Redesigned Google Search App for Windows 7.5 phones

 

Windows Phone owners can now get easy access to the Google Search App, available in the Windows Phone Marketplace. Check out these features which help you get useful results fast:
  • Google Autocomplete: As you type in your search, our autocomplete feature offers search predictions that often match your intended search term making search entry easier and faster.

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  • Voice Search: With our voice feature, you can avoid typing all together. Simply press the microphone and begin speaking your query.

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  • My Location: With your permission, Google can use your device location to provide nearby results easily and accurately. For instance, a search for “coffee shops” quickly displays the nearest places you can go to for a cup of coffee.

 

 

The new Google Search app now has Voice Search (left) as well as Google Autocomplete (right)

You can download the app from the Windows Marketplace and try it for yourself. It’s available worldwide in English, Spanish, French, Italian, and German.

(Cross posted on the Inside Search Blog)

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The Voice Actions for Android in the UK, France, Italy and Germany

The Voice Actions, a series of spoken commands that let you control your Android phone or tablet with your voice. You can call businesses and contacts, send texts, browse the web and complete other common tasks, all just by speaking into your phone.

Today, we’re pleased to announce that users in the UK, France, Italy, Germany and Spain can now use Voice Actions in British English, French, Italian, German and Spanish.

To use Voice Actions, tap the microphone button on the Google search box on your home screen, open the Voice Search app, or press down for a few seconds on the physical search button on your phone to activate the “Speak Now” screen. You can see how it works in this video.

Speak any of these commands to perform a Voice Action on your phone:

  • send text to [contact] [message]
  • call [business]
  • call [contact]
  • go to [website]
  • navigate to [location/business name]
  • directions to [location/business name]
  • map of [location]

And of course, you can still conduct a Google search using your voice.

Use Voice Actions to get directions, or send a text using just your voice

Voice Actions is available on phones and tablets running Android 2.2 and higher. If you don’t have Voice Search on your phone yet, you can download it from Android Market – if you do have Voice Search, you can just start using Voice Actions.

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Garmin Nuvi 200w – Walkthrough

Walkthrough of the Garmin nuvi 200w GPS.
 


 
http://www.youtube.com/v/_3NeWac_HMQ?f=videos&app=youtube_gdata

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Where Does Local Fit into the Newly Organized Google Under Page?

Larry Page took over as CEO of Google at the beginning of the week. Immediately thereafter, Google’s product head Jonathan Rosenberg resigned.

Late Yesterday it was reported in an LA Times exclusive that Page has completed a major reorganization at Google that put key executives in charge of their individual business units and reporting directly to him.

From the article (bolds mine):

Those promotions include Andy Rubin who is now senior vice president of mobile; Vic Gundotra who is now senior vice president of social; Sundar Pichai who is now senior vice president of Chrome; Salar Kamangar who is now senior vice president of YouTube and video; Alan Eustace, who is now senior vice president of search; and Susan Wojcicki, who is now senior vice president of ads.

The executives will be able to act more autonomously and won’t have to turn to Google’s powerful operating committee on every decision.

The structure certainly begs the question: Where’s Local in all of this?

In mid October it was reported that Marissa Meyer had taken on a new role in charge of geo and local. More importantly it seemed, in being promoted to the operating committee it was noted that her voice and focus on local would be more widely heard. Now we learn that the operating committee will take on less of a product role and  that Local, Geo and Maps are not in their own product category.

One presumes that Geo- Local  will once again fall under the broad aegis of search and that Mayer will report to Alan Eustace. Although much of local is also social (Hotpot, Latitude). At least on the surface, it appears that Local (and perhaps Meyer) has been demoted. At best, it implies confused lines of authority.

Whether it will affect the investments necessary to take local to the next level is unclear. Whether decisions critical to local will be made quickly is also unclear.

Let’s hope not.

I would love to hear your thoughts…

Related posts:

  1. MapQuest: “We’ve Come Out Of Hibernation”
  2. Google Place “Error on Page” Preventing Editing of Listings with IE
  3. Google Places Search – 8, 9 or More Local Results to a Page – This is not a test, I repeat, this is not a test…
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