This has got to be my favorite iPhone application thus far. It’s the Google Mobile App. Recently, they have added speech recognition, dubbed “Voice Search.” Simply put, you just put it to your ear, and the proximity sensor kicks in and the app starts listening. You say what you are looking for and voila! Results show up after a quick query of Google’s search engine. Below, is my search for “thai restaurants.” The results are using location-based information from the GPS information provided by the iPhone 3G. I love anything tech that converges innovation -and this is a shining example of that kind of interoperability. If you want to give it a go, you can get it here at the iTunes App Store (for free).
I did run into some problems at first, and I was able to determine from this discussion that the wireless network at my job was blocking some communication with Google Voice Search queries. Once I disabled Wi-Fi, this app worked like a charm. It just makes sense. It translates to less typing while driving or on-the-go. Not to mention the fact that you don’t have to use the soft-keyboard, which is empowering in its own right. Go go gadget Google!
