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Google Search iOS app updated with Siri-like Google Voice Search functionality (video!)
Posted by Jason Diaz Categories: Reference, Utilities, App Updates, Google, Free Apps,
Just like that, Google has updated its Google Search app for iOS with the Google Voice Search functionality that mimics Apple's Siri, first seen on Android devices. For those using iOS, now you have the best of both worlds. The update went live yesterday, and is a universal iOS app update for all iDevices, which also includes the new iPhone 5, iPod touch, and iPad mini. Users must be running at least iOS 4.2 to use the new app. My initial impressions of the Google Now voice feature is that it is quick, fairly accurate, and I like how it composes voice to text in real time. What are you waiting for? Go update and ask Google where to hide the body.
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Bing launches magazine-like iPad app
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Reference, iPad Apps, New Apps, Free Apps,
Microsoft knows the importance of the mobile audience, even when it means taking advantage of a competitor's mobile platform—in this case, Apple's. Since late 2009, iPhone users have been able to download a Bing app that offers voice search, local shopping, scrolling image search, maps and directions. Now iPad owners get a Bing app that adds a new trends feature, which lets them explore the trending search topics of the week.
The new app, which is available in the iTunes App Store starting today, sports a homepage featuring the trademark (and often stunning) Bing photo of the day, along with tiles showing local weather, news, maps, movies, and trends. The interface makes a lot of use of the swipe touch gesture, especially in image search. A dropdown menu offers all these choices plus Images, Videos, Shopping and History—that is, your search history, not the school topic.
Trends shows tiled images for the week's major current events. It can almost be thought of as a lightweight replacement for an app like The Daily or Flipboard. Touching one of its images opens a search page showing news and images about the topic, like MLB Opening Day. Some topics get a slicker treatment rather than just a Bing search results page: touching through an entry about "30 Rock's" Tina Fey labled "Ms. Bossypants" displayed a grid of stories that somewhat resembled the New York Times' Web site layout. After reading a result page, you can swipe left-to-right to get back to the trends page.
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