Microsoft updates Live Search Mobile
With all of the holiday preparations going on last week, I completely missed the updates Microsoft made to their Live Search Mobile service. According to the Microsoft Virtual Earth / Live Maps blog, the following features and changes are available at http://m.live.com:
- 1-click directions for all businesses and street addresses in U.S.
- Additional details for U.S. businesses, including neighborhood, business category, cuisine (restaurants) and hours of operation
- Photos and reviews for U.S. businesses
- Improved movie show times Instant Answers (we now show critics rating)
- Added interactivity to all maps (clicking on maps now zooms in/out to predefined levels, or advanced to the next waypoint for routing maps)
- Traffic & map Instant Answers
- Mobile search for the China market. Scopes offered are local (no maps, but coming soon), web, images, news and Spaces.
I just hit up the 1-click directions for a local Starbucks and got results from the north, sound and the nearest major highway. The results appeared to return quicker than when I last used the service, but of course your mileage may vary. Too bad I didn’t see this news earlier, we could have used the info to find a good place to eat as we were just out running around. Remember, this is a web-based service, so it should work across most mobile devices with a browser.(via Neowin)
GIGO, I guess. I put in my ZIP code and entered “bicycles”. Fact: we have one great established dealer and one new, very good dealer within .5 mile. Search result: listed only one dealer which went out of business about 3 years ago. Just to be sure, I tried it again, and got the same result. Then I tried Google Maps and got the established dealer, did not get the new dealer, and got three other dealers, but not the one that is out of business.
Great!
Now, I don’t need to shell out more money and upgrade my Verizon Wireless plan to grab the navigation services! Of course, I’d still use them if I got REALLY lost, and didn’t know where I was, but I know my general way around.
This is excellent. Good on you, Microsoft.
If more mobiles use wap2.0 which show the site “as is”, why do we need mobile versions of sites?
Andy: Really? I love VZNav, best $10/month I ever spent. Free would be better for sure,but my other GPS’s all have hidden annual fee’s in map upgrades, and I’ll be dammed if I am going to carry a puck around.
I went to m.live.com and its in a northern European language, possibly Swedish.
Update on the language:
That was using opera, using the built in browser on my 8830 the page renders fine.
Paul: Eh. I don’t get lost enough to warrant spending $10/month for something I’ll rarely use. I mean, it’s a fantastic tool, and everytime I needed to use it, it helped me greatly.
I just can’t see myself getting that kind of use out of it. I’d rather just pay for my uses. What is it, 2 dollars a day?