Free 411 - Google Offers Local Voice Search

You'll never need to pay for a 411 call again - for business listings anyways. Google has released to their labs a free 411 call by dialing 1-800-Goog-411 (1-800-466-4411).

I tried the new service out as soon as I heard about it and searched for a printer ink cartridge refill store that a friend of mine had just opened that week in the area. After asking for the City and State and the Business Name the recorded voice told me there were 4 stories in the general area that matched my request, and the first was the new store I was looking for.

I asked the system to send me a text message with the details on the number and before I had hung up the phone the requested text message was their waiting for me on my phone.

Google 411 also will connect you to the business you're looking for.

I was most impressed with the Google Database. It wasn't more than a few days ago that I helped my friend list his new store on Google Maps using their Local Business tools and help him setup an adwords account to start to drive local searches to his store and in addition to having this all setup, the store was also listed first in a Free 411 call to Google. Making these type of requests to the phone company or yellow pages might take weeks or at least until the next printing.

While it is still just part of Google Labs - Google 411 is a great feature and something you can use often to find those numbers addresses you're looking for while on the run.

Google Maps: Marking your Map

Google continues to bring users enhanced map features through their Google Maps service. Today they announced that in addition to the Google Maps API that allows programmers the capability to create custom maps for their website they have provided a service that allows anyone to mark the map just the way they want to.

SO EASY A CAVEMAN CAN DO IT

To support their claim from their blog that the new service is so easy a caveman can do it, Google has provided a mapping tools that will allow users to mark any place in the world, and upload pictures, video, and add custom titles and text. To access the new mapping tools navigate your browser to Google Maps and then click on the My Maps tab next to search results.

MAKING YOUR FIRST MAP

After you've entered the My Maps section be sure to search for the location you want to map around and then start clicking the new tools available that allow you to mark locations, give them titles, and then add description including pictures and or videos. you can draw lines or shapes around areas of interest and then save the map so you can access it again in the future.

If you want to show your map off to others, just click the link to this page option and then copy the url in your web browser. You can send that to your friends or link to it all over the web.

Find out more about these new tools from Google Maps!

Google Desktop Gets its Mac On

Today the Official Google Mac blog announced that they've released Google Desktop Search for the Mac. Like it's PC counterpart this service will index your Hard Drives and help you quickly search to find files.

INTEGRATED WITH MAC APLICATIONS

Google's Desktop Search for Mac can quickly index and help you find files that you create with your standard apple programs. This includes the ability to search iChat conversations, Apple Mail, Microsoft Entourage, your Address Book contacts, and music and video files.

FIND PREVIOUS VERSIONS OF YOUR FILES

In addition to helping you find your files, Google Desktop Search for the Mac also creates snapshot copies of files every time you use them that can be accessed in case you save over that important file with something not so important. It may not be as safe or useful as some of the future Leopard backup features but its a start.

Find out about additional Google Desktop for Mac Features or talk about it in the discussion group.

Tutorial: How to Install Windows Vista using Boot Camp 1.2

Apple released Boot Camp 1.2 beta this past week that updated drivers and added support for Windows Vista. Upon hearing this, I quickly purchased an upgrade license to Windows Vista Home Premium and got started on upgrading my Windows XP partition to Windows Vista.

PREPARING FOR THE INSTALL

Before doing anything else you must download Boot Camp 1.2 and update it on OSX. After Boot Camp has updated to version 1.2 Burn the Driver CD so that you'll have it ready once Vista has finished installing.

NOTE: If you have previously installed Windows XP on your Apple Computer with the FAT file system you will not be able to upgrade to Windows Vista without reformating your Hard Drive to the NTFS file system. I learned this the hard way, and had to completely reinstall XP on a NTFS partition before I was able to install the Vista upgrade.

INSTALLING WINDOWS VISTA ON YOUR WINDOWS PARTITION

After installing Boot Camp 1.2 and burning the Driver Cd, reboot your system into XP and insert the Vista installation DVD. It will take you through a few steps and allow you to start the installation process. Follow the on screen instructions and let the installer do its work.

It may be of some interest to note, that since I had to reinstall Windows XP on an NTFS partition that I did not activate XP before installing an upgrade to Vista. It all installed perfectly, without once prompting me to activate my copy of XP before continuing my upgrade installation to Vista.

The system will reboot a number of times, but this all seems to be part of the installation process. The system froze once for me, but simply restarting the computer let it move a long past the part that was holding it up.

After Vista finishes installing, you should insert the Driver CD and install the windows vista drivers for your apple hardware.

Everything, including the remote seems to be working great. The only thing I've noticed is that if you have any external Hardware that requires a driver Vista doesn't like, you may get a Blue Screen of Death followed by a system reboot until you are able to uninstall those drivers.

Vista rates my iMac Core 2 Duo with 1gig ram and ATI x1600 a 4.2 on its hardware performance scale. It runs smoothly but I had to turn off Vista's UAC (User Access Control) in about the first 5 minutes of using the operating system.

iTunes: EMI Offers DRM Free Music

EMI, the European recording company that distributes music for The Beatles, Coldplay, and The Rolling Stones amongst many others announced today that they will be distributing music without any restrictive use DRM technology. It is still unclear as if

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?

These tracks will cost $.29 more than the usual $.99 tracks on iTunes but they will also allow users much more freedom with how and where they decide to play their purchased music. EMI also made it clear that they would still sell tracks for $.99 that include DRM features.

ABOUT DRM

DRM is the technology that limits the ways owners can use the music they purchase. For example, music purchased from iTunes that includes DRM technology limit the user to only playing the tracks on their 5 authorized computers and their iPods. Without DRM, users will be able to play their music the same way the do with the tracks they rip from CDs.