—PC Sync: Google let’s you sync things you’ve found on Google Maps from the PC to your phone. In order for it to work, you must conduct a search in Google Maps, and “star” your favorite destinations. Then later, when you are in that location, you can go to google.com on your phone, click the local tab where your starred locations are saved. From there, you can pull up more information, like operating hours. Of course, you must be logged in on the PC and phone in order for it to work.

—Category browse: Once again, a user must go to google.com on their phone and click on the “local” tab. From there, there will be numerous categories to choose from, including restaurants, shopping, gas and automotive, lodging, entertainment and recreation, movie theaters, taxis and more. Once you click on a category, Google will find the closest businesses near you. The process is much faster than typing and conducting the search on your own. On the Android phone, the application is generically called “Places Directory.”