Bit-Shift.Net

Google has announced yet another new service, Google Voice Local Search. This is an alternative to dialing *411 and talking to an operator to try and find a place of interest, and unlike calling information, this call is free. To try this service, just dial 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-466-4411) from any phone.

Using this service, you can:

• search for a local business by name or category.
  You can say "Giovanni's Pizzeria" or just "pizza".
• get connected to the business, free of charge.
• get the details by SMS if you’re using a mobile phone.
  Just say "text message".

Google really put some thought into this service to make it easy to use. When searching for a business you can say the city and state or you can say or type the zip code. And you can further refine your search by providing either the business name or category by either speaking or using your keypad to spell it out.

The service is still in the expirimental stages so it is not available in all areas.