Google Inc. is combining its popular online maps with its local search features, continuing a quest to increase its already rapidly rising advertising revenue. With the change, Google's local search
tools for the United States and Canada are being taken out of the "beta," or testing, phase, said Bret Taylor, the product's manager. The company's local search engines for the United Kingdom, Japan
and China remain in beta - a label that technology companies attach to products that don't have all the bugs worked out.
Read the whole story at AP, October 6, 2005 »