David Pogue writes about a little-known Google service that provides ad-free info via your cellphone.
Send a text message to 46645 (that’s “Googleâ€; leave off the last E for efficiency). In the body of the message, type what you’re looking for, like “Roger McBride 10025†or “chiropractor dallas tx.†Seconds later, you get a return message from Google, complete with the name, address, and phone number.
FREE ANSWERS – Google’s 46645 text-messaging service can fetch much more than phone numbers. It can also send you the weather report (in the body, type, for example, “weather sacramentoâ€), stock quotes (“amznâ€), where a movie is showing nearby (type “flushed away 44120â€), what a word means (“define schadenfreudeâ€), driving directions (“miami fl to 60609â€), unit conversions (“liters in 5 gallonsâ€), currency conversions (“25 usd in eurosâ€), and so on.
Every cell carrier charges for text messages — about 10 cents each, unless you have a plan that includes them. But Google itself doesn’t charge for any of this. It’s not only ad-free, it’s free free.
