Google’s Mobile App is freakin’ awesome.

You can search Google’s index using only your voice (no buttons to push and no keys to type). It’s also location aware so that you can search for places that are in proximity to wherever you happen to be.

Here’s how the Google Mobile Search app works: Tap the Google Mobile icon, lift the iPhone to your ear, wait for the beep and then speak. Google Mobile App senses when you lift the phone, records your spoken words and translates them into digital files, which are entered into the Google search bar.

Your search results are optimized for the iPhone’s screen.

In addition to voice and location searching, this latest version of the Google Mobile App also includes features such as:

• Suggestions for Web site shortcuts, such as Wikipedia articles, search history, word completions and contacts
• Access to Google services such a Gmail, Earth, Photos, Reader and other Google apps
• An apps tab so you can reorder your Google apps
• More options in preferences

I tried the Google Mobile App using a wide range search items, from abacus to zip ties, and it was right every single time. Unbelievable! It also worked flawlessly when accessing Gmail, Calendar, Reader and other Google apps.

You can set preferences for the start screen (I have mine set for the last screen I used to come up when I start), searchable items (contacts, previous searches and Websites) and SafeSearch (to filter sites with explicit images and text). Screen rotation off by default. Turning it on disables motion sensing for voice.

Voice search will be available in a wide variety of languages, Google says, but for now, it’s for English speakers only. The Google Mobile App works best with North American English accents.

If I try hard enough, I could come up with a few additional features that I’d like to see, such as reliable voice recognition dialing, but I’m happy.

Kudos to Google for their mobile app, it is one astonishing application.

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category: Editor's Picks