Google mobile search gets more relevant with voice, location and sight
Google is improving its mobile search capabilities by rolling out voice search capability in new languages, looking for nearby businesses in Google Maps for Mobile and experimenting with search by sight.
Mobile search adds both new challenges in terms of usability and opportunities to add context to our daily lives. Google is working to unlock the promise of mobile search by making it both easier to use and more relevant.
Google Voice Search
Google’s search by voice feature came out for the iPhone about a year ago. Now the feature is also available on Android, Nokia and Blackberry devices.
When voice search first launched, it was only available in English and did a poor job handling anything but the American dialect. Now Voice Search handles English, Australian and Indian accents and has picked up the Mandarin Chinese and Japanese languages as well.
What’s nearby?
Google Maps for Mobile has always allowed mobile searches for specific keywords around your location. Now it’s flipping that concept upside down by allowing you to look for any listings around your current location.
This is only the beginning of making local listings more helpful for users. Google will also need to include more local results and start adding metadata about what kind of services each listing provides so that users can find restaurants or pubs around them.
Google Goggles
Google is also experimenting with computer vision so that users can simply use a picture to search for information. Now the company has released Google Goggles in the Android Market to help identify landmarks, books, artwork, wine and other images by snapping a picture.
This application can be used to compare prices on a book, find reviews of a wine or add somebody’s contact information directly to your phone. While this is still an early version of the application, it has truly amazing potential.
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