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Who Are My Neighbors, Mr.Search Engine?
Phoe6 writes "'Google's goal is to connect searchers with the information they need whether it's halfway around the world or in their neighborhood,' said company co-founder Sergey Brin, as Google is unveiling its location-based search tool local.google.com.
This is going heads on with Yahoo, as it put its SmartView content on its maps." Phoe6 also points to this AP story carried by the Houston Chronicle about "Verizon Communications' SuperPages.com, overhauled to deliver more useful local results." Google's service seems to work pretty well -- I've just located a few coffee shops with free wireless within easy walking distance. Update: 03/17 18:33 GMT by T : Here's a no-reg link to the same AP story.
I'd have to say that most of these services are already way behind. Check out Verizon's map based search (as mentioned). They have a Java and HTML version.
:)
The Java version I've linked rocks. I've used it to find all of the sushi places within driving distances of my place
Verizon Map Based Search
I searched for a hardware store close to my Manhattan zip code. The first entry is sending me about 4 miles south ... the second entry has me going to Jersey ... and the third puts me in Brooklyn. I'm all for sight-seeing, but not when I just want to buy a wrench.
Yeah, and I'm sure it will eventually be setup that way. Just like froogle.google.com, this is in it's infancy and thus doesn't have a tab on the main page yet.
RTFM. If you read the "Local Search Help" then you will see that the reason for this is because it currently only has information for inside the US. It explains that it will expand, but for now be patient.
while true ; do echo this is my sig; done
Man... everytime google labs hits slashdot, it gets slashdotted, and someone like you thinks google is slashdotted. Go to google.com. Is it /.ed? No.
labs.google.com != google.com != local.google.com
RTFM. In the "Local Search Help" it explains why it has displayed only info for US. That is all that is supported for now, since the service is still beta. It also says that expansion to other countries will come in time.
while true ; do echo this is my sig; done
something that is like this is GeoURL. maps coordinates to websites.
Google is rapidly evolving into one of, if not, the most advanced search engine in the world.
Along with its regular search and local search, you can make an extremely customizable search with the following features:
site:, link:, inurl:, allinurl:, intitle:, allintitle:, intext:, allintext:, filetype:, ext:, inanchor:, allinanchor:, phonebook:, rphonebook:, bphonebook:, daterange:
As the words suggest, site: will search for the search terms in a specific site, or domain level (e.g. site:www.slashdot.org, site:.org), inurl: will search for the search terms in the URL as well as the content. allinurl: will search for the search terms only inside the url. filetype: will search for the search terms with results for only the specified filetype (e.g. filetype:.doc), etc.
It also has a very complex calculator function, which comes into effect automatically when you enter a mathematical query (e.g. tablespoon / pi ^ e).
It also (imo) has the best ranking system, which isnt bias by money (excluding the sponsored links).
With google soon to bring out their own email, I can see google becoming an extremely wide used site (even more so than now) in the near future.
*Hopes for his first +5, Intresting*...
Then I saw that one was a bar that offered FREE BEER WITH EVERY PACKERS TOUCHDOWN and I was like... blisssssss... I'm there. It really *did* put the best results first.
Unfortunately they only run that promotion during the spring and summer...
It already is everyone's neighbor. In the continental US, there is a McDonald's on every street with a route number.