Near Me Now: Google’s Mobile Homepage is Location Aware  

Posted by Danielle Flaro

Don't know what to do or where to eat? Google has made it easier to find restaraunts, bars, entertainment etc. in a foreign city or right in your home town from your I phone, Android and Ipod touch. Now on the Google home page under the search bar it says the city your in and next to it a link that says "near me now". Once you click on the link Google uses GPS to pin point your location and you get options of places to go such as restaurants, coffee shops, bars, ATMs and 5 other choices. Don't really know what you want do? You can click on the "explore right here" option and get a list of interesting places right in front of you that you may have already passed up. Not only can you find new places to go by using this feature but you also have the opportunity to read up on the place before you go in. This feature could really help expand the local businesses around that are hidden away and not very well known.
The feature is not just food and entertainment though, if you're hurt or sick you can quickly find the closest hospital or Doctors office. All in all Google is making our life a little easier once again.



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2 comments

Peter Inthirakoth   says January 8, 2010 at 1:55 AM

It would definitely make it easier to find more local businesses. I know that my GPS unit isn't very up to date with local businesses and I often have to find the address of smaller restaurants/stores and enter them in rather than find it in the GPS' point of interest directory. Does anyone know if the business has to have a website or will a business directory listing like the yellow pages be enough?
Either way, Google is keeping up with the curve in terms of being aware of the increase in devices with GPS locators. It would be cool if they could like up with GPS-enabled cameras so that it could tag pictures with known properties like monuments and buildings.

Maria Mercedes Rodriguez   says January 8, 2010 at 10:22 AM

Google is definitely making our lives easier with Near Me Now and like Danielle, I really believe that it could help promote small and sometimes hidden away local businesses. I find the feature especially important when it comes to finding the closest hospital or doctor's office because when we are visiting a new city we are not usually aware of where these places are located. Now we only have to see to what extent locations are displayed on Near Me Now and how it will positively affect businesses and other places.

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