Industry guru Dave Taylor answers free tech support questions about a wide variety of business and technical topics, including blogging, Google AdSense, MySpace, Sony PSP, Apple iPod, Mp3 players, management, Linux, SEO, Mac OS X, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Microsoft Windows.

Google SMS from a cellphone?

I just heard that Google supports SMS, which should theoretically mean that I can do really easy Google searches from my Nokia cellphone. Is that true? And if so, how do I do it?


Dave's Answer:

Indeed it is true that Google has a very slick short message service (SMS) interface that you can use to get all sorts of information like movie showtimes, weather reports, and more.

You use the service by simply sending your query as a text message to GOOGL (aka 46645) and a few seconds later it returns the result of your query. Pretty darn easy. (be warned, however, many cellphone plans have a metered SMS service so going wild with dozens of tests might well cost you money at the end of the month!)

Business Searches

To get a search from Google Local, simply specify the type of business you seek and either the name of the city or the zipcode you're in. For example, if you want to find all the pizza joints in Chicago, you could try pizza chicago and surf shops in Honolulu would be surf shop 96801, and so on.

Weather

You can also get weather forecasts for just about anywhere in the United States. Try searching for weather new orleans or, if you want to search by zipcode, try weather 80301. In fact, using Google's SMS simulator, I did the latter search and here's what it returned:

Google SMS Demo: Weather Forecast

Movie Showtimes

Want to double-check that the latest thriller is showing at 8pm so you don't look like a complete doofus on your date? That's easily done with Google SMS too. Try using a reasonably distinct nickname for a current movie and a location or zipcode. For example, star wars manhattan or chronicles of narnia santa monica ca.

Definitions

Not sure about the definition of some obscure word, or trying to win a bar bet or similar? That's easy too: define pedant would quickly produce a definition of the word, tedious though it may be. :-)

Stock Reports

If you're an investor who likes to keep close tabs on stock investments, you'll also be glad to know that Google SMS supports simple stock result queries (15 minutes delayed, as usual) by simply sending the ticket symbol. Try AAPL and MSFT to see how the market's valuing these two industry titans, for example.

And much more...

Google SMS includes support for tons of cool things, actually, including driving directions, product prices, and even a considerably more sophisticated calculator than your cell phone supports currently. Check it out: Google has an entire area on its site dedicated to the mobile phone services at Google SMS.

Not sure what SMS is all about? Check out Wikipedia's SMS page for lots of good background information.

Hope that gets you up and running!



Help others find this article at Del.icio.us, Digg, Netscape, Reddit, and Simpy.

Ringaza Free Bonus Ringtones and Wallpapers!


Subscribe!

Never miss another useful Q&A article again! Subscribe to AskDaveTaylor with Google Reader.

Comments

Dave -- I invite your readers to also try out 4INFO, which has been getting lots of press as the darkhorse in the mobile search arena, given that both Google & Y! are in the game.

4INFO (shortcode 44636) has a similar mobile search text message offering, but provides several additional services that Google does not: sports scores ("lakers" "duke"), fantasy stats ("kobe bryant" "jaromir jagr"), flight times ("swa san jose san diego") and 13 other categories of searches. All these services can be accessed via SMS (44636), WAP at http://wap.4INFO.net , or at http://www.4INFO.net.

I will leave you with this interesting quote from Wendy Widman at Forbes, "When asked recently for the address of a trendy downtown Manhattan club called Butter, both 4INFO and Yahoo! located it on the first try. But Google sent back results better suited to baking."

Cheers!

Posted by: Bob Roth at February 1, 2006 7:39 PM

I have a lot to say, but ...
Starbucks coffee cup I have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but most of all I'd like to say thank you for all your efforts on this Web site by buying you a chai!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!









Remember personal info?


Please note that I will never send you any unsolicited commercial email. Ever.

While I'm at it, please note that by submitting a question or comment you're agreeing to my terms of service, which are: you relinquish any subsequent rights of ownership to your material by submitting it on this site.









Uniblue: Free Virus Scan

Search
Find just the answers you seek from among our 1700+ free tech support articles by using our Lijit search engine.


Help!





Subscribe to
Ask Dave Taylor!

Add to Google Reader
Add to My Yahoo!
Subscribe in NewsGator Online

RDF   XML

Free Updates!
Sign up and get free weekly updates and special offers on books, seminars, workshops and more.


Recent Entries
Join the List!
Join my author info mailing list, where you'll learn about my upcoming books, speaking gigs, and more!


Book Links
© 2002 - 2008 by Dave Taylor. All Rights Reserved.

Note: This web site is for the purpose of disseminating information for educational purposes, free of charge, for the benefit of all visitors. We take great care to provide quality information. However, we do not guarantee, and accept no legal liability whatsoever arising from or connected to, the accuracy, reliability, currency or completeness of any material contained on this web site or on any linked site.

[whiteboard marker tray]