No more aimless rolling through unfamiliar towns or cities looking for a club, bar, or theater: Google has introduced two new ways to search via cell phone or handheld portable device, the company announced April 12.
Aiming to boost local mobile search, Google has made regional business and local sights listings available instantly for users with browser-enable cell phones with Google Local.
And using Google SMS (Short Message Service), users can text in a code to get driving directions to most locations.
"Whether people are traveling long distances or looking for a restaurant in their hometown,” said vice president for product management Jonathan Rosenberg, “Google's new mobile services make it a snap for them to find what they're looking for—without the hassle of referring to paper maps, reference guides, or often outdated directories. Google's mobile search and Google SMS services are important advancements in our goal to provide users immediate access to valuable information anywhere and anytime."
Access Google Local on a cell phone with XHTML capability, and enter search terms in the “what” box and desired locations in the “where” box for results, Google said. Query Wi-Fi hot spots in the “what” and search by zip code in the “where,” and find business listings and driving directions. Users can also access Google Maps, with zoom capabilities and click-to-call function, the company added.
The services are now available in the United States and Canada.
By punching in the American five-digit short code 46645 (GOOGL, on most phones), Google SMS offers search results from Google Local, Froogle, financial info, weather, and movie show times.
Google introduced its first mobile service four years ago, with Google Web Search brought in through WML and iMode phones in Japan. Through XHTML features like the two now online, users can access the full range of Google’s index of over 8 billion web pages and more than 1 billion images from their cell phones, Google said.
