25 March 2010 | Author: D. Warburton Search Copywriter

Yahoo! launches new iPhone apps

Internet giant Yahoo! has launched two new search applications for the iPhone this week, which allow users to speak or doodle their search terms rather than type them.

Yahoo! Search is a comprehensive search offering optimised for the iPhone layout that incorporates news and sport results, stock quotes, local maps and other services, and uses Vlingo-powered voice recognition software to allow users to enter search terms orally.

The second application, Yahoo! Sketch-a-Search, is even more novel, allowing users to find nearby restaurants by accessing a map of their local area and drawing a shape over the area they are interested in with their fingertip, which will then present them with details such as opening hours and contact information.

The application automatically presents users with their local area, but can be easily switched to load maps of other cities. Although the service is limited to restaurants, coffee shops and some hotels at present, Yahoo! is planning to expand its offering to include a wide range of local amenities that will be of interest to users, including nearby gyms, pet shops and petrol stations. These results can be further filtered by star rating or by category.

Ecommerce Journal reports that both of these applications are free to download and will be compatible with iPhone and iPod Touch systems running iPhone OS 3.0 or a more recent version.

Earlier this year, Yahoo! withdrew its own Yahoo! Go mobile service in order to focus on improving its mobile web offerings. By creating applications for platforms such as Apple's iPhone, Windows Mobile or Google Android, Yahoo! is working towards cementing its reputation as a provider of high quality web services for smartphones.

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