Comments on: Goodbye to GOOG-411 and Biddy-Biddy-Boop

By: Why Apple Should Buy Nuance: Tech News «

Why Apple Should Buy Nuance: Tech News « — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 00:16:20 +0000

[...] Remember Microsoft bought TellMe for about $800 million, back in March 2007. Google used now-defunct service like 1-800-Goog-411 to build its own voice recognition technologies. Both Google and Microsoft have been quite public [...]

By: Why Apple Should Buy Nuance: Tech News «

Why Apple Should Buy Nuance: Tech News « — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 00:16:20 +0000

By: Jeff Baker

Jeff Baker — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 19:30:07 +0000

Google’s idea of toll free service was innovative and it is sad to see it go down. Recently I came across a toll service by Justdial and the difference between the 2 services is vast. Justdial (1800-500-0000) boasts of human assisted service, one ring pick up and answers your queries within 60 seconds which 1800GOOG411 did not offer. This service is simply mindblowing.

By: Mahdi Shafiee

Mahdi Shafiee — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 07:32:38 +0000

And yet another great service is going to shut down, because of lousy marketing department in Google! The big problem with Google is that they don’t know how to market their great technologies and make money out of them. In this case their objection is that since they developed native apps for smartphones they don’t see any advantage in Goog-411 and therefore they won’t continue the service. I guess they should look into numbers, even in US the majority of people still use regular phones rather than Smart phones. So this is not a good excuse to abandon this great service.
Whit this attitude, Google is going to lose its customers, especially now that they step into Enterprise with their Google Apps. With this attitude, there is no guaranty for businesses to switch to Google and layout their needs on Google Services, because Google might withdraw those services with or without any reasons. i.e. Just in May, 2010 @Google IO they announced that they are opening Google Waves for Apps’ users and couple months later they retired Wave! It’s hard to trust on experimental technologies, and that is why Google hasn’t been able to make money on most of its products except the search.
Google! Please change this attitude!

By: George Martin

George Martin — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 12:04:50 +0000

These days toll free services are very important to keep information close to you. I am not happy seeing 1800GOOG411 being shutdown. Although recently I tried another toll free service by Justdial that offers one ring pick up and provides information within 60 seconds. This is amazing simply because your calls are received by real people unlike GOOG411 where machines answered your calls.

By: Liz Gannes

Liz Gannes — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 16:21:10 +0000

Ha!

By: Tyler

Tyler — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 12:02:47 +0000

Why?! I use this on a weekly basis, always for the same pizza place, so now I have to put the pizza place’s number in my phone? That’s what I’m reduced to? Lame

/emo

By: hortron

hortron — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 04:11:12 +0000

agreed, this service was great in a pinch. still not going to get a smartphone or pay for data to replace the loss of an phonebook.

By: Carson

Carson — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 19:34:17 +0000

Whaaa?! End of an era. Luckily there is something better to take its place. The guys over at 1800-500-0000 have a human powered service… someone answers your call within a single ring, and then answers your question in a jiffy.

I was already using them… guess with the GOOG gone, all my queries will go to these guys.

By: David McMurray

David McMurray — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 18:02:47 +0000

This is a cool service, and they should keep it for that reason alone. If Google is worried about money?…. Just put in 5 second micro ads so it will pay for it’s self, it ain’t that hard.