 2011 totaled more than 30,000 in the United States. Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) co-founder Sergey Brin believes self-driving cars will be commercially available in the next five years and that they will save lives by reducing the amount of preventable accidents.

The here and now
A computer that you wear or a car that drives you around may be too much for some people to swallow right now. After all, giving up control or being too connected to our devices does raise some obvious concerns. But we’re all taking baby steps toward this future, even if it’s subtly.

Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) just released a new feature in its search app called Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) Now, which acts like a personal assistant for Android users. In contrast to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s Siri, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) Now’s job is to tell you important things before you need to know them. As you get ready for work, it tells you how likely you are to hit traffic on your drive. It can also tell you if your flight’s delayed or if your UPS package has shipped. It’s designed to help Android users engage with their lives in a better way, through technology.

Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) Now is just a small step moving us closer to a future where technology works for us but stays hidden in the background. Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) is trying to create technology that helps us know what we want to know, share what we want to share, and be where we want to be — without being seen. You may not want all the technology the company’s working on right now, but one day it’ll probably be part of our world, and we’ll hardly give it a second thought.

The article Like It or Not, Google Is Shaping Your Future originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Chris Neiger.

Fool contributor Chris Neiger has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Apple, General Motors, and Google and owns shares of Apple, Google, and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT).

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