Google Hotpot: Rate your favorite places and recommend them to friends

Google recently launched Places search for faster and more relevant local search results. Now taking that a step ahead, Google introduces Hotpot (not Hotspot), a local recommendation engine that will bring review about the hottest places that you and your friends like. Hotpot uses the Google Places data to blend it with the places that you like along with the ones that your friends like.

For quick ratings, Google has created Hotpot rating App for Android platform based phones. New version of Google Maps 4.7 for phones running Android 1.6 and above is available in Android Market. If you’re viewing this news on your Android phone, just click here to get Google Maps.

New Hotpot will in away add more meaning to the Google Places search. After downloading the new Google Maps with rating capabilities, user can start rating the places as per their liking. However for rating Places, you’ll have to create a different profile and that Places profile will carry your ratings and reviews. Users get more control over the ratings and reviews since that data doesn’t appear in Google Profile. Once you create a profile you can visit http://www.google.com/hotpot/onboard

Just in case you’re confused on how exactly Hotpot works then read on.

• – Google Places shows most relevant local search results
• – Google Maps 4.7 App for Android lets users to rate Places shown by the Google Places data and write quick reviews about them
• – Hotpot recommendation engine combines the Google Places data with places rated-reviewed by you and the ones rated-reviewed by your friends.

Now after that, Places for Android or Google Maps would show you the recommendations of your friends with their reviews when you look out for specific places to stay or hang out. For instance, you’re stuck at the Airport when your flight is delayed, then you can look for places around the Airport to spend time instead of leeching off the Wi-Fi hotspots.

Do note that the Places rated by you would eventually personalize your search results based on your tastes. Like if you love Subways and salads, then Google Places would certainly show you more local results about nearby salads and Subway joints. Google isn’t alone in this location game. Services like Foursquare already offer recommendations of most visited places by fellow users.

Recently Facebook announced Places for broadcasting own locations, tag friends who are nearby and discover new places. However, neither of both services allow users to rate Places and write a quick review about it.