After 3 days of delays and a large amount of anger in the blogosphere, Google voice search for the iPhone is finally live in the App Store. I won’t give an extensive review here (other than to say that I’m quite impressed), since there are already several blog entries that give a full account of its capabilities. However, it did force me to think about how it could change the way we search.
What this voice search application does is remove a barrier. One of the key pain points of the iPhone (particularly for users who come from Blackberrys or other traditional QWERTY keyboard devices) is the cumbersome keyboard, which is virtually impossible to use one-handed. Even if the user still has to look and touch the screen to select their desired search result, the voice search capability combined with location services will make it significantly easier to find the nearest gas station while driving, or the closest sushi place while walking. It’s one more step in the consistent progression of the past two decades: making it easier to find any information we want, when and where we want it.
Given the overwhelming capabilities of devices like the iPhone, sometimes it can be difficult to imagine where we will go next. Assuming I have a data or WiFi connection, I can already find the answer to any question in minutes, figure out the artist of the song I loved on the radio, find the nearest restaurant based on my preferences, entertain myself on MUNI with a nearly unlimited number of games, and so on. Yet, it is human nature that as current needs are fulfilled new ones will always arise. And technology is remarkably good at finding ways to meet our needs – even the ones we didn’t know we had. The release of just one device or application can significantly impact the way we live our lives, how we seek and obtain information, and how we see ourselves. It makes me wonder: do we define technology, or does technology define us?
I totally use my iPhone keyboard with one hand!
Posted by: Davey J | December 10, 2008 at 07:50 AM