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Google Launches SMS Search Service
jSpectre writes "Google's been busy introducing a lot of new things this week. The latest,
a SMS search service. SMS a message to 46645 (googl) and find
local business listings,
product prices,
dictionary definitions, and
more. Go Google!"
I'm sure Google will be able to handle it. But I wonder what Verizon & co will think about the sudden spike in SMS activity?
Probably, they'll be thinking about the 12c they're getting from me for each one -- 10 for the outgoing, 2 for the incoming. Crap. Well, it's better than the $1.50 (or so) every time my wife decides to call 411. Drives me nuts when she does that...
Stressed? Me? Of course not. Stress is what a rubber band feels before it breaks, silly.
Google seems to be entering just about every area.
Maybe their idea is to make sure that they are well established in several areas in a way that they are indispensable - the best search engine, good e-mail service, business tools and what not.
That way, even if Google did risk crashing down, or if something did happen, people would like not that happening. That, and the benign image they portray, may work to their favour.
I'm talking through my hat, ofcourse.
With Google becoming a "proper business" now I'm actually quite amazed they're not charging for this. I would.
I know it doesn't cost them much, you pay for the outgoing and incoming messages after all, but would you miss the cost of one extra message per search? Ignoring special deals, and inter-network rates, that's about 12p in the UK.
Could probably even generate a higher per search revenue stream than the ads.
Seems like a natural, and non-evil, way to make some money to me...
Google learned from Netscape's mistakes and instead of going to the government crying about MSN is constantly working on beating Microsoft to new markets in aways that tie the new markets back to Google's old original base. Knowing how competitive Google is, one would think that Microsoft, which talked about buying them out or competing directly against them, would just accept Google's existance and work with them to save money. At the rate Google is going, it'll probably be the one battle that Microsoft can't win.
Click here or a puppy gets stomped!
Google is clearly aiming to be the information center for the connected/wired world
How long until we all complain about Google's monopoly of the Internet?
I like Google, but it's now a publicly held company, meaning it's responsibilities are now to the shareholders. I fear that Google will be taken over by suits who want to use all of Google's information and influence for insidious purposes. It may be only a matter of time before the corporate culture changes from "Do no evil" to "Do what's profitable and hide it if it's evil."
Is anyone tired of reading slashdot with all the google press-releases? It's been like this for a couple of days now.
;)
We need focus on another search-company to compete with google; these guys have had to spotlight for far too long!
Why are all these nerds turned into blind google zombies?
In the UK some phone companies already do this as part of their basic service.
You go to the WAP screen, select 'food','pizza' and you get a list of all the pizza places nearby.
I've used it for taxis, ATMs, etc. it's really handy.
What do you think the odds are of some cell phones makers starting to introduce a simplified interface for this? That might be a possibility for Google to make some money, partnering with makers to slap the Goole trademark on their phones. Normally someone might have to pay to put their label or trademark on someone else's product, but with Google's name-brand recognition...
Maybe so, but every time I use the SMS messaging on my Verizon phone (Motorola T720) I get the feeling that the user interface was designed by a complete moron. Sending to a number requires tapping each number 4 times since it defaults to alphanumeric mode. Just getting to the right screen requires navigating around multiple menus with the stupid circular arrow button.
Right
Down
Select
44446666666644445555
OK
OK
Done
Yes
Deleting a message is similarly a multi-step operation. And God forbid you should get a message while you're trying to read another one.
Do all phones suck this bad? My old StarTAC had a fairly simple interface, but it didn't have all the features.
Can't wait till they get real time flight information into it. Nothing like being able to SMS "COA123" and get the flight's location and ETA based on what's coming in from the FAA data feeds.
I noticed that I got no result replies on my Verizon phone when I searched for "pizza 60603". I called Verizon and spoke with a lead SMS/data tech to ask why it didn't work. They said that they do not support this and that they would not unless they entered into some sort of formal contract with Google. My big question is: what does it take for Verizon to actually give something useful to its users for no extra charge?!
Look up some stock quotes. GOOG is up about 40% since it started trading publicly. Professional traders made such a fuss trying to cool down interest in the stock when it appeared.
Seems like an obvious crossover to me... Google could combine this kind of SMS service with the search alerting concept to provide regular alerts of information that would be useful on a cellphone - price reductions, new shops opening - and I'm sure later on there will be traffic, weather, etc...
I am more worried about the fact that i can't find a single notice in the google SMS faq about what they are going to do with the list of millions of active cell phone numbers. Anyone else think that after a while they could decern enough info about a number to sell the numbers to select marketers in the geographic location of the cell number? you guys all trust google way to much, I don't trust a company were 60% percent of the employees have more money then i will make in a life time...