Good stuff: Google Local for mobile devices
Posted by Tom Moertel Mon, 28 Nov 2005 23:14:00 GMT
While traveling in unfamiliar territory over the Thanksgiving holiday, I needed coffee. Bad. So I fired up my mobile phone’s web browser and surfed to Google Mobile. Just as I was about to submit a search to the Google Local web form, I noticed a link to something intriguing: Google Local for mobile devices (GLM).
Curious, I checked it out. I discovered that GLM is a Java applet that runs on your cell phone to provide a phone-optimized interface to Google Local’s servers. After a quick over-the-air download, I was ready to try it out.
I fired up the GLM applet and entered my query: “coffee elkin,nc.” In a few seconds, I had a clean, crisp map that showed a number of coffee shops. Pressing 1, 2, 3, and so on, I got the details for the various shops. When I found one I liked, I selected “Directions to here” from the details menu. Then I used my phone’s cursor keys to select a spot on the map that approximated my current location. After a few seconds of “Routing…” the map updated and plotted a path to coffee salvation. In a few minutes, I had a coffee in my hand and was back on the road.
The process was fast and painless. It just plain worked. I knew then and there that Google Local for mobile devices is good stuff.
Right now GLM is only available on Cingular and Sprint networks, and even then only for more-recent Java-based phones. [Update: In a comment, Mark points out that GLM works on some T-Mobile phones, too.] If my phone or network didn’t support GLM, I would seriously consider switching to a phone-network combo that did. GLM is that cool.
In any case, when your cell-phone contract is up, you ought to factor GLM into your renewal/switch plans. A cell phone with GLM is a heck of a lot more useful than one without it.
readers
I’ve been using GLM since it was released on my T-Mobile phone… GLM is certainly not exclusive to either Sprint or Cingular (although maybe those providers don’t charge for the data usage. Is that what you meant?)
I really appreciate the deisgn that went into the GLM interface. The addition of numbers next to menu items is so simple, but also so handy.
—Mark
Mark, thanks for the note on GLM being compatible with some T-Mobile phones. The GLM FAQ made me think otherwise:
(Emphasis mine.)
—Tom
Interesting. I wasn’t aware that they removed access to T-Mobile users. I guess they are just preventing the download of the client. I just checked and it still works for me (SE K750i and my wife’s SE 710a both on T-Mo)
—Mark