Finding local information on the web

By Rick Castellini Special to PRIME The venerable telephone still reigns as the most popular local information gathering resource, it along with the yellow pages in your kitchen cabinet. The yellow pages and phones are still with us and will be for some time, but with an Internet connection and the few skills I'm about to give you in this article, you will be able to find more local information in less time. In the United States, more than 75 percent of all households have access to the Internet and more than 95 percent of our population has access to the Internet in their home, school, work, or a public access point like libraries. Getting relevant, local information disseminated to these users gets easier and more diverse every single day. Let your fingers do the walking online! I mentioned the yellow pages as our first thought for finding local information. Consider that your local phone company publishes yellow pages only once per year. How many businesses change, startup, or go out of business in that time? The phone companies recognized this and so did consumers, so they turned to the Web. Every major phone company now publishes their business listings on the Web for free. The online yellow page systems provide much more information than that heavy, booster seat we now use. Information like maps, customer reviews, and expanded business information are available right from your computer screen. My favorite online yellow pages are: www.BigBook.com www.DexOnline.com www.yellowpages.com Just Google it You knew Google would fit in this equation somewhere, and it does. You can use Google's information-gathering prowess from your desktop, laptop, and almost any cell phone to find the local information you need . fast. On your desktop or laptop, pull up the Google search engine (www.google.com for the uninitiated) and simply type in what you are looking for, such as "plumbers in Tampa" or "pizza in Pittsburgh" or you can use zip codes like "espresso 87740." In seconds, you will be presented with applicable results for your perusing complete with maps, phone numbers and even Web sites of the businesses themselves. Getting info on the go On your cell phone, finding local information no matter where you are is just as powerful and convenient. You can text a query, such as the ones I described above, to Google at *46645. Within seconds, you will get back relevant results to your question right on your phone. Some other examples you can use on your computer or phone are: "movie times in Seattle" or more specifically "Titanic movie in downtown Chicago" or "Italian restaurants in Tucson." If texting from your cell phone isn't your cup of tea, you can call Google's automated information service for free at 1-800-Goog411 Lastly, I would suggest searching for and utilizing the Web sites of your local Chamber of Commerce or Economic Council. Your searches and findings might be limited slightly by the fact that these types of sites usually only list member businesses, but they will get you started. Get it all with the click of a mouse Did you know that you could use your computer or cell phone to access such diverse and timely information? I personally never use the yellow pages delivered to my home any more and recycle it upon delivery (since my kids no longer need it for a booster seat). Using these tools makes finding the information easier and more available to me no matter where I am. I hope you, too, find these sites and skills helpful and convenient. Rick Castellini hosts a nationally syndicated radio show, is an author and computer consultant in Colorado. Visit his web site at www.HelpMeRick.com for practical tips and computer information every week.