Yelp Interactive TV Widget Launched on Verizon FiOS TV

In a posting on a corporate blog, Wednesday, Verizon announced the availability on its FiOS TV platform of a new interactive TV widget that provides access to the online social networking/local business search/reviews service, Yelp. In order to use the new widget, viewers first enter their ZIP code, to pull up a list of businesses in their local area. By clicking on a business's listing, they can access its address, phone number and the ratings it has received from Yelp users, as well as information on, among other things, price range, parking availability, and whether the business stipulates a dress code and is child-friendly (e.g. in the case of a restaurant). The widget also allows viewers to access Yelp's user-generated reviews. Alternatively, viewers can select from four main categories presented by the new widget--Shopping, Night Life, Restaurants and Hot on Yelp--and then select from a list of sub-categories "So if you want to find a place to eat Asian Cuisine in town or shop at the latest boutique, you'll be able to find it with your remote control," Verizon explains in its blog posting.