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Google Local Launched In Canada
Shiifty writes "Globe Technology is reporting that Google Local has gone live in Canada. Google.ca partnered with Yellowpages.ca to deliver local answers to search queries by cross referencing Google's 4 billion website database with Yellowpage's 2.4 million listings. Google cited a Kelsey Group study, which said that 25 per cent of all commercial on-line searches are now local in nature."
Finally I'll be able to find nearby places to buy igloos and poutine!
i can now find a porn distributor in MY area, not halfway across the country.
Marge, get me your address book, 4 beers, and my conversation hat.
Proponents of the idea that google + "I'm Feeling Lucky" button could be a good contender in the Turing Test have been dismissed with "What if you ask google where your local chip shop is?"
So it's scary and amazing that it could actually have an answer to that question.
"It's not your information. It's information about you" - John Ford, Vice President, Equifax
M$
Small businesses are going to love that - it will almost certainly mean more exposure.
It will also be a valuable resource for going on a holiday - I can find a good coffee shop before I leave home, from the comfort of my PC, instead of struggling with local directories.
"TV is a crutch for those who lack imagination."
I can't wait for this type of thing to become popular. The web has revolutionized information on the global scale, no doubt. But finding information on the local scale often continues to be only slightly better than what you could get by picking up a phone book. I hope that someone (google or not) can come up with a solution to this.
I looked up "plumber" in "windsor, on", of which I know there are about a dozen or more in the yellow pages, and the only ones that show up are across the border in Detroit. I'm sorry but I can't hire a U.S. plumber to work in Windsor - they would need a permit.
Yes we are. And you're going to like it. We welcome our new Google masters...
No, we are going to post an article every time a "US only" Google service will start to expand.
Slashdot anagrams to "Sad Sloth"
Try:
http://google.ca.eh
Norman Cook's Ode to Sl
Since when is "offering fantastic free services without intrusive advertising" taking over the world? I've already used this service many times in the past few days. In addition to the local searches, the maps provided are some of the best available.
"eh" is a very common word and was not included in your search.
Bill
Upon seeing the box was too small, Schrodinger's Elephant breathed a sigh of relief.
I tested plenty of things in 3 much smaller communities than windsor. It found many results; often a few more than the local yellowpages. Seeing as a search for "plumber" in Windsor, ON gives over 15 pages of google results, and the second result is in Windsor (not Detroit), did u really go through all of the pages? I doubt it, but there are many more results in Detroit, that I agree with. It is a familiar interface though, so skipping through those 15 pages wouldn't take that long if you needed something.
This is not likely Google's fault though, I'm sure the Detroit pages that get spidered, happen to have Windsor somewhere on their page, hence they are listed. Maybe a better algorithm could help, but I'm not sure how that type of thing could effectively be filtered (if its even possible).
I just don't think you can make the "Doesn't Work" comment just because you live in a border city where this problem would actually occur. Its kind of like saying that cell phones don't work because they have problems in certain areas.
DD
Try using your postal code in the location box, instead of the word Toronto. That's where Google Local becomes really amazing.
FPGA, Wireless, ASIC, Verilog, VHDL, HW, 10yr exp, Team Lead, Ottawa (More? Email above. slashdotusername=dgmartin98 )