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Google is a great search engine because what it knows about the web.

Google is a great advertising business because of what it knows about you.

No. Google is a great search engine because of what it knows about you. Trivial example: search on DDG for "ramen": useless generic information about ramen. Search on Google for "ramen": general information on the right, TEN laser-accurate local results for ramen shops. Search on DDG for "tires": ten results for sites that sell tires. Search on Google for "tires": shopping links for tires for my motorcycle. Nice.

Geolocated search results are hardly what it knows about you.

However knowing your motorcycle is interesting. How do you think it got that information?

Google Now indexes things like your mailbox, calendar, contacts. If you have a local motorcycle shop or something in your contacts or whatever, [.......]

Presumably all available when the NSA wants it.

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