Comments on: Google Voice Local Search Launched

By: Paul van Veenendaal

Paul van Veenendaal — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 10:35:46 +0000

Also tried the new service.

Location: Mountain View
Business: Google

Got connected immediately :-)
Does anyone know the extension number for Larry Page or Sergey Brin by the way ha ha LOL

Also love the commands: “start over”, “Go back”, “text message” etc. Really smooth tool.

The service comprehends the location voice flawlessly, however has sometimes difficulty with the Business name

By: CSKnight

CSKnight — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 23:22:13 +0000

Read/WriteWeb just published a poll of some of the alternative "talking" search engines; Ms. Dewey, Ask VOX, AbbyMe, Heather, etc. It's here: http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/google_voice_local_search_launched.php

By: gary price

gary price — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 23:06:08 +0000

I forgot to mention that another cool voice activated info service comes from Traffic.com (now a part of NAVTEQ) offers real time traffic info for many U.S. cities.
1-866 MY-TRAFC
More about the service here.

You can also have traffic alerts sent to your phone at predetermined times.

Details about both services here:
http://www.traffic.com/TrafficOnComputer.html#trafficLine

By: gary price

gary price — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 22:56:29 +0000

Don't forget that at one time (years ago in search time) Google offered a telephone-based voice search service that would allow the user to speak his keyword search terms and then here the results. The page is still online here: http://labs1.google.com/gvs.html The newsgroup is still online at: http://groups.google.com/group/google.public.labs.voice-search/topics?lnk=gschg&hl=en Here's a story Chris wrote for SearchDay in 2002. http://searchenginewatch.com/showPage.html?page=2159971 Also, at one time Yahoo Phone would use a synthesized voice to read your email to you over the phone. See: http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/phone/general/phone-01.html Here's a copy of the home page from 2006 http://web.archive.org/web/20060421091702/http://phone.yahoo.com/ and another from 2000. http://web.archive.org/web/20001017162626/http://phone.yahoo.com/ Now, the Phone.yahoo.com page resolves back to the Yahoo home page.

By: Rocky Agrawal

Rocky Agrawal — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 22:23:17 +0000

The *huge* difference between this and Jingle is that you can connect through to the business. Very helpful when you can’t write things down. (Like when you’re driving.)

Jingle only gives you the number. Unless you choose to be hijacked by an advertiser and call them.

Of course, Jingle could easily lift that restriction, but it adds to the cost base.

By: Todd Mintz

Todd Mintz — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 21:17:54 +0000

If your profession is “directory assistance operator”, I think you should consider a career change.

Very slick service.