Google App For iPhone With Voice Search Finally Available

Google is one of the world’s largest companies that specializes in Internet searches and most recently, software. Google has put a lot of hard work in designing an operating system for mobile phones, called Android. The operating system is used on HTC’s G1 phone, which is known as a potential “iPhone killer.”
Google is currently offering one of its mobile software for those who use an iPhone. The software is a voice recognition program, made especially for Apple’s phone, which will be available through Apple’s App Store. Tough the program is not yet listed in the store, it is said that it will become available very soon.
Google’s Mobile App for iPhone allows users to simply speak their search requests or commands. The app makes use of iPhone’s motion detector, which lets the phone know that it must record when it’s brought to the ear and stop the recording when the user puts the phone down.
Google has also implemented options for those who don’t want to use their voice but who would rather type in their searches. The software can also be controlled through the virtual keyboard that appears on the screen of Apple’s phone. The program can also detect the city you’re in and give relevant results according to this information. This is very helpful especially is one is looking for entertainment or plane tickets.
The app has been very well received by all and the little mystery surrounding its “delay” has actually raised the popularity of this software. Besides being very useful and fun, many might just get it to see what the hype is about.
The early reviews can be summed up in the headline offered by noted technology guru Rafe Needleman on the cNet news site: "Google 'Voice Search' hands-on verdict: Awesome."
"Wow. That's right, wow. I mean, yeah, it's that good," enthused Chris Maxcer of MacNews World. "I've been an iPhone owner since day one, and this is the first application that's inspired me to remove one of the four core bottom applications on my home screen and replace it with a third-party app."
Google hopes that the application will help it sell more advertising, and its ability to direct users to local businesses could prove a key attraction for advertisers. The application allows you to dial numbers included in the search results with a click.
Google said it plans to make the application available to other smartphones, with the next candidate believed to be T Mobile's G1 Smartphone, which is based on Google's open source Android software

Touching Windows 7

LOS ANGELES--In addition to getting to spend a few minutes playing around with Windows 7's new desktop, I had a chance to play around with its multitouch gestures.

The brief look came on a machine running a later build than the one Microsoft handed out to developers last week. More similar to the version that was shown onstage Tuesday, the machine I used had the new desktop featuring the Aero Peek and other features.

I thought it might help to show some of the features in a short video. (It was me holding a Flip video camera, so apologies for the jitters and less-than-ideal sound.)
Along with the gestures themselves, Microsoft has tweaked the desktop to support touch, doing things like spreading out menu lists to make the operating system easier to navigate with just a finger.

To scroll through a Word document, for example, users can run their finger anywhere in the Word window (not just in a narrow scroll bar). It has also added some visual cues, such as making a window bounce when one has reached the end or beginning of a document. That helps, because it can be a little hard at first to figure out which way to flick to head down a window.

The key question is going to be how much software developers take advantage of touch and how many computer makers include the necessary hardware in their laptops and displays.
Microsoft's approach with Windows 7 also highlights a key difference with Apple. The Mac maker has focused, at least thus far, on expanding the touch abilities of the laptop trackpad. Microsoft, meanwhile, seems aimed at touch on the screen itself--though trackpad makers such as Synaptics have added support for gestures that XP and even Vista laptops can take advantage of if their makers' wish.

One Windows PC maker, Hewlett-Packard, has been branching out on its own, adding its own line of touch-screen computers ahead of Windows 7. It has updated its TouchSmart PC a couple of times and is also targeting the technology for laptops. Last week, HP also opened up its TouchSmart interface to developers.

World's largest mouse scampers around the desk

How do you create the world's largest mouse? Here's how. Designer Weston Boege's Glide Keyboard is both a mouse and keyboard. Resting on low-friction pads, you simply slide the keyboard around your desk, just like an optical rodent. If that little workout is a bit too much, Boege has thankfully included traditional mousing controls right in the molded palm rest.

Of course, given the limited desktop estate we have in our mousehole of a cubicle, this idea may look mighty cool, but may just not be so cool to use.