Surprise, surprise. Microsoft is releasing a Blackberry version of TellMe before it releases a Windows Mobile version.  Tellme, a Location Based Service with voice recognition, provides information when you ask for it based on your GPS location.  Best of all Tellme is FREE for now.

Tellme allows you to ASK your Blackberry for directions, and information on local businesses, movies, weather and traffic conditions.  All you have to do is press the green talk button and ask Tellme for information.  This app should help Blackberry users improve their driving since they won’t be typing and driving.  They can simply ask for the information they want.  Of course, Blackberry users still need to read the information asked for, but that can usually be done with both hands on the wheel.

This application only works on GPS enabled Blackberrys like the “8800, 8820, 8830, 8310, and we assume the 8110″.  Microsoft has positioned TellMe as a rival to Yahoo’s oneSearch and Google Maps that are already available for Blackberry devices. 

This is Microsoft’s first foray into developing mobile applications that work on the Blackberry platform.  Third party application developers have been providing cross platform programs for some time but not Microsoft.  It’s hard to tell if providing this application for use on GPS enabled Blackberrys is a move by Microsoft to develop more mobile applications for this platform or is an attempt to displace Yahoo and Google in yet another arena.

Either way, Tellme is an excellent choice for a first Blackberry application.  Especially, since it is free.

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Entry was posted on Thursday, April 24th, 2008 at 12:36 pm under Cell phones, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo!.

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