YAHOO! ONESEARCH TO POWER T-MOBILE’S WEB2GO SERVICE

Yahoo! oneSearch will power mobile search made using T-Mobile USA's new web2go service. Yahoo! will also deliver mobile sponsored search results and in some cases display advertising within the search results presented through T-Mobile's web2go. Yahoo! and T-Mobile partnered earlier this year with Yahoo! powering mobile search and advertising for T-Mobile International across ten European countries. OneSearch will enable web2go users to access to news, financial information, weather conditions, Flickr photos, web images, general web, and mobile web content. It will also display relevant ringtones, wallpaper, games, and other content available in the T-Mobile Store within search results. -Smarajit Dasgupta

TRAFFICCAST, DIAL DIRECTIONS DELIVER VOICE-ENABLED TRAFFIC SERVICE

Madison, Wisconsin-based traffic data analysis company TrafficCast International and voice-enabled mobile LBS provider Dial Directions have partnered to develop products and services designed to integrate real-time traffic congestion and travel time forecasts to mobile navigation and routing solutions. TrafficCast’s DynaFlow technology will combine with Dial Directions’ voice-based solution to enable the matching of traffic information to specific routes. Drivers can simply speak their destination to receive audio traffic reports containing travel times and traffic alerts. For pre-trip planning, drivers can call ahead to provide their desired route, receive real-time traffic information, and make informed travel decisions. “Real-time personalized traffic updates will further differentiate our navigation solutions,” said Dial Directions CEO Adeeb Shanaa. “We’re delighted to partner with TrafficCast to deliver an innovative mobile service that can be used every day by drivers.” -Smarajit Dasgupta

GOOGLE OPTIMIZES SEARCH FOR THE IPHONE

Google has finally optimized search for the iPhone and iPod touch firmware version 2x for US-based users. The local search results feature "Get Directions" and click-to-call links. When one searches for local businesses, maps are displayed by default in the case of a single listing. For multiple listings, one can view maps by clicking on the "Show map" link. Users can also switch back to the regular Google desktop search format by clicking on the "Classic" link near the bottom. A demo video can be viewed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARiwhbeyXFM. -Smarajit Dasgupta

AIRTEL TO OFFER ASKLAILA-POWERED CITY SEARCH IN INDIA

India-based local search provider asklaila has partnered with private telecom service provider Airtel to power its city search services. The free “Airtel city search” service will reach more than 30 million users across the six cities where asklaila is available, including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Bangalore. The uniqueness in Airtel’s offering lies in the fact that the local search service will be available across three screens, i.e. mobile, PC (via Airtel’s broadband service), and TV (Airtel DTH). The mobile service will be available across four modes: SMS, USSD, WAP, and Airtel Live. To use it via SMS, users can text a keyword to 54321. Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) is an instant messaging type phone service and can be used in even basic phone models. This is accessible under Airtel Live USSD portal by dialing *321#. It will also be integrated in the Airtel service menu, under the Airtel Live brand. asklaila is a service of Four Interactive and its search features include proximity search, syntax-free search option, address compression, locality short forms, and landmark information. -Smarajit Dasgupta

YAHOO! ONESEARCH FOR VOICE LAUNCHES IN THE UK

Yahoo! oneSearch with voice is now available in the UK allowing mobile users to initiate searches by speaking. It lets consumers perform unstructured searches and adapts to the user's intonations and accent, providing increasingly fine-tuned results as the product is used. Users can switch between speaking and typing at any time. Yahoo! oneSearch with voice for UK can be downloaded from uk.m.yahoo.com. The service is free, though carrier data charges may be applicable. -Smarajit Dasgupta