Google gets even chummier with S60, releases search app

by Chris Ziegler, posted Feb 21st 2008 at 12:30PM

By default, home screen search is a luxury reserved only for Nokia's very newest S60 handsets, but Google's looking to change all that -- and you don't have to wait for the N78 or N96, either. The searchmeisters have just released a native S60-based application that adds Google search directly to your device's home screen, shaving a few precious seconds off the amount of time required to figure out the capital of Mozambique (Maputo, by the way) or the phone number of that awesome Cuban joint up the street. Now, what'd be really cool is if the app supported GPS for location-based results instead of requiring a zip code, but we suppose they've got to leave something to keep us pining for the next version.

[Via All About Symbian]

Filed under: Software, Symbian

Tags: google, nokia, s60, search, symbian

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Razor1973 @ Feb 21st 2008 2:08PM

Cuban joint? Ha! :)

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Razor1973 @ Feb 21st 2008 2:17PM

By the way, thanks for the tip. I just downloaded and installed it on my E61i. Works like a charm. Every time you go back to the standby screen, a box pops up on the bottom saying "Press Ctrl to search" and fades away in about 2 seconds. Beautiful. Once you press Ctrl, a Google-titled text box appears on the bottom where you can type your search string (and an Options menu option gets assigned to the left softkey). Once you hit the center button, results are shown to you in your web broser (not the WAP/Services browser). So far, I have found 2 problems.

(1) Since Ctrl is already being "watched" by this application, the BlueKey-Ctrl key combo, which is normally used to activate and deactivate bluetooth without having to go through the menues gets interrupted. Actually both actions take place. Your bluetooth status is changed AND the Google search box pops up.

(2) I have SkyeQuiKey installed (highly recommended). Apparently, when this Google search box pops up, the phone still "thinks" its in standby, so pressing a non-numeric key when you're typing your search term will bring SkyeQuiKey and buh-bye Search.

The first problem is not a biggie for me, but the second one is. I simply cannot use both applications at the same time. Unfortunately, Google is likely to correct the problem conflicting with the native functionality, but nothing conflicting with another third party app. :(

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