While most are feeling pretty let down by Apple’s “huge” Beatles announcement today, Google launched a service called Hotpot which might make up for it. It provides personal recommendations for local businesses based on what you and your friends think, solving a major problem with finding new places or businesses.
For example, if I’m in a new city, I might chat with the concierge at my hotel and explain to him the kinds of places I like so he can give me personalized recommendations, or I’ll ask my friends for local recommendations because I value their opinions and we have similar tastes. But finding trusted advice is hard; wouldn’t it be great if there was a way for me to get these recommendations all the time, everywhere I go?
The service aims to make “local search results for places on Google more personal, relevant and trustworthy.” The three main ingredients at work here:
- Google Places – provides detailed information on 50 million places around the world.
- Your Recommendations – Hotpot learns what you like based on your reviews, providing recommendations for places you might like.
- Friends’ Recommendations – You probably trust your friends, so Hotpot keeps their opinions in mind and lets you see what they think.
The Hotpot web application works a little like GetGlue, making it easy and quick to provide ratings, reviews, and comments. It’s also integrated into the latest update for Google Maps on Android 1.6 and above, providing a widget for quickly reviewing nearby places.
Now you can write and publish ratings and reviews from your mobile phone. We make it quick and easy with a new rating widget designed for rating places on the go. Install it from your homescreen by going to Menu > Add > Widgets > Rate Places. You can also post ratings and reviews directly from any Place page. So, when you polish off the crispiest carnitas taco you’ve ever eaten, you can pull out your Android phone to celebrate the event and give that taqueria the public love it deserves.
Hotpot sounds a bit like other similar services, but is a bit more automated and may have an addictive quality for rating things. Does Google Hotpot look like something you would use? Is it too much like Yelp?
via Google LatLong, Google Mobile Blog