Updated Google Search app for iOS allows voice search

Tech2 reported earlier today that Google is improving Search for mobiles and tablets. Now, Google has something up for their iOS users too, as per an official blog post by Amit Singhal, SVP - Google Search. Google has improved its Search app for iOS users (version 4.2+). The updated app combines speech recognition expertise, understanding of language, and the Google Knowledge Graph, resulting in Voice Search having better interpretations. By way of their improved app for iOS, Google says it is moving towards understanding the intent behind the questions. The video below explains it: 

To begin with, users need to tap on the microphone icon, and ask their questions. Suppose, you ask, “What movies are playing this weekend?”, the app will show you what you say as you speak. The application, Google claims, will quickly draw up a list of the latest movies playing in a nearby theatre - complete with schedules and trailers. Here Google adds, “When Google can supply a direct answer to your question, you’ll get a spoken response too”.

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Google adds that these are steps towards building a  search engine of the future. The Google Search Event has started, and the big topic of discussion at the event is about the future of search. As per reports, Google answered the question with, “Everyone who asks that question, knows the answer deep inside their heart. They’ve actually dreamt the search engine of the future already”. What this means is that eventually, you will be able to search Google for everything the company knows about you, including things from your email or your calendar to make the search more contextual. While this may sound creepy in some Orwellian way, it could be a neat feature once implemented. Once all of Google’s products are integrated into a universal search, a simple search for something such as “trip” could show every email, Calendar entry and itinerary document that you have stored in Google’s cloud.

Yesterday, in an official blog post, Jeromy Henry, a User Experience Designer at Google announced that the search function on mobile and tablet had been improved. He affirms that Google Search has been about delivering answers that users seek, as quickly as possible. Google reveals that now when users conduct a Google search using a mobile or tablet, they will notice improvements such as the results most relevant to them placed at the top in the search results. Elaborating further, Google adds that they have improved their flight status quick answer function. A user making a quick search will now notice that there is a flight progress indicator, and Google has increased the size of the text of arrival and departure times, in an attempt to allow users to quickly find the information they are looking for.