They're watching you!

Dear PropellerHeads: I was driving down the road yesterday and my phone, without any prompting, showed the message "5 minutes to Starbucks" on my screen. How did it know where I was going?

A: Let's not jump to conclusions here - maybe your phone was just making a commentary on how prevalent a certain coffee establishment has become and the point was that, wherever you are, you're never more than five minutes away from a Starbucks.

Not buying it? Then would you believe that the latest versions of Android have turned our smartphones into phones that are scary smart? Depending on your stance on privacy, maybe even just scary.

Google Now (google.com/now) is its answer to Apple's Siri digital assistant for the iPhone, and Microsoft's Cortana. The difference is that with Siri, you initiate the interaction by asking it (her?) a question, whereas Google Now anticipates the information you need and provides it without being asked. (As we went to press, Apple announced that Siri would soon become more "proactive," so look for similar features in that product soon.)

This is done through the use of "cards," little white rectangles that pop up on your screen whenever Google thinks it has information you need to know.

When it works, it's amazingly helpful. For example, you can just glance down at your phone during a meeting and it will tell you that, based on current traffic, you need to leave now to make your flight on time.

When it doesn't work, it's an inconvenience, but mostly a minor one. For example, it popped up on my wife's phone this weekend to tell her that construction work was delaying traffic on our way to the zoo, which would have been helpful five minutes earlier...before we got stuck in said traffic.

But how did Google know I was going to the zoo or that you were headed to Starbucks? Through the magic of "contextual awareness," which is fancy tech-person speak for "it's stalking you, sort-of." I had looked up the zoo's hours (using Google) about an hour before getting my notification.

You had probably done something similar, or you visit Starbucks on a particular schedule, or you made a turn that told Google you were probably going to Starbucks because there isn't much else you do down that particular road. That's the scary part - the software combined data from your search history with data from your phone's GPS and tried to guess what you were going to do next.

Remember all those "App Permissions" screens you tap through without reading? And those Google settings you usually ignore? You've given them permission to use that data (and combine it across multiple services), which makes some people nervous (but which you can turn off at any time).

The first time I noticed Google Now, I looked down at my phone during a layover and it told me my next flight had been delayed. I admit I was a little bit shocked, since I had not explicitly given Google any information about my travel plans. But after the initial shock, I found it awfully convenient, even if it does creep me out that they read my email without me expecting it. (My reservation confirmation was sent to my Gmail account.)

So, what else can it do? Besides flights, it can automatically pull up directions to your hotel or favorite lunch spot. By monitoring your email, it can tell you when Amazon shipped your packages. If you've looked up sports scores at work during the day, it can give you updates on your phone later that night.

Since it knows where you are (via your phone's GPS) it can tell you about events and attractions nearby (like festivals and museums). And once it figures out where you're going (again, based on GPS and search history) it can give you an ETA and directions, including traffic updates. It's only a matter of time before it takes over the actual driving too (Google is working on self-driving cars, you know.)

In addition to Android, you can install Google Now on iOS devices, your desktop computer, and your Android watch (we all have those now, right)? If it was already installed and you don't want it, see http://bit.ly/1QGv3Z2 for instructions on turning it off.

If you're a particularly boring person who never goes anywhere, it can suggest articles or blog posts you might like to read based on what you've read or researched in the past.

When the PropellerHeads at Data Directions aren't busy with their IT projects, they love to answer questions on business or consumer technology. Email them to questions@askthepropellerheads.com or contact us at Data Directions Inc., 8510 Bell Creek Road, Mechanicsville, VA 23116. Visit our website at www.askthepropellerheads.com.