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Google To Shut Down 411 Service

Posted by Soulskill on from the guess-we're-back-to-calling-the-ghostbusters dept.

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."

8 of 156 comments (clear)

  1. Re:what? by Donniedarkness · · Score: 3, Informative

    I had actually started using it last month. It's amazingly useful. RIP :(

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  2. Sad Day! by odin84gk · · Score: 5, Informative

    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

  3. Re:Sad day by Anti_Climax · · Score: 4, Informative

    Just SMS the name of the business to 46645 (googl) with your non-smart phone and get similar results messaged back

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    Even people that believe in pre-destiny look both ways before crossing the street.
  4. Re:what? by odies · · Score: 4, Informative

    Or a single page that lists them all.

  5. Use it all the time by gregraven · · Score: 3, Informative

    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.
  6. Re:Sad day by demonlapin · · Score: 3, Informative

    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.

  7. Re:Sad day by rm999 · · Score: 4, Informative

    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? ;)

  8. Re:what? by NatasRevol · · Score: 4, Informative

    Or even something... authoritative.

    http://www.googlelabs.com/

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