US-centric: Microsoft recently announced a slate of updates to their Live Search features for mobile users, including a free 411 service and voice input for search features on Windows Mobile devices. Live Search 411 (800-CALL-411, or 800-225-5411) offers some pretty familiar features, with business listings and the ability to have maps sent by text message. Meanwhile, Live Search for Windows Mobile users now offers voice input (in beta), gas prices, and hours of operation for businesses. Windows Mobile 5.0 and 6.0 and BlackBerry users can access Live Search Mobile at wls.live.com, while other mobile phones go through m.live.com.
Live Search Mobile [via PC Magazine]US – centric: Previously mentioned GOOG-411, Google’s free telephone directory assistance tool, has graduated from Google Labs and gotten a whole new web site. This doesn’t mean much except that Google’s serious about supporting GOOG-411, so the accurate, lightning-fast voice-recognition directory assistance is here to stay. For a lot of us, the cost of an expensive cell phone data plan supersedes the convenience of internet access on your phone, and—likewise—the cost of a call to your traditional 411 service is an expense no one wants to incur. As you can see from the video, the free GOOG-411 is a simple, free way to get on-the-go information from the comfort of your phone for only the cost of a call.
1-800-GOOG-411 [Google]
