http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3075/2657032063_16db8321bc.jpg?v=0
The iTunes App store is now open but the official release of the 2.0 firmware has not happened yet here in the U.S. Google just announced that they have a Google Mobile App available for download. The app is free and is supposed to make searching on Google easier.
<< Google Mobile App gives you a single text box to search through your contacts and the web. As soon as you start typing, it scours Google for things to help you. These could be typing suggestions, website suggestions or easy access to a search you made before. Google Mobile App even searches as you type so that you see results as soon as you finish typing. Over time, the App remembers the things you do most and puts them at the top. Finally, Google Mobile App also uses the My Location feature to detect your current location and show nearby businesses on a map. >>
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3258/2657857828_1e1d681250.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3174/2657030325_109a6195e8.jpg?v=0
http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2008/07/searching-on-iphone-can-be-fun.html |
I've only played with this for a few minutes and so far the search features are pretty cool with this app.
The explore other Google Products feature doesn't work well for all of the products they show.
For example, clicking on the Gmail icon pulls up the default Google mobile page for the iPhone. I believe it's just pointing to the wrong anchor text so it should be a simple fix for them. This should have been easily caught before it was released to the Apple iPhone App store though. |
In the last screenshot above, I suppose the (sideways scrolling?) buttons with auto-completed terms changing AFTER EACH KEYPRESS are from previous, local querries. Or does the app attempt to transparently connect to one's Google Account search history, and fetch the samples from there?
Incidentially, how fast do they appear, scroll, and do they feel "snappy"? |
The sideways scrolling buttons appear pretty quickly when using over a wifi connection. I haven't tested the app with AT&T Edge turned on. I live in Minnesota and attempted a search on our baseball team "Twins". The sideways scrolling buttons had one option for Minnesota Twins. After selecting that, the sideways scrolling buttons also had a suggestion for Minnesota Twins Schedule. The suggestions are fast and they scroll pretty fast. It's a good app so far. |
It's interesting that in this single screenshot
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3174/2657030325_109a6195e8.jpg
we're faced with control movements in 4 different directions:
location-field: write left-to-right
list of results: scroll up/ down
auto-completed suggestion buttons: scroll right-to-left
onscreen keyboard: scrolls into view from bottom up; in reverse when dismissed.
I realize that it'd be difficult to do it any other way, but still... the Cocoa Touch/ Apple GUI probably doesn't promote deployment in such chaotic, multiply-directional fashion. Google Mobile App 0.1.338 BETA soon? |
The app allows you to search Images, news, shopping, local, or wikipedia categories.
The auto-completed suggestion disappears when you scroll through the list of results. It will reappear if you stop scrolling.
The only way to get rid of the keyboard is to view either a settings menu or go to the 'explore other Google Products' page. |
Why is this US only? I just don't get why Google does this... I'd want it to search Google.com rather than Google.co.uk anyway. |
I dunno, but using it in Ireland doesn't seem to work even using an american account. |
![[put at-character here]](image/at.gif) Tony, I'm assuming some things have to be changed for other countries. The mobile app shows Gmail as one of the apps you can load into Safari. Wouldn't that have to be rebranded in Germany as Google Mail? It's probably little things like that that's causing them to hold off from releasing it worldwide at the same time.
|
Rebranding and localized redirects are usually done with geolocation based on IP address though... |
A few more screenshots of the app.
When you click on explore more Google Products, this is what you see:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3293/2671317312_a580786315.jpg?v=0
Settings page (first image is top of page, 2nd is the bottom):
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3036/2670495267_60568e53d1.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3211/2670495335_49a93d6402.jpg?v=0
Search options:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3073/2670495231_e6a5df74cd.jpg?v=0 |
hello from germany.
it is not possible on the german app store to get this applications. it works only with a US itunes account.
do you know how to do or to go to download it?
greetings and thanks in advance.
raphael |
Raphael, you'll need to wait for them to release it in Germany. They've just made it available in the UK so maybe it won't be too much longer... |
Colin "Settings page (first image is top of page, 2nd is the bottom)"
http://blogoscoped.com/forum/135692.html#id135885
Shouldn't the visible page title rather be "Google Settings," or "Google Services Settings,"to distinguish it from any other similarly laid-out Settings screen on the iPhone?
Then again, mere fact that a simplish op with few binary sliders REQUIRES a page scroll (or two snapshots here to show them all) tells me that the key choice of the Cocoa Touch GUI --the need to account AT ALL TIMES for fairly thick fingers, as opposed, say, to customizable widget-line-height-- hasn't been thought through. iPhone gives you all this beautiful screen real estate, then steals parts of it right back with hardcoded, and for most users fairly wasteful, space needed for assumed Bratwurst-SizeĀ fingers. |
