CyanogenMod working on Google Now competitor?

Over the past 24 hours early reports have emerged suggesting CyanogenMod (CM) are working on a rival application to Google Now. The so-called ‘CM Home’ looks very similar to Now adopting what appears to be an assortment of card-based information panels which read various snippets of information such as local weather, time, things-to-do and so on.

Last night suggestions emerged that this was a direct alternative to Now and would be used in replace Now in future CM releases. However on reddit.com developers who report to have worked on Home are quick to note that this is not a replacement or even a competitor for Now. At least not from CM’s perspective.

“I just wanted to clarify that CM Home is not meant to be just like Google Now. The initial UI here is obviously heavily influenced by it, however. It is unlikely that we could (or would want to) compete with the magic of Google’s server-side algorithms and breadth of data about your life. Think of this as a new place for data from many sources, to be expanded later”.

The blog continues to add that this is simply an API being developed openly to assess its use and worth.

“Something to look forward to: an API for other developers! We know that alone it would be hard to create an experience that would rival Google Now in any fashion, but we believe in the power of the community”.

In spite of the blatant defense of Home the leaked screenshots we have received do bare a striking resemblance to Google’s Now.

Another CM developer addresses the aesthetic liking issue again on reddit claiming that CM are simply planning for the future by working on API’s which are in line with the upcoming Android L interface.

“We’re also planning for the future. L’s lockscreen introduces a new model, that (at face values) negates the worth of Dashclock and its extensions. It is reasonable to assume that providing a home for these extensions to go in L would be of value to users of Dashclock and the Extension devs themselves”.

To read the comments in full head over to the reddit thread by clicking here.