Google Launches Voice Local Search

http://labs.google.com/goog411/index.html

To try this service, just dial 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-466-4411) from any phone.

As part of our ongoing effort to make the world’s information universally accessible, we’re testing a free service called Google Voice Local Search. Using this service, you get fast access to the same local information you’d find on Google Maps. But you don’t need a computer, you don’t need an Internet connection, and you don’t even need to use your cell-phone keypad. It’s voice-activated, and you can access it from any phone (mobile or landline), in any location, at any time.

Here are a few of the features:

• You can find a business listing by category. Just say “pizza,” for example.
• You can send the listing details to your mobile phone via SMS.
• The service is fully automated, so it doesn’t rely on human operators.
• It connects you directly to the business, free of charge. However, your telephone company may apply regular charges for making a phone call or receiving an SMS.

Google Voice Local Search is still in its experimental stage. It may not be available at all times and may not work for all users. We’re fine-tuning the service to get better at recognizing our user’s requests and at finding the businesses they are looking for. It’s currently only available in English, in the US, for US business listings.