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Google today made more of its information available via wireless devices, allowing Google Local business listings to be accessed from browser-equipped mobile devices, and driving directions to be obtained via SMS-enabled devices.
The move is part of an ongoing attempt by Google to offer its information search services beyond the desktop PC, as wireless devices capable of connecting to the Internet continue to proliferate and the convenience of using them to tap into search engine indexes becomes apparent.
Users whose mobile devices have a Web browser can access Google Local, where they'll find a box to enter a search term and another one to enter a location. Keying in "Boston" and "pizza" will return pizza places in that city. The service, available in the United States and Canada, can also provide driving directions and maps.
Meanwhile, Google SMS, an existing service for querying the Google index for specific types of information using SMS (short message service) technology, has been extended to now provide driving directions. In a wireless device that supports SMS, users enter the code 46645 to access the Google SMS service, which grabs information from a variety of Google sources and provides various types of information, including business listings from Google Local, weather information, and movie showtimes. Driving directions were added Tuesday. Google SMS is available "on most" U.S. carriers, the company said.
"This is part of an overall strategy [from Google] to give users the information in the place that's most useful to them," said Allen Weiner, an analyst with the research firm Gartner. "It's all about state. When I'm in a particular location or doing a particular activity, I want the content then. I don't want to have to print it out from the Web or have to write it down.
