Quake3World

http://www.google.com/sms/index.html

Send something like
"pizza 10013"
to 46645 (GOOGL)
And you'll get text message(s) back with pizza listings near 10013 zip code.

Works for business/residential listings, public phone #s, directsion, stock quotes, movie locations/times, definitions...

They keep coming up with the most useful stuff.

How in the hell do they make services like this profitable?!?!?

From the ads displayed on the pages that provide those services.

What ads?

I predict Google will become bigger than Microsoft.

Most of this stuff is US only for ages though.

google rocks. All it needs is its own spam free porn video search and it will be the only site you need.

I think in order for that to happen, they would need to offer products, not just services. I think you cant make the kind of money that MS makes by doing services on the web...cause when you try to make too much bling, people will turn to something else.

who knows though.

edit: i dont think they are ready to release a product out there that you can buy on the store shelves...im not sure if they ever will.

to be honest im quite amazed that they make a lot of revenue on ads and stuff on their search engine. i think it might just be in the short run as people will realize once again that ads dont really work out very well. i dont know how much more money is in the promoting ad business that would be substantial enough to be in pace with google's growth.

random note: anyone remember something called the alladvantage bar? it was some ad bar on your desktop that if you left it open for so many hours a month, they would send you a check for 20 bucks a month.

Well they recon Google is worth around $25 billion at the moment; Microsoft is around $300 billion. Not too far to go.

argh...you posted before i could finish my edit