Search engine Ask.com has announced it has introduced free voice-activated capabilities to its Mobile Directions service.Click to Speak, as it is known, enables users to specify their location and desired destination via speech and await directions on their internet-enabled mobile devices.
According to a company statement, the new service is designed to eliminate the need for typing addresses, which can be "slow, error-prone and, in some cases, unsafe".
"Voice input is one more way Ask.com Mobile helps searchers find exactly what they are looking for faster and easier," stated Doug Leeds, senior vice president of product management at Ask.com.
Click to Speak is quick, free and accurate and makes driving or walking directions "a breeze", he added.
Meanwhile, Amit Desai, co-founder and chief product officer of Dial Directions, the voice-activated phone service that will provide Ask.com users with the new feature, commented: "Voice input is a natural complement to the Ask.com Mobile Directions service.
"We look forward to a continued relationship with Ask.com as they look for new ways to further improve the mobile web search experience with Ask.com Mobile."
According to Mr Desai, Click to Speak offers a "dramatic improvement" over typing addresses on mobile devices.
Dial Directions is a free service that is available across the US. It allows mobile phone users to request directions to a location via a phone call and receive them by text message.
