Google SMS Functionality
 

I don't know if a lot of people already know about this, but I just noticed this on Google today. Apparently, Google offers a free service where you can send a text message to GOOGL (46645) and they'll answer your questions. The functionality is limited, but it's very cool!

See http://www.google.com/sms/ for details.

Basically, I tested it out & typed in "FROM DCA TO (my home address)" and sent it - and it gave me turn by turn direction (in the form of 4 received text messages) to get from DCA to my house in Falls Church, VA - so this could be great if you're traveling & don't know where you're going & need quick directions. I also tried typing in "THE WEDDING CRASHERS 22042" - and it gave me a listing of all the times & theaters that The Wedding Crashers is playing at near the 22042 zip code - it's great!

And it's free! Note that this probably only works in the US & you have to pay for the outgoing text messages (I have an old AT&T now Cingular plan where I get 200 outgoing text messages a month & free incoming, so I'm not too concerned about the overall costs).

Check it out!

It's very cool. You can also send a UPC code and it will give you a price so you can comparison shop live.

What will google come up with next ;) ^

Awesome information.

It is very cool but they store your SMS - most other sytems destroy after x number of days.

Just out of curiousity - is that bad & if so, why? Other than the privacy issue & the fact that they may do something strange like start texting you ads (which if they did, would really piss me off!)

I've been using this on an occasional basis for several months now -- it's really helped me out a few times. Once was waiting for a hotel shuttle to pick me up from a client site, and it was taking forever for them to show up. I'd forgotten to print out a copy of my itinerary info, so I had nothing on me with the phone number. Used Google SMS to get it so I could call the hotel and confirm that they hadn't forgotten about me, and were on the way (I'd had three cabs offer me rides, so if they weren't going to get there soon I wanted to just grab the next cab). I could've called 411, but 12 cents for the SMS messages is cheaper than the $1.50 or whatever I get dinged for directory assistance calls, plus I've got a message on my phone I can save for later reference. I've also used it a couple of times to find out if there was a location of a particular store near where I was -- send a message with "<storename> Bridgewater, NJ" and get the address info for the nearest locations.

Great news. I hope they get this for other countries too. France and the UK would be nice.

I saw this when it was introduced, but I forgot to memorize the procedure for using the service. It looked cool though.

nice tricks
 

But, uh ,they have been doing this for about nine months now?

this is really handy.. lot cheaper than 411... about .02 as opposed to 1.25!

really quick too.

This is available in the UK. http://www.google.co.uk/sms/

I'm getting a 'prepaid service failed' msg from google? :dunno: it started today when I tried to SMS for an address. I just tried to sms "northwest 584 flight status (to see if it works)" and it said that. I just got a sms from a friend so I know it's not on my side...

any idea? did t-mobile prepaid block it to keep people calling 411? :mad:

Don't know. But I just sent them a text message on Area Code 925, and within seconds got a text message back with the correct results. I'm Verizon.

ugh still not working for me. Still says prepaid service error :td: