Google Now isn't awesome because Google exposed various APIs into their omniscient database. And they're not letting random apps grab 'Now' information for their own purposes either. They haven't played the "Open" card on "Now", at all, that I've seen.
So thinking Apple would match it by just opening some APIs is double-unlikely. Particularly not with their reluctance to allow any hooks that third party developers might misuse.
If Apple pursued this, they'd develop a first-party solution by more-tightly-integrating the existing first-party apps (Maps/Calendar/Passbook/Siri) and call it a day.
A measured step forward on that front is actually more Apple-like and would be less surprising than if they rolled out the more oft-cited requests, like widgets, services, siri API and changeable defaults.
Particularly since making Siri "aware" of your immediate future needs/obligations would be a feature multiplier all its own.
Ironically, Apple's services like Maps and Siri are the ones that are not very "integrated" but are quite "fragmented" instead, since they need hooks into different databases from 3rd party vendors of which they have no control on, while Google only uses their own Google search engine for Google Now, and their own Maps database for Maps.
Also, Google has already brought Voice Search to the iPhone. I think Google Now is also a service they'd like to bring, since it seems like one of those services where they would benefit if it was on the most popular mobile platforms at least.
So thinking Apple would match it by just opening some APIs is double-unlikely. Particularly not with their reluctance to allow any hooks that third party developers might misuse.
If Apple pursued this, they'd develop a first-party solution by more-tightly-integrating the existing first-party apps (Maps/Calendar/Passbook/Siri) and call it a day.
A measured step forward on that front is actually more Apple-like and would be less surprising than if they rolled out the more oft-cited requests, like widgets, services, siri API and changeable defaults.
Particularly since making Siri "aware" of your immediate future needs/obligations would be a feature multiplier all its own.