14 DAY TRIAL // Yahoo! Inc. has confirmed the release of two in-house-developed applications for iPhone and iPod touch users. Currently available in the US iTunes App Store, Yahoo! Sketch-a-Search and Yahoo! Search provide an enhanced search experience and “deliver powerful information in a fast, locally aware, and elegant manner,” according to the company’s announcement at CTIA Wireless 2010.
“Yahoo! is defining the next era of the Internet, search, and mobile, by demonstrating what’s possible when you leverage innovative design and technical prowess to engage people with personally relevant experiences,” David Ko, senior vice president of Yahoo!’s Audience, Mobile, and Local businesses, said. “We’re growing our mobile audience globally by providing people with search experiences that have simple input and discovery methods, and advertisers with a highly engaged mobile audience.”
Talking about the Yahoo! Search iPhone app in particular, the American public corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California mentions key features like local maps, search assist, voice search, local business photos, personalized info, fast queries, and a “my log” function that offers quick access to recent searches and local business results. The app has been maximized for speed, revolving around an innovative interface that delivers contextually relevant results quickly and efficiently, Yahoo! pledges.
As for the Yahoo! Sketch-a-Search app, it is said to make searching even easier, from an Internet-connected iPhone or iPod touch. It does away with typed keywords, and it doesn’t require its user to think of search terms. “You simply draw a boundary on your phone's map to discover local businesses within that location,” Yahoo! explains, adding that its Sketch-a-Search app “delivers robust local content without people needing to know the neighborhood.” The app is currently available for restaurant searches in the U.S., with Yahoo! planning to launch additional local categories, extending the service to international markets soon.