Filed under: Internet, Web services, Google
Google Maps adds click-to-call
Yesterday Google announced the introduction of a new click-to-call feature when searching in Google Maps. This convenient addition lets users enter their phone number in the mapped location results, to have Google instantly connect them via telephone to the business they were looking for. Say you want to give the Apple Store in Boca Raton, Florida a shout to see if they have any more red iPods in. Simply search in Google Maps for "Apple Store Boca Raton", enter your phone number, and when Google rings your phone you'll be connected, without dialing the phone and without long distance fees (though it will still eat your cell phone minutes). Its almost better than using the yellow pages.Related posts:
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Chad said 10:36AM on 11-17-2006
It seems like Google is increasingly bent on acquiring the cell phone numbers of its users. While many of these features are useful, I am still loathe to expose mine. First, the Gmail invites by phone and now this... I wonder what they want the numbers for. I love Google, but I distrust massive repositories of personal information.
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Frank said 10:53PM on 11-17-2006
My question is what's to stop someone from putting in the number of someone they don't like or want to play a prank on? This is virtually the same thing as placing a call for them from their phone without physical access to their phone.
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James said 3:21PM on 11-17-2006
@#1: remember, their corporate charter is "Don't be evil." If you look at their FAQ page for the new feature, they promise to delete it from their servers once the call is placed. And rather than worried, you should be excited -- the CEO said he "doesn't see any reason people should have to pay for phone calls", period, and wants to give you a free cell phone where you make (adwords sponsored) free phone calls whenever, wherever. I'll put up with an ad or two to save 60+ bucks a month!
...That said, this really invites massive misuse. Think it was funny prank calling people and asking if their fridge is running? Try searching for "live nude girls", picking a business, and putting your preacher's home # into the "call now" box.
I think before this leaves beta (which would make it, what, the 3rd or 4th Google product ever to do so?), it needs some kind of a "check" system, like where you enter your number, it calls you, and the computer voice speaks a word you have to type back to validate your ownership of the number (or something like that). As it stands, you can make Google connect anybody to anybody else with no apparent consequences.
Wait... don't all the congressional offices have a comment line # floating around on the Internet somewhere?
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Tim said 11:39PM on 11-18-2006
What I really want is the ability to do this with residential calls. I have a feeling Google could somehow make money off of this.
Maybe they could use it to improve the Adsense algorithm with information about who you associate with? It could match everyone's Google Accounts to their phone numbers and figure out which ads which users click, and who they talk to most. There are probably correlations they could take advantage of. The most intuitive one I can guess would be that good friends might click the same ads. Further, the guy who calls the butcher 3 times a week might click an Omaha Steak ad. For some odd reason, I don't find this disturbing. They're small, unassuming text ads which are supposed to appeal to the reader, and it's not like a human is reviewing my history.
Of course, with this info, Google could easily create their own phone book, too. Doing that without the user's consent would be evil in my mind, though.
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Hylic said 11:03AM on 11-19-2006
Microsoft has been testing this for a while already on Local.live.com (microsft's maping service).
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