A brief post, this, simply because it can get tiring linking to all the amazing applications Google keep coming up with. But it seemed worth updating our first look at Google Maps now that Google Maps UK has finally launched. It has all the features of the US version - finding places, businesses, and directions - apart from the slightly creepy satellite photos. I’m sure they’ll get around to photographing the UK from space at some point in the near future. The business finder is particularly impressive, because its information is all sourced from Yell. So if you’ve ever wondered where the Indian restaurants in the vicinity of the NS offices are, you can now find out.
In addition to localising their mapping service for the UK, Google have also now launched UK-specific versions of Google Local (which allows you to search for businesses and services by location) and Google SMS. The latter service will send you Google results via text-message; you simply text your query to a number and Google responds - all for the cost of a standard text message. Cheating in pub quizzes has never been so easy.
Google may be a large company with some great minds working for it, but credit must be given where credit is due: their services are pretty nifty, and it’s great to see their growing support for non-US audiences. Let’s hope that as well as continuing to innovate, they roll out their current localised services across the globe.