Google Provides Its Favorite Places

If Google were a person, it’d probably be a bit of an A-list diva. You’d  be interested in what Google was doing, what kind of diet she was on, what she was wearing to the day’s big event and where she shopped. In the real world,  despite not actually being a live person, there’s no reason Google can’t direct you to its favorite dining, shopping and other business preferences just the same.

Google is rolling out a new feature that will allow mobile phone users a new way of getting instantaneous information on local businesses. Dubbed “Favorite Places on Google”, 100,000 qualified businesses across the U.S. will get a window decal that they can place in their physical storefronts. The decal will include a bar code–known as a QR code– that passerbyers can scan with their mobile phone to access customer reviews, coupons and the capability to star for later reference. So if you happen to be walk by a shop and want to figure out if it’s worth stepping in, you can do so in seconds.

The feature will be available for hundreds of mobile phones (including Android, iPhone and Blackberry models) and will require a camera and app for reading QR codes. Businesses are selected based upon Google user reviews and information. For a detailed walkthrough, check out the video below. [via GoogleBlog]