In the days before prominent instant messaging, there was this chat technology called IRC. In IRC, it was possible to be given voice by the operators of the channel. How does this relate to anything mobile news related? Google (the operator) has given voice to those who run Google Maps on Windows Mobile in the form of a new update. Dubbed ‘Search by voice’, it allows for searches by vocal instead of textual input. Simply open Google Maps, press the ‘call’ button your phone, and speak your search term. Search by voice works with places, addresses, specific businesses and types of businesses.
Updated to 4.1, the only other noticeable change is a redesigned settings page that includes the option of selecting the preferred language for Search by voice. To install the latest version of Google Maps for mobile 4.1 for Windows Mobile, go to m.google.com/maps in your phone’s web browser and download and install the .CAB.