Google results: mobile phones at the root of profit challenges

New figures indicate a decline in desktop search traffic – where Google makes the bulk of its money – and a rise in search traffic from mobile phones. With their smaller screens, phones are harder to advertise on effectively and even more difficult still to use for the kind of services where Google can serve multiple adverts against a single query. There simply isn’t the space. The Telegraph reports.

Google argues that, thanks to its Android operating system and its market-leading position, nobody is better placed to make money from search, wherever it happens. And it’s true that Android allows the business to embed chances to monetise users at every opportunity. As Facebook has found out to its cost, however, it’s a tricky proposition, however it’s handled.

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Google's Answer to Siri Thinks Ahead

The company's data stockpile and investment in AI means a smartphone helper that answers queries before you even ask them. MIT Technology Review reports.

Siri, the virtual assistant built into iPhones, launched to great fanfare last October and soon inspired a crowd of copycat apps.

Now a year later, Google is rolling out a new assistant in the form of Google Now.

Google Now doesn't have a pretend personality like Apple's sassy assistant, instead just appearing as a familiar search box. But just like Siri, it can take voice commands related to phone functions such as setting reminders or sending messages, and field requests for information such as "How old is the Eiffel Tower?" and "Where can I find a good Chinese restaurant?"

Also like Siri, Google Now responds with speech. However, rather than passing along queries to third-party services such as Yelp for answers, Google's helper makes use of the company's recently launched Knowledge Graph, a database that categorizes information in useful ways.

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Chinese search giant Baidu to focus on developing mobile Web services

Baidu Chief Executive Robin Li has revealed that the company is focused on developing its offering for mobile this year, as it looks to take advantage of China’s booming mobile and smartphone market. TheNextWeb reports.

China became the world’s biggest mobile market in the final quarter of 2011, when device shipments to the country outnumbered those to the US for the first time, and Li acknowledges the significance of the mobile for the search giant.

... Baidu dominates the Chinese search space, where it accounts for a reported 78 percent of industry-wide revenues, leading Google by some 60 percent.

Read full article.

Google Introduces new features to mobile search

Google introduces two new mobile features designed to make mobile search even better.

In their own words:

At Google, we are seeing mobile search grow at an exponential rate, increasing five-fold worldwide in just the past two years - a rate comparable to the early days of desktop Google Search. Today on mobile, we can get whatever information we’re looking for anytime, anywhere.

... With more searches happening when people are on the go, we’ve noticed an increase in searches for nearby places. To make it easier for people to search for what’s around them, we’ve introduced new shortcuts to commonly searched local categories, like restaurants, coffee shops and bars, in the form of icons on the mobile google homepage.

Another mobile improvement we’ve introduced today is an easier way to build longer, more complicated searches. You can now add suggested phrases to the search box and “build” your search piece by piece. This feature is already available on the Google Search app for Android and iOS devices and we’re now making this available on www.google.com from your mobile browser. Watch the video below to see how you can search faster with less typing.

Read full post in Google Mobile Blog

Google Instant now on mobiles

Google’s nifty “instant previews” feature that was introduced to desktop browsers in November last year has finally made its way to the small screen on our mobile phones.

[via Ubergizmo]

Google's instant search goes mobile

Google Instant, the search feature that brings up results as quickly as users can type, is now going mobile.

Google announced on its official blog instant search is now available on smartphones running the Android 2.2 operating software as well as iPhones and iPods that use iOS 4.

[via USA Today]

Baidu plans to offer search on mobile phones

Chinese search engine Baidu is in talks with mobile-phone makers about using its search box on handsets sold in China, the Wall Street Journal quoted Robin Li, the company's chief executive officer, as saying.

[via China Daily]

Mobile Accounts for 10% of Google Queries, Says Analyst

Mobile searches account for an estimated 10% of Google queries, says Citi analyst Mark Mahaney in a research note released earlier this week.

[via ReadWriteWeb]

Google Suggest Arrives on Mobile Phones

Google has announced the launch of Google Suggest for mobile phones.

Google Suggest shows useful information while the user is composing a query from the Google home page.

For example, you want to know what he exchange rate of the pound is? As you type "Usd in pounds", the answers are provided right below the search box, without having to wait for the results page.

[via TechTree]

Google launches local search for mobile

The "Near me now" option is now available for Android and iPhone users who have opted to share their locations.

[via News.com]

New iPhone Case Reduces Cell Phone Radiation by 60%

According to a press release, a protective case for the iPhone has launched which claims to reduce cell phone radiation by 60%

The Pong iPhone case is the first product proven by FCC-certified laboratories to reduce cell phone radiation. The case reduces the specific absorption rate (SAR, a mobile industry standard of measurement) by 60% and reduces intense `hotspot` cell phone radiation (Electric Field Intensity) by 85%. The Pong iPhone case is immediately available for the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS, through pongresearch.com.

A BlackBerry model will be available later this year, with models for other devices to follow.

Microsoft’s Bing targets mobile phones

Microsoft has rolled out Bing on Verizon Wireless’ network as part of an exclusive five-year deal with the carrier to provide search and advertising services, reports m-travel.

Microsoft’s GM for mobile media Charles Johnson told Bloomberg that in the first 20 days as Verizon’s default search, Microsoft’s mobile search handled 19 million queries, 10 to 15 times the previous rate. Microsoft reportedly paid $550 and $650 million to secure the five-year exclusive deal.

Google's Africa Strategy: Search And Trade Via SMS

Not only does Google want to organize all the world's information, it also wants to make all that information available to everyone in the world. TechCrunch reports.

In Africa, it is launching a suite of SMS services today, including SMS search, Q&A-style tips, and an SMS-based marketplace. The first country to get these services is Uganda.

The search service works like Google SMS in North America. You text a search term, and it responds via SMS with the result. Searches can be narrowed by using specific keywords such as “local time,” “weather,” “news,” “maps,” “translation,” or “currency conversion.” For more complicated searches, the related SMS tips service offers answers in an automated Q&A format.

But the most interesting application is Google Trader, which allows people to post items for sale and jobs via SMS. Other people can search for them by texting the service with the word “BUY” preceding the search term. Google Trader connects the buyer and seller together (each listing contains the seller’s cell phone number).

Related: Real time information about farming, health and trading will be available to mobile phone users in Uganda with new technology services developed by the Grameen Foundation, Google and telecom operator MTN. [Seattle Times]

Text-Message Service Fields Flood of Jackson Queries

In the wake of the sudden death of pop icon Michael Jackson one thing is clear: Fans can’t get enough of him, writes New York Times Bits blog.

Celebrations, vigils and synchronized moonwalks are being coordinated online. Sales of his music on Amazon and iTunes are soaring, according to The Times’ Media Decoder blog. Twitter is still populated with emotional outpourings of grief and messages commemorating Mr. Jackson’s music and legacy.

Mr. Jackson’s death is also prompting some people to ask questions about the life and history of the late singer. Mobile search service kgb, which employs human beings to answer text queries, has been flooded with questions about Mr. Jackson.

A spokesman for kgb said that since the first reports of Mr. Jackson’s hospitalization and death, the paid service — available by texting kgbkgb (or 542542) — has fielded more than 10,000 questions.

Got a Question? Ask K.G.B. Agents for the Answer

It's not quite the Soviet K.G.B., but a new service called kgb uses human agents to answer texted questions from mobile users for 50 cents a pop. Bits reports.

The New York company, which has been providing directory assistance services in the United States and around Europe since 1992, this month unveiled a human-powered mobile search service called kgbkgb. If you send a question via text message to kgbkgb (or 542542), a human “kgb special agent” will find the answer and text it back.

... Response times varies depending on the difficulty of the texted question, but a typical turnaround ranges from two to four minutes. A test question — “How many Oscar nominations did “The Wrestler” receive for the 2009 Academy Awards?” — was answered accurately in three minutes.

Links to related human powered mobile search services and other mobile searches on textually in Ask Experts / Mobile Searches category

Verizon, Google Close To Mobile Search Deal

According to the WSJ, Verizon is close to an agreement with Google on a wide-ranging partnership, in what could be a much-needed jolt for the anemic mobile search business.

"... The deal under discussion, which would make Google the default search provider on Verizon devices and give it a share of ad revenue, is aimed at dramatically simplifying what is now a confusing set of search options for cellphone users."

Mobile phones may be silenced in theatres

Theatregoers will no longer have to put up with noisy phones as Microsoft is developing a device that will jam the mobile signal inside buildings. The Telegraph reports.

"The company is developing a "device manners" system, which could force all mobiles on to silent mode and end the need for polite warnings before performances.

The system would use wireless technology to connect with mobiles in theatres and cinemas, forcing them to be silenced, barred from calls or switched off altogether.

In documents submitted to the US patent office, Microsoft also states that libraries and galleries could block visitors' digital cameras from photographing copyrighted work.

... So-called "phone jammers", which block reception in a small area, have been available on the black market for some time, but their use is illegal in Britain and punishable by hefty fines.

Manufacturers have been lobbying for a relaxation of the ban but have faced resistance from Ofcom, the telecoms regulator. "

Related: - Cell Phone Jammers Authorized in French Theaters

Google On The iPhone Spreads To 30+ Countries

Google's interface for the iPhone has been available in America for a while, but in what is sure to be a welcome development, the search giant is now making it available in over 30 different markets and 15 new languages. A special iPhone-appropriate edition of Google News is spreading as well.

[via Web Pro News]

Yahoo unveils a smarter mobile search

Yahoo announced a new mobile search strategy Wednesday at CTIA centered on the latest iteration of its Yahoo OneSearch product. NewsBlog reports.

"In a keynote address by Marco Boerries, the company's executive vice president of "connected life," Yahoo OneSearch 2.0 was released, promising "instant answers to any query, not just web links."

This means that search results will expand from traditional hyperlinks into other media--a search for "New York" could yield subway schedules, for example, or a search for local sushi restaurants could bring up available reservations.

Also central to OneSearch is voice-enabled technology. "Consumers can search for anything, including flight numbers, locations, Web site names, local restaurants, and more, by simply speaking," a release from Yahoo detailed.

The voice-activation software is now available for download on a number of RIM's BlackBerry devices, and Yahoo has said that over the next few months it will be compatible with more handsets."

ChaCha lets you, literally, ask a question

ChaCha, the human-powered Web search service, is launching a new service on Tuesday that will allow you to ask your question over the phone instead of having to text it. News.com reports.

"To use the new service you can call 800-224-2242 (which spells "chacha") and specify the information you want. ChaCha then sends you a text message with the answer. You can access your questions and answers on the Web as well."

Google; AT&T shocked by iPhone usage

Apple Insider reports that Google on Wednesday said it has seen 50 times more search requests coming from Apple iPhones than any other mobile handset -- a revelation so astonishing that the company originally suspected it had made an error culling its own data.

According to the Financial Times Vic Gundotra, head of Google’s mobile operations, said that if other handset manufacturers follow in Apple’s footsteps and make Web access easier on their handsets the number of mobile searches could outpace fixed internet search “within the next several years.”

[via ZDNet blogs]

Nokia to offer Google search on phones

Nokia will integrate the Web company's search engine into its phones.

The agreement initially covers models in Nokia's high-end N-series phones for select markets but the companies said it will be extended to additional Nokia handset models in the future.

Nokia said it will eventually make Google search available to its customers in over 100 countries.

[via Reuters]

46.1 Million People Use Mobile Search In US: Report

Nielsen Mobile has released the results of a survey of 5,700 mobile search users which found that 46.1 million people in the US used mobile search in the third quarter of 2007.

Of those people 18.1 million used 411 and 14.1 million used SMS-based searching.

The most popular searches included local listings followed by information such as sports scores, news or weather and mobile content.

A third of SMS searchers were under 25.

Moco News

ChaCha Debuts Human-Powered Mobile Search

ChaCha on Thursday announced a new human powered search service that allows users to text questions of any kind to 242242, which spells ChaCha on most mobile phones, and receive answers back by text. NewsFactor Network reports.

"While the service might not look unique at first glance, it is actually a real human being that sends the answers back. The service is currently available as a free trial, although the company said it plans to offer subscriptions in the future."

Mobile Phone comparison engine

TRG Online Ltd has announced the beta release v1 of their mobile phone comparison and review search engine right mobilephone for the UK.

The site will provide consumers the ability to instantly compare mobile phone offers from all the major networks and dealers in the UK, in addition it also offers reviews and ratings of mobile handsets provided by the site's users.

[via Press release]

Google Launches Mobile Phone SMS Search In China

Google has formally released a new localized product: mobile phone short message search in China.

This is the 25th localization product that Google has launched in China this year.

[via China Tech News]

Yahoo in 15-Nation Deal for Search on Cellphones

Under the deal, Yahoo will feature its search engine on mobile portals run by Telefónica of Spain in 15 countries in Europe and Latin America. The New York Times reports.

"Under the agreement, Yahoo will operate searches and sell advertising linked to them for Telefónica mobile services in 15 countries in Europe and Latin America.

... Google, meanwhile, has a search agreement with Vodafone, among others."

AOL Unveils New Mobile Search Services with transcodes

SearchEngineWatch reports that AOL is online with a mobile web search beta.

"AOL has offered some mobile services for years - December 2005 - (AOL Instant Messenger, mail, news, etc.) and has been testing new features since April.

The new mobile web search tool automatically "transcodes" or rewrites non-mobile pages into ones that are friendly mobile phones and devices. Google and Yahoo also offer this feature. "

Google Pushes Tailored Phones To Win Lucrative Ad Market

Google Inc. is searching for growth in cellphones. The WSJ reports.

"The company, which has made billions of dollars in Web advertising on computers, is courting wireless operators to carry handsets customized to Google products, including its search engine, email and a new mobile Web browser, say people familiar with the plans. It wants to capture a big chunk of the fast-growing market for ads on cellphones.

Google has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the cellphone project, say people who have been briefed on it. It has developed prototype handsets, made overtures to operators such as T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless, and talked over technical specifications with phone manufacturers. It hopes multiple manufacturers will make devices based on its specs and multiple carriers will offer them.

For wireless operators, the plans are a double-edged sword. Google's powerful brand and its popular Web services could help operators sign up more subscribers to data packages, on which they increasingly rely as voice revenue declines. However, operators have been wary about losing control over the mobile-ad market.

The long-rumored Google phones are still in the planning stages, and wouldn't be available to consumers until next year at the earliest, say people familiar with the idea. Some details are likely to shift as the plans develop."

Google creates iPhone-specific search page

According to TUAW, Google has created a brand new just-for-iPhone demo page for their search engine.

"It's all Javascript, as well, so it's fast and simple. The one drawback is that you can't actually go back after you've done a search (since it all loads in the same window), but it's Google, so odds are you'll find what you're looking for right away."