NeoMedia Technologies, Inc (NEOM)

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Further DD: MSN MOBILE WEB BLOG
Get Local Search with Maps and Directions on your phone!
The MSN Search and MSN Mobile teams have recently collaborated and are excited to deliver the MSN Local Search Beta to your mobile device! Currently available in the US, Mobile Search is available on Windows Mobile devices, as well as new phones with WAP 2.0 browsers. To try out the service, launch your phone’s web browser, and go to http://mobile.msn.com/ and select "Beta Services" from the main menu.

So what does it do? You can search for a restaurant, store, school, dentist, museum – basically, anything listed in the Yellow Pages and White Pages. Just enter your search term (i.e. “coffee” or “Victrola” ) and location (zip code, city/state or full street address) and hit the Search button. Your recently used locations are even stored and easily accessible the next time you use the service. We’ll return the first handful of results, including name, address, distance from your current location and phone number – which you can dial by clicking! Select the result name and you’ll see a page with more detail, including a color map. Select “get directions” and we’ll provide turn-by-turn driving directions between your starting location and result address (both editable). All of these features have been specially designed to work on your phone, requiring minimal interaction and optimized for speed and ease of use.

We’ll be adding many more features like SMS and 'send to phone' in the coming months, so check back often. We're very interested in your feedback, so tell us what you think.

Thanks,

Aron Holzman and the MSN Mobile Search team


posted on Friday, August 12, 2005 3:38 PM by msnsearch
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Comments
# re: Get Local Search with Maps and Directions on your phone!
Does MSN Search provide an SMS service like google does. http://www.google.com/sms/

SMS is extremely convenient to use and does not require a separate subscription to Internet from the Mobile phone.

It would be good if MSN Search supports SMS.
Friday, August 12, 2005 6:33 PM by Kiran
# re: Get Local Search with Maps and Directions on your phone!
It says "We’ll be adding many more features like SMS [...] in the coming months" above :)

So expect it soon.
Friday, August 12, 2005 7:37 PM by Mike Torres
# re: Get Local Search with Maps and Directions on your phone!
This is long overdue, very good idea, but one small marketing concern:

Looking at the www.msn.com homepage - with all the news and features and ads that exists - would it not be practical to also add some of these breaking "features" news releases there.

Few people know about this BLOG - but surely MANY would be interested in trying this feature and the upcoming features (if they only knew)
Saturday, August 13, 2005 5:42 PM by Search Engines Web
# re: Get Local Search with Maps and Directions on your phone!
An intersting tweak for local search is developing on http://.roadjunctions.blogspot.com

The same old problem of using archaic postal zipcodes that have to be "looked up" if not your own that you have committed to memory. We think we are on to something better.

Developer
Sunday, August 14, 2005 4:09 PM by Burton Floyd
# Two reason not to use Google
Sunday, August 14, 2005 4:11 PM by shahine.com/omar/
# Microsoft Brings Local Search to MSN Mobile
MSN is joining many other players (the big names as well as many smaller players) by adding local search (material from Yellow and White Page directories) to the MSN Mobile service. You'll also find maps and turn-by-turn driving directions. More on MSN Search's WebLog. Learn more about MSN's mobile service here....
Sunday, August 14, 2005 4:14 PM by Search Engine Watch Blog
# MSN Mobile Betas
Sunday, August 14, 2005 10:07 PM by Dare Obasanjo aka Carnage4Life

http://blogs.msdn.com/msnsearch/archive/2005/08/12/450983.aspx