Indiatimes has launched a local search service in partnership with OnYoMo reports Pluggdin. The service can be accessed via Indiatimes’s wap portal as well as via SMS (ASK to 58888). I tried out the SMS search service with the query “Wall E Bandra” and was instead provided with results pointing me to local bars. What’s worse is that there are no pointers to filter your search or options to help you do the same in the response message to your query. The search on the WAP site, in a twisted sense of on-deck bonhomie, doesn’t function unless you access it via GPRS, and still worse, doesn’t detect the iPhone, once you do. Maybe 58888 might do better by leveraging their operator relationships and pan-operator shortcode configuration by taking the service on voice. But then again, at Rs 6.99 per minute a drink instead of a movie is just what I might need.

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