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Windows Mobile gets location-based searches thanks to Google's GeolocationAPI

by Sean Cooper posted Sep 11th 2008 @ 11:22PM

Google search on Windows Mobile -- full list of supported devices can be found by following the read link -- just beefed up local searching with the same tech used by Google Maps for Mobile. By grabbing information about the cell towers near you, searches are tailored to your location rather than you having to enter one. For example, entering "Taco Bell" would find the store nearest you, not all of em in your home town. The service is currently only supported in the US and the UK, but as with everything Google's up to -- like world domination -- it'll show up in your locale soon enough. We're fresh out of Windows Mobile devices today, so feel free to hit us up with your experiences.

[Via Phonescoop]

Google bestows home screen search upon WinMo, too

by Chris Ziegler posted Mar 19th 2008 @ 9:19PM

S60 ate first, but now it's Windows Mobile's turn -- a bit backward from an American perspective, to be sure, but a very logical one when you look at global market share. Google has now brought its home screen search application to the WinMo platform, noting on its blog that it has discovered that S60 and BlackBerry users with the app installed are able to get to Google search results about 40 percent quicker than those without -- and they search 20 percent more. Makes sense, considering the pain involved with loading the browser, navigating to a favorite (or even worse, typing in google.com by hand) and tapping your feet for a few seconds. The plug-in is available immediately.

Contact search in iPhone firmware 2.0?

by Chris Ziegler posted Mar 11th 2008 @ 6:01AM

It doesn't matter what Apple says, a touchable strip of letters isn't the civilized way to navigate through a few hundred (maybe even a few thousand, if you're a salesman or a renowned socialite) contacts on your phone. Seems they've realized the error of their ways, too, with a number of eagle-eyed folks noticing that the firmware 2.0-equipped model in Apple's SDK presentation sported a Spotlight-esque magnifying glass icon above the strip in the contact list. So go ahead and enjoy just a few more short months of finding your peeps the hard way, knowing that by mid-year, you can look forward to name searchin' nirvana. Score.

[Thanks, Mark]

Vodafone's Otello draws a blank on Chancellor Angela Merkel query

by Darren Murph posted Mar 5th 2008 @ 8:24AM

If there's one person at CeBIT you don't want to not recognize, it's German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Nevertheless, we can only assume that Vodafone booth workers were left with their tails stuck between their legs after said figure gave its recently announced picture-based search engine a go. Upon Otella returning nothing after a picture was presumably snapped of Merkel, she quickly asserted: "I am not in the database." Better still, she continued by proclaiming: "That's a major gap." Heck, maybe she should be happy -- after all, Vodafone's set to trial the service with Europe's "best selling tabloid," and not being in there would most certainly be a good thing.

Vodafone's Otello search engine uses images, not text

by Darren Murph posted Mar 4th 2008 @ 9:36AM

We've certainly seen some clever methods of searching from one's mobile, but Vodafone's latest idea is quite the stroke of genius. Showcased at CeBIT, the Otello search engine simply uses images as input; in other words, handset owners just snap a picture of anything -- a landmark, DVD case, unidentified flying object, etc. -- and Otello then "returns information relevant to the picture to the mobile phone." Reportedly, Vodafone is expected to conduct a trial with German paper Bild in which readers can "find out more about specially-marked articles by photographing them with their mobile's camera and sending the image to [the aforementioned paper]." Unfortunately, the carrier is being tight-lipped with its plans for Otello beyond the trial, but if this stuff functions as advertised, we can't see it remaining a secret for long.

[Via Pocket-lint]

Google wigged out by volume of iPhone traffic

by Chris Ziegler posted Feb 24th 2008 @ 11:38AM

When even Google is impressed by the amount of traffic driven to its search page by a particular device, that's saying something. The head of the company's mobile group said in a Mobile World Congress interview that it "made [its] engineers check the logs again" when data indicated that the iPhone was responsible for 50 frickin' times more traffic than any other mobile device, going on to hypothesize that if other manufacturers follow the same route, mobile search will overtake desktop search within a few years. With products like S60 touch and Google's own Android in the wings, we'd say the writing's on the wall.

[Via Macworld UK]

Google gets even chummier with S60, releases search app

by Chris Ziegler posted Feb 21st 2008 @ 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]

Nokia ties up with Google for search, Yahoo! dies a little inside

by Chris Ziegler posted Feb 13th 2008 @ 1:58PM

It feels like Nokia and Yahoo! have been all buddy buddy for a while now, and indeed, Yahoo!'s been really good about deploying its wares to Nokia's S60 devices in a timely fashion; in the mobile search game, though, it seems a bit of a faux pas to be without Google on board, doesn't it? The world's number ones in their respective industries have announced that Google search capability will be integrated into Nokia's bundled Nokia Search app on all the upcoming models announced at MWC this week and into other handsets in the future. Nokia's playing it nice and straight by saying that the move is all about "providing choices" to its consumers, but let's be honest, if you were going to have one search provider on your phone, it'd probably have to be Google. Speaking of, is it just a coincidence that "Mountain View" rhymes with "Espoo"?

Google's GOOG-411 updated with link to maps

by Darren Murph posted Jul 5th 2007 @ 9:27PM

If you've been enjoying Google's (free) GOOG-411 service, but felt that it would serve your needs infinitely better if it just included some pictorial delight, you're in luck. The voice search service has undergone a recent update, and now you can simply say "map it" during your GOOG-411 call to receive a text message "with the details of your search plus a link to a map of your results." Leave it to Google to remove the need for, um, anything else in the world one application at a time.

Voice searching coming to Windows Mobile?

by Darren Murph posted Jun 27th 2007 @ 1:28PM

While Microsoft sure has its hands full with that other search engine, it looks like the mobile flavor of Windows could be getting a welcomed extra. Apparently, a questionably obtained CAB file has been acquired that enables users to vocally search for terms on Live Search for Mobile, and better yet, to input text via your voice "on any field that supports text entry." Of course, the application is indeed stuck in beta, which practically guarantees that you'll hit a few bugs if you load this up, but if you've got nothing to lose or you just can't resist a good challenge, be sure to give it a whirl and let us know how it goes.

[Via BoyGeniusReport]

Samsung readies Yahoo-ready Ultra Edition II handsets

by Darren Murph posted Apr 12th 2007 @ 9:50AM

Samsung's Ultra Edition II lineup is about to receive a Yahoo-approved makeover, as the firm has reportedly decided to install Yahoo! Ready on the 10.9 (SGH-U600) slider to begin with, with the Ultra Edition 9.6 and Ultra Edition 5.9 to get internally branded soon after. Essentially, users can expect "enhanced web-searching along with quick access to Yahoo Mail, Messenger, Address Book and Calendar services while on the go." Of course, this isn't the first time we've seen Yahoo widgets on a cellphone, and it seems like Samsung's lagging a bit behind Motorola's decision to pull this same stunt months ago, but if you just can't wait to get your hands on a Yahoo-stamped handset, the 10.9 should hit France before too long, while the 9.6 and 5.9 will launch in May. [Warning: Read link requires subscription]

Alltel unveils carrier-branded search agent, dedicated button

by Darren Murph posted Apr 10th 2007 @ 9:43PM

These days, it's just not good enough to offer some form of search engine on your phone, as the marketing dollars of search giants are finding their way into phones as providers attempt to dictate your searching and clicking habits. Alltel is finally joining the gang as it unveils the "world's first carrier-branded mobile search application to be pre-installed on handsets with a dedicated search key." The button will activate a BREW client that allows users to search for whatever they please without thumbing through numerous menus, theoretically getting you your answers in a hasty fashion. By partnering with JumpTap, Alltel will reportedly start rolling the "feature" out on its mobiles here in the near future, with the colorful line of AX8600s being the first to "have the search application preloaded."

[Via MocoNews]

Google to provide mobile search / internet services in China

by Darren Murph posted Jan 6th 2007 @ 3:21PM

In Google's continued dominance of, well, pretty much everything, the company has sealed yet another deal, and this time it's partnering with China Mobile to reportedly "provide mobile and internet services in China." Google stated that it would be providing technology to China's "largest handset operator," allowing searches on the Chinese outfit's "Monternet WAP portal." The service, which has purportedly been in trial operations since last month, is slated to roll out officially in "early 2007," but no hard dates were to be found. Nevertheless, this marks just another day in the world of search giants inking deals with mobile / laptop providers in order to channel more traffic, and subsequently, more revenue based on having their search page load up first when users have a query, and if your handset hasn't been hit by a pre-selected search engine deal just yet, your time is probably drawing nigh.

First "Googlephone" ends up being Samsung's Ultra Edition 13.8 (Z720)

by Darren Murph posted Dec 31st 2006 @ 9:18PM

Contrary to previous beliefs, it looks like neither Orange nor HTC will have a part in producing the first "Googlephone," and instead it seems that Samsung is slipping in the back door to steal the limelight. When the Ultra Edition 13.8 (formerly known as the Z720) got official a few days back, we noticed the relatively unexpected suite of Google apps swarming the mobile's innards, and aside from the handset not exactly abiding by the Opera agreement that is supposedly falling into place, it seems a good fit for the first Google-infused mobile. Of course, the programs that come loaded are all available as free downloads on supported handsets, but it seems the European-bound 13.8 will be numero uno in what's likely to be quite a lengthy list of Googled mobiles.

New partnership gives Sprint Nextel users Windows Live Search

by Darren Murph posted Nov 18th 2006 @ 5:48AM

While it's no secret that mobile search (and subsequent advertising) is a hot ticket right now, Microsoft is lagging badly behind search giants Google and Yahoo. While all three scramble to grab partnerships with everyone from HP to Acer (to Dell), Microsoft has landed what is quite possibly its biggest foothold on the blossoming mobile search market yet. By teaming up with Sprint Nextel, customers of the carrier will be greeted by Microsoft's Windows Live search bar at the top of Sprint's menu page when they access the internet from their mobile. Per usual, the search engine can look for "news, sports scores and ringtones" within the carrier's own mobile portal, or "search outside of Sprint's network for local information" such as nearby eateries, theaters, or GameStop locations. While specifics of the deal weren't disclosed, we do know that the two firms will "split the profits" from ad revenue, and that Sprint Nextel customers should see the newfangled box hitting their mobile internet screen right now.

[Via Textually]