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Google To Shut Down 411 Service
taco8982 writes "After three years of providing free directory assistance in exchange for voice samples, Google has announced plans to shut down the GOOG-411 service, in order to focus on 'speech-enabling the next generation of Google products and services across a multitude of languages.' The service will close on November 12th."
I had actually started using it last month. It's amazingly useful. RIP :(
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Nuance and IBM hold so many patents in the voice recognition field it's not even funny. With MS suing Android for things as innocuous as "syncing", I wonder what, if anything, Google is doing to protect or aid handset makers from this type of litigation. As I mentioned before in a previous post, a simple list showing all applicable patents and necessary licenses would help give a heads up to Android device makers.
Goog411 was amazing! No ads, good results. Thankfully I have a smartphone, but there were still times that Goog411 was faster than using my smartphone.
I guess I will go back to 1-800-Free411
Just SMS the name of the business to 46645 (googl) with your non-smart phone and get similar results messaged back
Even people that believe in pre-destiny look both ways before crossing the street.
Or a single page that lists them all.
I had a bad feeling about Google 411. It used to be one of the options when you called your own Google Voice account -- you pressed 2 to find the number you wanted. Then Google deleted it out of Google Voice without any notification that I ever saw. I use it all the time with my old "dumb" cell phone. It's a great service, and I'll be sad to see it go.
Greg Raven
As long as there's any left, I'll take mine first.
I just confirmed Microsoft's original 1-800-CALL411 number works as well. If you used the Google service, this is a decent alternative.
If you don't know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else.
On my last non-smart phone, a Moto RAZR, you could press one button to activate voice dialing. Press that, say "Google", let it connect. Talk over hands-free Bluetooth. It was less distracting than changing the radio.
You can thank competition: http://www.discoverbing.com/mobile/411/
OTOH, msft copied Google on this one. Does that mean they will copy Google on discontinuing the service? ;)
Or even something... authoritative.
http://www.googlelabs.com/
There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure