Google does free 411
Google has a new telephone service in the U.S. called Voice Local Search. It's the equivalent of dialing 411, but free, really fast, and it pulls multiple listings like you'd get from a search in Google local. Mobile phone users can get listings sent to their phone via SMS, including the telephone number and full address. You can also be connected to a business for free, a great feature that got dropped from my previous favorite free 411 service 1-800-Free-411.
The entire service is controlled by computers, and the voice recognition is pretty capable. I tried confusing it with foreign restaurant names, and even a few made up ones, and if it didn't get it, it would at least try and give me reasonable recommendations that sounded similar. This is the perfect service for people who want to pull up an address without needing a smart phone with a data plan, or a friend near a computer or the Yellow Pages.
The one thing still missing is residential listings, and advertisements. The latter of which will most certainly be added, knowing Google. In the meantime, enjoy ad-free 411 goodness by dialing 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-466-4411).
[via GigaOm]
Josh Lowensohn is an associate editor for Webware.com, CNET's blog about cool and otherwise useful Web applications and services. If you've found a site you'd like profiled, shoot him an e-mail. E-mail Josh.
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