Microsoft Live Search Mobile
Mobile search platform is getting lots of attention from Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft. Each company offers similar services mainly around local search, maps, directions, etc..
Microsoft Live search offers client app reside on Windows Mobile and Blackberry. For other phones, user have to rely on their mobile Internet browser to use the services.
Using this client app, user can:
- Find local businesses and restaurants, and click to call them
- View business ratings and open hours of restaurants
- See movie showtimes by theaters
- Find the cheapest gas stations near you
- Get turn by turn driving directions
- Explore detailed interactive maps with satellite imagery
- Map the location of businesses
- View current traffic information
- Get real time location if you have an accessible GPS
The coolest feature (Windows Mobile only) is user can interact with the app just by speaking to the mobile device instead of typing. Microsoft already had Voice Command Software for long time but I think this voice search feature might come from the acquisition of TellMe.
For Internet Browser version, additional the features include:
- Search the full Web
- Find the latest news items
- Search images and photos
- See a variety of search types on one page
- Search product, review, best price…
To download: go to wls.live.com on your mobile phone. For searching websites, news, images, and other non-local information, use the mobile browser version of Live Search at m.live.com
This is very good and strongly recommended.
It is still missing the navigation feature like TomTom.