Ask.com is leveraging the core capability of what the mobile phone does best i.e. transit speech, to provide voice-activated directions. Ask.com Mobile announced that they’ve added a new option to their Directions service called Click to Speak. The feature lets Ask.com Mobile users verbally enter addresses by speaking instead of keying them in. Users can activate a voice activated directions service with a click and within seconds receive a text message with a link to directions.
Here’s a how-to video but basically, from your mobile device, you navigate to www.ask.com or http://m.ask.com, click More»

Labels: Ask.com, Mobile Search, mobile web

Email tops the list of the most requested service for mobile users. In a poll conducted by Webcredible, a UK usability firm, of about 1K mobile phone users they asked people ‘Which service would you use on your mobile/cell phone if speed & quality weren’t an issue?’. 33% said email would be their number one choice followed by 25% for social networking. This was followed by local info about their surroundings at 20%; travel, mapping, and directions at 13%; and not surprising, much lower on the list is online shopping coming in at 9%. Users are generally more interested in More»

Labels: Mobile, Mobile Search, mobile web

Japan’s top mobile phone carrier NTT DoCoMo is reportedly teaming up with Google to offer search and email on the company’s handsets. Users will soon be able to access Google search, email, scehduling and photo-saving through NTT DoCoMo’s i-Mode Internet network. The company is also looking at using Google’s free OS for mobile devices to create the next gen handset which could result in a host of new services being rolled out by the two giants as early as mid ‘08.
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Labels: google, Mobile, Mobile Search, mobile web

Google has acquired high resolution aerial photography camera company to boost Google’s mapping service. Google’s mapping technology power popular products such as Google Earth, Google Maps and it is a key piece of Google Local and Google Mobile services.
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Labels: Local Search, Maps, Mobile, Mobile Search, Search Tools

Google just announced the acquisition of GrandCentral, here is the link to the official blog post.
GrandCentral develops solutions for managing voice communications. Its services allow users to integrate all of their existing phone numbers and voice mailboxes into one account, which can be accessed from the web. This is similar to what OneBox now OpenWave was doing. Google will use GrandCentral’s technology to deliver services that enhance the collaborative exchange of information between users.
Here is an explanation of the GrandCentral service More»

Labels: Google Apps, Mobile, Mobile Search, Yahoo

As the company realizes that it can no longer compete with Google, it is saying the future of web search is history. Yahoo says the model for getting information via the browser is outdated. In the future relevant information will be delivered directly to readers. “The future of the web is about personalization. Where search was dominant, now the web is about ‘me.’ It’s about weaving the web together in a way that is smart and personalized for the user,” said Tapan Bhat, VP, Yahoo!’s Personalised Home Page.
Interestingly, iGoogle is about personalization and Google has been making alot More»

Labels: Local Search, Mobile Search, Search and Marketplaces, Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Search Tools, Social Search, Vertical Search, Web Analytics

I rarely use Microsoft IE, so today when I searched using IE the Google search results page on IE was different to the search results page on Firefox. I guess Google is doing a browser detect and displaying different looks on the different browsers. I would like to hear everyone comments on this.Google search results on IE
Google search results on Firefox
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Labels: Local Search, Mobile Search, Search and Marketplaces, Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Search Tools, Vertical Search

Voice will be a key piece of mobile search and thus Google has launched an initiative to enable users them to find information about local businesses, driving directions, sports scores, stock quotes, weather, news, movie show times, and more via their phone.
Google Voice Search currently in beta allows users to call a number and specify a search query and get the results on a web page read back to them (that match the specified query). To try the service dial 650.623.6706.
Voice will play an important roll in the rapidly growing local More»

Labels: Local Search, Mobile Search, Search and Marketplaces, Vertical Search

At the 3GSM World Congress 2007, Barcelona, new features for Live Search on Windows Mobile were announced. The new features include “a unique, category-based search, which virtually eliminates the need to type text into the phone; an option to “map all results” so several listings appear on the same map; aerial imagery; and local traffic status in selected U.S. cities.
Live Search for Windows Mobile also provides additional new capabilities including satellite imagery, GPS integration and the ability to send search results to a friend.” They are available in USA and UK, More»

Labels: Local Search, Mobile Search