Topic: GOOG-411

GOOG-411 Is Out Of Beta

The Google Blog announced that GOOG-411, Google’s voice enabled search service, is now out of beta. To use GOOG-411 just dial 1-800-466-4411 (aka 800-GOOG-411) and listen to the voice prompts. As part of a promotion for GOOG-411 leaving beta, Google said they will unveil which Googler is the voice behind GOOG-411.

Comparing Annual Ad Spending From Google, Yahoo, And Microsoft

This Associated Press article chronicles how Google has been able to build a multi-billion dollar consumer brand largely without advertising. That’s the part everybody knows. But the article also compares the annual ad spending of Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and eBay. It points out that when Google does buy any advertising, it’s typically to recruit employees.

Billboard Showdown: Google 411 Takes On Ask’s Algorithm

I’m in the Bay Area this week, and driving down Lombard Street, I brought the car to a halt when I saw the two billboards above. Yes, that’s one of the Goog411 billboards for Google Voice Search sitting on top of an Ask.com "The Algorithm" one. Sadly, there’s doesn’t seem to be room to squeeze […]

Is A Google Phone ‘A Fortnight Away’?

India’s Rediff.com cites unnamed sources to assert that a Google-branded phone may be “a fortnight away” (two weeks). There have been lots of rumors about a “GPhone” for months. They run the gamut from specialized software development, to a Google MVNO to a Google handset.

SEO

Exalead Teams With Directory Assistance Provider To Offer Voice-Powered Mobile Search In France

Gary Price at ResourceShelf alerted us to the fact that enhanced directory assistance provider 118 218 in France is now offering a much broader service using content and results from search engine Exalead. In principle, this is comparable to enhanced directory assistance/mobile voice search services being offered in the US by Tellme, 1-800-YellowPages, Jingle Networks […]

Google’s Research Director Peter Norvig On ‘The Future Of Search’

MIT’s Technology Review published an interview with Google Director of Research Peter Norvig that explores his (and presumably Google’s) thinking about problems in search and “next-generation” search functionality that Google is working on. There’s nothing strikingly new in the interview but it’s an interesting overview and window into some of the current projects.

Google Voice Search Adds ‘Map It’ Feature

Google’s free directory assistance/voice search offering 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-466-4411) has added a “map it” feature. Users can say “map it” after receiving the desired listing and get a text message with a link to a map (which opens a WAP browser). I tested the feature a couple of times , and it worked very easily.

SEO

Local Mobile Search Provider 1-800-Free411 Touts Patent Against Rivals

USAToday writes about a recently awarded patent obtained by Jingle Networks, which operates the 1-800-Free411 ad-supported directory assistance service. After conducting several searches at the USPTO and elsewhere I was unable to find a copy of the patent itself. However, according to the article: Jingle’s patent, which it bought from inventor Scott Wolmuth, is for […]

Google Calendar Goes Mobile

Google has just launched a mobile version of Google Calendar, which is supposed to load for those visiting the Google Calendar site with a mobile phone. Google describes it more in a blog post today. It appears to work on a range of phones, including Windows Mobile.

Goog411 Raising Profile, Seeking Feedback

The Google Lat Long Blog promotes Google’s free voice-based local search (free directory assistance) product: Goog411. The post also cites a new, related Google Group, similar to the Yahoo Suggestions Board, and a related, suggestions email address. Here’s our original post on Goog411 from launch earlier this year. Google was very cautious and tentative about […]

Goog411 Voice Search And Speech Recognition

Tim O’Reilly has an interesting post that went up last Friday on Google’s potential motivation in rolling out Goog411. The obvious answer to the question “Why is Google doing this?” is mobile voice search and directory assistance ($13 billion in annual revenue per Opus Research). The conventional wisdom, which includes me here, holds that Google […]