Two weeks ago I blogged about some of the really cool features and fun things to do with Google Street View. As well as an interview with CBC Radio Canada (Stay tuned for this) and great feedback from our subscribers it also sparked a lot of interest around the office to discover what else we can find that can really make a positive impact and bring a little order to the whirlwind that definitely is everyday life. 

Enter the Blackberry; we've had a bit of a blackberry craze amongst ourselves and our clients recently. Not quite "new", blackberry is still finding it's way into the everyday lives of ordinary folk. However, the Blackberry is fast becoming an essential tool for a wide variety of business needs, from keeping in touch with clients on-the-go without having to lumber a laptop around just to check email, to carrying a virtual arsenal of client support busting applications. Which leads me to introduce you to "Google Maps Voice Search", you'll love this, this one is a killer

But first, I want to show you just how far this technology has come. Google Voice is the brainstorm of Google's Laboratory which reigned in the form of a telephone number that can be dialled and used to make a Google Search using voice recognition technology. The voice recognition system progressed into GOOG-411, a free service which combined the updated voice recognition system with businesses e.g. "Wall-mart Florida". Not quite 118 118, but pioneering a technology through science fiction into the realms of reality is no small feat, think of Star Trek "communicators", beam me up Scotty! sorry.

So put down your A-Z and wind up your car window, there's no need to clear your throat and look for the elusive stranger who will direct you the wrong way, Google Maps Voice Search is here. Google Maps Voice Search, smaller than an A-Z, faster than an A-Z, easier than... you get the picture.

So What is Google Maps Voice Search?

Google Maps Voice Search combines the usefulness of Google Maps with the highly refined voice recognition software developed through Google labs and then applied it to the ever accessible and convenient technology of the Blackberry. Google Maps has certainly come a long way, providing the new mobile platform for such software, Blackberry.

It's been claimed it's now possible to never be lost if you have a blackberry. At Ph.Creative, we don't like claims, so we put this to the test and drove our very own Steve(AKA "Disco Steve") to the far reaches of nowhere(blindfolded, of course), handed him a blackberry tooled up with the latest Google Voice Search and....   well we still haven't heard from him. Jokes aside the Blackberry Google Voice Search came across formidably. Firing up the GPS system for the first time Steve was able to pinpoint his location after waiting a minute or two while the software searched for satellites. Navigating Google Maps on the Blackberry is a breeze using the stylus and Steve easily found his way into Google Maps Voice Search. In fact it was so simple to use we had to make it harder so we set Steve a few challenges which he had to complete without working up too much of a tab and in a timely manner. 

The instructions:

1. Buy from a Health shop
2. Get a quote from the nearest GYM
3. Fine dine at Italian restaurant 
4. Navigate to base using trains and busses
   
5. All this while using Twitter to keep us updated on-the-go

Steve managed to complete all his tasks paying extreme attention to number 3 and never broke a sweat. Steve was able to use several key features of Google Maps Voice Search to complete his tasks.

Steve Began his journey by using the Blackberry GPS to find his location on Google Maps, he then used Google Maps Voice Search by asking his Blackberry to find him "health food" in "Halewood Liverpool", he then proceeded through the list while keeping us updated on twitter. The voice recognition software worked a treat but Steve had to try and find an enclosed space because with wind and external noises his voice wasn't recognised as easily. Google Maps Voice Search also incorporates Google Street View into the fold which made it even easier to visually recognise the surroundings and find the property he was searching for.

Can you image how far technology has come when you can stand in the middle of a field, begin talking to a handheld device and look at panoramic views of locations which are specific to your needs? or you can just sit at home and order a pizza. To be honest, either is just as important because what this technology really does is push the boundaries of what makes our lives easier. Today, Blackberry is top of the list, tomorrow, hover boards.

Therefore we can conclude that Google Maps Voice Search on the Blackberry = Awesome.

Download the Google App by visting http://m.google.com on your Blackberry