It’s Friday once again. And on Fridays, we do a Free Software of the week that we hope would make your mobile experience even better. There are a lot of great software out there in the Windows Mobile world with more being added to the list every day. Alot of these software are actually free ones but they do not get the recognition they deserve because of the price tag attached to them. However, that is not usually the case. This week we show you why with our chosen software: Microsoft Live Search.

This software was launched about a month back and was just recently updated. If you did not like the previous version, I would recommend you give it another shot like I did and it might just change your mind. This is one of those software that if Microsoft had put into Windows Mobile 6 from the beginning, would have further elevated the status of the Operating System.

First Glance

When you launch the new software, the 2 most noticeable changes would be the right softkey now being Speech and the 6th icon showing Gas Prices. If you are a driver, then these 2 additions would definitely sit well with you. But you do not have to be a driver to take advantage of the speech function. The other notable change is that to Menu. It’s been cut down from the previous set with less clutter as well as an additional option to SMS A Friend. So how does this new version fare?

Speech

I first decided to give this new function a try. It did not need learning so that was a plus point. But was it accurate? Surprisingly yes. When you access the function, it will listen for anything that you say and confirm that is what you say. If it isn’t, it also provides you with suggestions of similar sounds and chances are, what you were saying was one of them. If it isn’t you can always speak again by tapping the left softkey.

Gas Prices

With the price of gas going up like never before, finding out where to get the cheapest pump is always a good idea. The problem is, sometimes, the price of gas fluctuates at the various stations which leaves you not getting the best deal possible. With this function, that might just be a thing of the past. Based on your selected location, you can find the cheapest pump near your home, office, or even in a part of New York that you are visiting for the first time. It is constantly updated though I am not sure how constant. The latest price I am getting is a day old but then again, gas prices are not like stocks that change so frequently. On the upside, it caters to the various type and grade of fuel. If you are using Plus or Diesel, then it also has the prices for you to consider. And if you do decide to pump up at that station, the mapping function does the work for you.

Map, Directions and Traffic

Will you be caught in a jam?	Turn by turn direction… For free!!

GPS maps are rather expensive but Live Search helps you overcome that problem by downloading maps for you. Wherever you are, as long as you have a data connection, you will get the latest maps from Microsoft. It even integrates with your GPS location so you know exactly where you are. And if you need directions, this software does it for you as well. Sure it’s not as good as GPS softwares with those turn by turn announcements but it does tell you how to get there for free. I have not given it a go while driving due to my lack of mobile data connection so I can’t really say if you should ditch your current GPS setup for this one. One notable feature about Directions is that it allows you to map it from just about any other feature in Live Search. Say you were looking for a Greek restaurant and found something you like. Within that same window, you can get directions from your current location (if you have GPS) to the restaurant. Great for those in a new city or if you just want to try something new. And if you are concerned about traffic, Live Search keeps you up to date on the freeways and highways.

Entertainment

Exploring has never been more fun if you have Live Search. Even if you have been living in the same city all your life, do you know where to find a Russian restaurant in your area? Or a French one for that matter? Well Live Search allows you to search for this places and much more including shops and stations. Who knows? You might just find your next favorite restaurant this way.

And if you are a movie-junkie, let Live Search help you out. You can search for movies in 2 ways, either by name or cinema. Search by name and it will give you a poster and some details such as ratings and how long the movie runs. Search for cinema and you can see the times of the various movies being shown there.

Drawbacks

At the moment, Live Search is only available to users in the United States and United Kingdom. I am not sure if there is going to be more coverage in the future but I do hope so. This is a really great software and everyone should be able to use it.

The other downer about this software is that you will need an active data connection. Sure you could cache up to 128MB of data on your card but that’s based on searches and views you have done. So if you have not searched for that Egyptian restaurant before leaving your house, you will not be able to access the information without connecting to the internet while you are out.

Conclusion

If you have yet to get your hands on this software, you should. It’s a great piece of software and I am sure you will find it useful, even if you do not have a mobile data connection. The searches are up to date and does not provide a wealth of information that does not overwhelm you.

What are your experiences with Live Search?

Tags: free software