Google has just launched Google Places with Hotpot, a new local social networking service with recommendations. The basis are the services Google Maps and Google Places with the latter already been an extension to the map service by enabling enriched submissions. Google Places with Hotpot again enhances the features by a social networking component, which enables people to exchange local information with friends and to make recommendations to each other.

The importance of Google Maps and Places and by this of Hotpot is enormous by 20 % of all queries done at the search engine having a local intention. Beside on the web the new service is available by Google Maps for Mobile on mobile phones. Further information about the launch of the new service is available by the first post to the new official Google Blog about Hotpot and at the Google Places with Hotpot homepage.

Directory Sources: Local Social Networking – Mobile Social Media – Location based Services