Microsoft updates Live Search Mobile

With all of the holiday preparations going on last week, I completely missed the updates Microsoft made to their Live Search Mobile service. According to the Microsoft Virtual Earth / Live Maps blog, the following features and changes are available at http://m.live.com:

• 1-click directions for all businesses and street addresses in U.S.
• Additional details for U.S. businesses, including neighborhood, business category, cuisine (restaurants) and hours of operation
• Photos and reviews for U.S. businesses
• Improved movie show times Instant Answers (we now show critics rating)
• Added interactivity to all maps (clicking on maps now zooms in/out to predefined levels, or advanced to the next waypoint for routing maps)
• Traffic & map Instant Answers
• Mobile search for the China market. Scopes offered are local (no maps, but coming soon), web, images, news and Spaces.

I just hit up the 1-click directions for a local Starbucks and got results from the north, sound and the nearest major highway. The results appeared to return quicker than when I last used the service, but of course your mileage may vary. Too bad I didn't see this news earlier, we could have used the info to find a good place to eat as we were just out running around. Remember, this is a web-based service, so it should work across most mobile devices with a browser.

(via Neowin)

Comments

[Al]

GIGO, I guess. I put in my ZIP code and entered "bicycles". Fact: we have one great established dealer and one new, very good dealer within .5 mile. Search result: listed only one dealer which went out of business about 3 years ago. Just to be sure, I tried it again, and got the same result. Then I tried Google Maps and got the established dealer, did not get the new dealer, and got three other dealers, but not the one that is out of business.

[Andy]

Great!

Now, I don't need to shell out more money and upgrade my Verizon Wireless plan to grab the navigation services! Of course, I'd still use them if I got REALLY lost, and didn't know where I was, but I know my general way around.

This is excellent. Good on you, Microsoft.

[Big]

If more mobiles use wap2.0 which show the site "as is", why do we need mobile versions of sites?

[PaulC]

Andy: Really? I love VZNav, best $10/month I ever spent. Free would be better for sure,but my other GPS's all have hidden annual fee's in map upgrades, and I'll be dammed if I am going to carry a puck around.

I went to m.live.com and its in a northern European language, possibly Swedish.

[PaulC]

Update on the language:
That was using opera, using the built in browser on my 8830 the page renders fine.

[Andy]

Paul: Eh. I don't get lost enough to warrant spending $10/month for something I'll rarely use. I mean, it's a fantastic tool, and everytime I needed to use it, it helped me greatly.

I just can't see myself getting that kind of use out of it. I'd rather just pay for my uses. What is it, 2 dollars a day?