Google's Local Search Goes Beta

Google's Local Search Goes Beta: "Google officially moved local search out of Google labs and into beta last week. Several noteworthy new features were added to the mix.

Google's approach to local search involves using yellow-page and business-directory information from third-party providers, integrating it with information about individual businesses from Google's main Web page index. Though the service is still in beta, Google has promoted it from its relatively obscure location in Google Labs to its own Local Search URL."

Google Local: "
Search termsUS address, city & state, or zip
Save location
Find local businesses and services on the web."

(The) additional information includes content appearing on businesses' Web sites. Mayer says including this information in the past was difficult, partly because content published on the Web isn't as clean as that included in structured services such as yellow pages or directories.

"We're ripping through the Web looking largely at addresses and phone numbers," she said. "We're also cross-correlating that with yellow pages and directory listings

USATODAY.com - Google seeks consensus on personal-info issues

USATODAY.com - Google seeks consensus on personal-info issues: "Richard M. Smith, former chief technology officer at the Privacy Foundation. 'I think Google is the biggest privacy invader on the planet, no doubt about it.' "

Google to find place for Orkut network in search | CNET News.com

Google to find place for Orkut network in search | CNET News.com: "Google will integrate an online social network created by one of its engineers into its search services, perhaps within a year, according to CEO Eric Schimdt.

The quality of automated search is good, but it's still not perfect. Schmidt asked the audience if they always got the answer they wanted in the first result from every search they performed. No one said they did.

'So everyone here is dissatisfied with our service,' he said. 'Until we can answer their question every time the first time, our work is not done.' "

Herald.com: Miami & Ft. Lauderdale News, Weather, Dolphins & More

Herald.com: Miami & Ft. Lauderdale News, Weather, Dolphins & More: "Relying on secretly recorded meetings at Mountain View-based Google, federal agents this week arrested a Ventura County man for allegedly threatening to release a software program to spammers that he claimed could cost the Internet search engine company millions of dollars through bogus advertising clicks."