Hungry? Need some help finding a local restaurant while you’re in the car? Try Google’s free 411 service. Just call 800-GOOG-411 (1-800-466-4411) and you’ll be walked through three steps to find and select a local retail establishment. The process is simple:

Identify your location -> Select a category -> Select a merchant -> Connect!

There’s a text message option as well for those of you who are not driving (hint, hint). Send your text query (e.g. “pizza near 30305″) to short code 466453 and Google will text you back what it finds in your area.

Need more detail? Click here.

Skip TV commercials by watching pre-recorded favorites using this time saving gadget. Save even more time by regularly recording the same show without hunting through channel guides, finding tapes, etc.

Tivo

Learn more…

One of the handiest time saving tools I have run into in the last year has to be Jott (www.jott.com).

I use it on a regular basis to send myself reminders while I am driving. I call a special number, and the nice lady says “Who do you want to Jott?” I say, “myself,” then she says, “Record your note.”
When I return to my office, my note is waiting for me.

This routine saves time over using a digital recorder in the car because I don’t have to (A) remember to take the recorder into the office, (B) listen to the message playback, (C) erase the recorder, and (D) remember to take the recorder back to the car. If I jotted myself something that I can easily forward, I have even less to do because I don’t have to type anything… just forward the email.

The free version used to show the text in the email body… but now that they have launched the premium version you have to click their link to see the message… no biggie. Perfect advertising model, if you ask me. High value with minimal work.

Great service to be sure, but here’s the kicker… Jott has links to other services like Blogger, Facebook, Twitter and more. The one you’ll want to use this holiday season is Amazon. It works like this…

Jott: “Who do you want to Jott?”

Me: “Amazon”

Jott: “Search Amazon. Is this correct?”

Me: “Yes”

Jott: “Say the name of the item.”

Me: “Lord of the Rings movie”

Jott: “Got it”

Now watch this… when I get back to my office, guess what is waiting in my email? That’s right, the search results from Amazon for the phrase “Lord of the Rings movie”. All I have to do is open the email, click the link, and I’m ready to buy.

Check it out this gift-giving season and save time by not only capturing those brilliant gift thoughts you have in traffic (not the weapons *you* want… the other stuff) but making them ready to buy as soon as you return to your email!