As the world's most colorful search engine (sorry, Bing) Google has long been the go-to place to retrieve literally anything, at least in digital form. Now, with the launch of a new same-day delivery service in the Bay Area, the company hopes to connect people with actual objects. As long as they pay for them, of course.

The service, called Google Shopping Express, went live Thursday morning and currently offers delivery to zip codes from San Francisco to San Jose by couriers in Google-branded trucks. (The East Bay is apparently off-limits for now.) Shopping options are likewise limited to national chains like Target, Staples, Walgreens and Toys 'R Us. Although the big G is billing this as a local service, the only local merchants at the moment are Palo Alto Sport Shop & Toy World, a Raley's grocery store in Nob Hill and the recently bi-coastal Blue Bottle Coffee.

Like so many other Google products, this one is still in the testing phase, but the first six months of deliveries are free for users who manage to get in on the beta. Also like so many other Google products: the Mountain View-based company isn't the first to get in on the same-day game: Amazon, eBay and even Wal-Mart all recently launched or are testing similar services around the country. And lest we forget: Kozmo.com tried (and failed) to make this happen way back when the web was still in 1.0.

[Reuters]
[MercuryNews]