Just as promised back at Google I/O, the push from the cloud functionality showcased for Froyo is making its way to handsets starting today. With Google’s Chrome to Phone extension for their Chrome browser, you can now quickly and easily send your current web page, map and directions, YouTube video, phone numbers, and text straight to your Android phone (provided you’re on Android 2.2).
And with that, your web browsing life has just become fluid with your handset. No longer will you have to save an article for later on your desktop computer or laptop or go through the hassle of looking it up on your phone again. One click and bam, the same content you are accessing on your computer is sent to your phone over the air without the need for tethering. But the real beauty for me comes with the integration for Google Maps. I can’t count the number of times I have looked up directions, got in my car thinking I had them queued up on my phone, and then realized I had in fact looked them up on the PC. OK, at that point it doesn’t really help me, but now whenever I find myself mapping on my laptop I can quickly and easily shoot the directions right over to my phone for access later.
You can also send selected text to your phone or shoot a number from a webpage straight to the Android dialer. Check out the overview in the video below:
Now this is something I can get excited about, and it shows Google making innovations that continually outpace rivals like Apple. You can get the Chrome extension by following this link, and the app for Android in the Android Market now. You can read more about the technical aspect of the service at the Android Developer’s Blog.
[via Google Mobile Blog]