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Google Local, Definitions, & Registrar
A few Google bits in the bin this morning starting with Philipp Lenssen writes "Google Local has now moved to the Google homepage. The service, while still in beta, has been around for quite a while as one of many Google tools in the Google labs."
Mr. Anonymous noted that "In the past, when you clicked the [definition] link after a Google search, you'd be taken to the Dictionary.com page for the word. Now, Google has jumped aboard GuruNet's Answers.com, which not only provides definitions, but encyclopedia articles, etymology, medical defnitions, legal definitions, and word translations all on one page."
And lastly, several folks noted that Google has moved into the Domain Registrar Biz which we mentioned monday.
I swear, we're gonna see it on Slashdot when Google's HTTP header changes.
I can definally see google hosting happening now... So many other rumors like the VOIP and the "GooGLeOS".. The hosting one seems it could be legit, expecially now since they are domain guys now.
My Blog
I could swear I read somewhere recently that at the moment, Google didn't plan on offering domains for sale. Instead, they were going to use the information they got as a registrar to help their PageRank data. For example, they could reset a domains PageRank when the domain changed hands.
I store my recipes online (the way nature intended)
It looks like Google Local is still US only ... and they keep ***ing redirecting me to the UK site so I can't even see the link to click it. (I'm not planning a trip to American in the near future - but I might have been).
They're going to use the expired domain information they'll receive as a registrar to cancel previous pagerank.
I have used google local for a while now, and I have to say that it has performed great, usually giving accurate results. There was this one time however where it gave a wrong location, and I was prepared to walk about a mile or two to get there, before I called the actual place and confirmed it. Google's stuff, even when in "Beta" has worked great 99% of the time for me, especially gmail.
Oh, and if you see your mom this weekend, be sure and tell her Dupe! Dupe! Dupe! Dupe! Dupe!
Um, it's not exactly a dupe when they say "as we mentioned earlier" with a link to the earlier article.
Thinkin' Lincoln - a web comic of presidential proportions
I, and many other folks, recently got set to having 50 invites left. While before it was already close to true that anyone that wanted one could find one, it is now REALLY true.
Seems their "beta" stuff works better than the first, or even second revision of released code from some other company...
Google local looks good for people who live in Poughkeepsie New York.
We have a lot of pizza here in "Australia" but Google local doesn't seem to get it.
Unable to understand address australia. Please try another address.
Maybe it's just me and my stubborn reluctance to relocate.
It's almost like google want to be the central repository of all knowledge. I'm no expert, but could this lead to 'problems' down the line similar to the way Microsoft have cornered the PC market.
Total information domination. Might lead to the 'all information has a cost' thingy people shout about from time to time.
Paid for services - no money, no info.
There's no Google Local link on my Bork, Bork, Bork! language page.
I feel slighted.
In Soviet Russia, asses suck this joke.
Here's the inside scoop.
Actually, I was trying to be Insightful, not Funny.
Today Pete Smith who is the janitor at the Google offices stubbed his toe as he got out of bed.
Expert industry analysts agreed that was a significant evolution in Google's services.
When I put in "Hit Men" in the search box and "Chicago, IL" in the location box it gives me listings for attorneys.
Looks like it works!
World's tallest building rises in the desert
It's all part of the Google Grid.
Sinch
does anyone have a mirror of google they could post?
pr0n - keeping monitor glass spotless since 1981.
Why is everyone so hard up for Google?
IBM has a lot of cool technologies, so does Apple. Yet there is more press on Google than on the Iraq war.
Is Google really God?
For the past several weeks (if not months), you could access google local via any google web search.
For example, to find Pizza parlors in zip 10023, search for:
pizza, 10023
Hit the first link which is "Local results for Pizza near 10023".
Where law ends, tyranny begins -- William Pitt
It is about time. The other day when the new MSN search launched, I noticed that the Near Me button already knew where I was. Looks like Microsoft got this feature better - the results are initially based on your IP address which, in most cases, can be backtracked to your physical location. Of course, this can be changed via cookies as Google does it but it is quite impressive to make the local search work right, mostly, without being told.
Speaking of the Big-G, CNET is reporting that Google, now with a market value north of $56 billion, is equal to Starbucks, Nike and Southwest Airlines combined! I have the link to that article on my blog at: http://sundroid.blogspot.com/, in case you haven't checked your portfolio lately.
Sun and Fun
I'm not too worried about Google becoming the Microsoft of the Web. They've been good online citizens, and they've focused on facilitating access to other people's content rather than trying to create their own content monopoly. Still, it's only reasonable to keep on eye on their plans, and not assume that they'll always do the right thing. But for now, I find their entrance into new markets (and their astonishing financial success!) quite reassuring.
I sincerely hope that google breathes new life into the locality domains for the US. The use of domains such as computers.boulder.co.us or flowers.boaz.al.us would do a lot for partitioning the flood of information that now exists on the Net.
Imagine the possibilities of the supporting searches such as "pizza site:atlanta.ga.us". And actually getting pizza places in the area? Top that with a simple UI on Googles page and the ability to add your local to firefox's url box (typing pizza tries pizza.atlanta.ga.us first)
If this becomes or is already a part of their plan, I'd pay a premium. The flattening of the DNS namespace is to me the second most tragic side effect of the Internet's adoption. The first of course being spam.
You are checking your backups, aren't you?
I did a search for horny Asian wives in my town, and it found squat.
More music, fewer hits
The other reason they may want to be a registrar is to avoid what happened to panix a few weeks ago.
For those that missed it, panix.com got hijacked because a domain re-seller (melbourne IT) didn't check that their customer (the supposed recipient of the domain transfer) had the proper authorizations in place to request a registrar move for panix. Panix had (apparently) forgotten to request a registrar lock on their domain, and their registrar didn't protest the move, so the request went through, moving panix to a new registrar. Once it was moved (changing ownership in the process), changing the authoritative DNS servers for it was easy...hence, hijack.
If google were their own registrar, they could enforce their own registrar lock for google.com, as well as setting up automatic refusals for any attempt to transfer google.com.
you can get definitions and local listings (and a few other services) by sending a text message to 46645 (GOOGL on most phones). Not totally worthwhile but i've used the definition feature to settle stupid debates with friends over words when no dictionary or computer was nearby. got my reply within like 30 seconds.
I don't imagine this has anything to do with MS putting a local search ("Near Me") on their new search.msn.com, would it?
I don't even live in a particularly large city, and I have been regularly using Google local to find businesses. If you're not really sure what it's for, here is what I have used it to find: nearest branch locations, taxi services, pizza order lines, etc.
When will we know Google has gotten too big?
1. Wal-Mart and Google merge to form a new country
2. Google's CEO buys Canada
3. Google employees start wearing more bling than most rappers
4. Google TV starts broadcasting the Google main page 24/7
5. When wearing Google underwear stops being cool
I think at the moment, putting the suggest on the main front page would put a large strain on the system.
Granted its a strong network, but its certainly not invulnerable. gmail has knocked itself out a few times, and recently the DOS and associated splattering in the media took them off the map for a day ("clicky, "is it back up yet?", "dang! no", clicky, clicky, clicky, "nope, still not working")
I guess one or two of the PHDs at google have crunched the numbers and found out how much bandwidth would be required/wasted for this very nice feature.
There is also the thinking that using a dictionary search will increase hits on those sites listed in the keywords at the detriment to other possibly more relivant sites.
I think the best compromise at the moment is the "did you mean xyz" suggestion for possible spelling errors after a search.
For you, just change your homepage, then you get it always.
liqbase
It'd be fairly slick to see those street maps generated by Google local make use of actual satellite imagery, wouldn't it?
If you have to do that much searching in your underwear, perhaps you should look into some of that stuff the spammers are pushing.
Never confuse volume with power.
When I saw my 50, I started handing them out to the gmail o matic, its easy, paste the address, invite, repeat. no fake name creation or clicking 'invite another', just keep pasting and hitting enter. its nice.
eventually everyone will have one and they'll launch gmessenger.
For context, click Parent.
I put together this site a while ago that tracks blog postings (for all major services that ping blo.gs), tries to parse out nouns, and then displays the top 100 nouns encountered in the last hour scaled by frequency.
Google is almost always a big one.
http://www.stevex.org/longtail/hottopics.aspx
I just renewed my domain Tuesday. I'd have done it with Google if I could have.
I mod down pyramid schemes in sigs.
Anyone notice that some of the google spiders report like Mozilla User Agent strings. Could it be that Google plans to shift some of the marketshare through it's bot army?
Home page is way too crowded now. Switching back to yahoo.
Depending on which Google machine served your search results, you sometimes get tracking URLs. Google uses them to keep tabs on what people find most useful in the search results, and they're a great way to get rid of search engine optimizers that flood listings with PageRank-friendly but useless links.
For more information, click here.