Google’s Free 411 Service: Now with Maps!

by Justin Glow on

Did you know that Google has its own free 411 service in the U.S.? I’m not sure how this slipped under my radar. Just dial 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-466-4411) to search for businesses by voice, and Google will connect you at no charge.

A few days ago, Google announced a new feature on their 411 service: maps. How does it work? “During your call to GOOG-411, just say ‘map it’, and you’ll get a text message with the details of your search plus a link to a map of your results right on your mobile phone,” says the official Google Blog. I just tried it out, and it worked beautifully. I said “map it” and seconds after the automation system told me it was sending a map, the text message came through with the address, phone number, and map URL of the business I was searching for. I hadn’t even hung up yet.

Pretty soon you’ll be able to say “take me there,” and a Google Robot will pop up out of the ground and carry you to your destination. Until then, I’m not leaving the house. [via]

Adjust Your Route on Google Maps

by Justin Glow on

Google Maps just got better (again).

This post on LifeHacker alerted me to another groundbreaking feature on Google Maps: route adjustments. I’ve often thought the routes suggested by most major mapping softwares were subpar, and short of using the beta version of Yahoo Maps to create multi-stop routes (before Google Maps offered it), there was no easy way of adjusting a route. Until now.

Don’t like the route offered by Google Maps? Simply click on the blue line and adjust it accordingly. This is especially nice if you’re pulling up directions for someone else, and the route suggested isn’t the best available.

Google Maps

JetBlue Adding Real-Time Google Maps In-Flight

by Justin Glow on

Low-cost American airline JetBlue announced yesterday they have struck a deal with search giant Google to provide the familiar Google Maps software on the seat-back screens to map the flight’s route in real-time. Family and friends will also be able to pull up JetBlue.com and track any flight via the same Google Maps interface.

In celebration of the deal, JetBlue is running a contest called “JetBlue Point of View.” All you have to do to enter is take a picture from the window of any JetBlue flight between June 4th and September 3rd and email it to jetbluecommunity@gmail.com. Winners will be selected based on “aesthetic presentation, creativity, design, and audience appeal” on September 10th, and the top ten photos selected will earn their taker two free round-trip tickets to and from anywhere JetBlue flies.

Google Maps Skyview anyone?

Google Streetview: Odd Findings & Interesting Places

by Justin Glow on

A reader sent in a running list of odd findings on the new Google Maps Street View we reported on yesterday. This is similar to the website, Google Sightseeing, which highlights interesting locations across the globe using Google Earth.

Oddities include headless people, camera glitches, and the entire Google crew standing outside the Googleplex as the panoramic van drives by (above).

Found any other unique views with Google Maps Street View? Send them our way.

(Thanks, Fred!)

More on Google Streetview:
* Google Streetview Round-up
* Streetviewr is a Fun Time Wastr
* Is Google Streetview a Web 2.0 Peeping Tom?
* The Google Streetview Vehicle Revealed
* Google Streetview Finds One Fugly Buick and More
* Google Streetview Car: Take a Look at The Vehicle That’s looking At You

Google Maps Adds Street View

by Justin Glow on

My favorite mapping application, Google Maps, has just added a new killer feature: Street View.

In supported areas (NYC for instance), a new button will pop up along side the standard “Traffic, Map, Satellite, and Hybrid” offering a first-person prospective at intersections throughout the city. Once the image pops up, you’re then able to drag the view of the camera a full 360 degrees.

The Street View isn’t a new idea — Amazon’s A9 Maps were the first to offer this unique option, followed by Microsoft’s Windows Live Local. However, like most things, Google takes things a step further, and their version of Street View is much better then both Amazon and Microsoft, if for no other reason than its seamless integration with the best web-based mapping software available. I can’t wait until they roll it out into more areas.

Check it out. [via]

More on Google Streetview:
* Google Streetview Round-up
* Streetviewr is a Fun Time Wastr
* Is Google Streetview a Web 2.0 Peeping Tom?
* The Google Streetview Vehicle Revealed
* Google Streetview Finds One Fugly Buick and More
* Google Streetview Car: Take a Look at The Vehicle That’s looking At You