Get The New Google Search On Your Standby Screen

I just recently posted about this over at Symbian Addict, and I'd like to share it here for N82 users as well. This new Google Search application for the N82 and S60 handsets brings you quick access to anything Google can find on the web, right on your standby screen.

The application comes with a standby screen shortcut which places itself right above the left and right shortcuts, conveniently out of the way of your calendar entries and other shortcuts that you have displayed. The Google shortcut is only viewable when you first get to the standby screen from another application or when you press the pencil key. Thats the catch. The damn N82 didn't come with a pencil key, as featured on older S60 phones. Solution? You can make the application a shortcut on your standby screen and it works the same way.

Google Search for S60 brings you results nearest to your location if it's something physical your looking for like restaurants, movie times, or a specific business. I've been using Google's movie time service in my browser for a while now because the interface is so clean and convenient. They use Fandango's database so the movie times are always accurate. This new application makes movie times even faster. Just type movie times in the search box and your results show up within seconds, depending on your phones connection speed. While you are typing what you want to search for, Google Search automatically connects to the web so that when you push search, it's already connected. Nice little touch be Google.



Below is an example of me on the road, and I need to know where a Big 5 Sporting Goods store is in the area I'm in. Search "Big 5 near Anaheim" with Google Search and it brings up results of all the Big 5's in the area, along with the phone number. If you click the link of the location you want, the next page you get has a small map with the cross streets of the business. You also have the option of getting directions to that location.

Google Search's implementation of the desktop shortcut makes me wonder why other developers haven't done something similar. I've always wanted a little icon of the weather displayed on the standby screen, or maybe some sports scores of my favorite team. Who knows?

Best of all, this application is FREE!

Download this Google Search for S60 application by pointing your phones browser to the http://www.google.com/mobile/ and click "Search" download.

Oh, and I'm still waiting for a native S60 .sis Gmail application to be released.

What do you think? Do you find Google Search for the N82 handy or useless?

Small Update - I just learned that besides quick movie listings, you can also get quick weather, sports scores, stock quotes, and glossary "define: Existentialism".

Type "la kings score" and it gives you a simplified screen with the current score of the game or previous game. Or for weather type "weather new york". And there you have it. Pretty neat huh? Click here for a demo of Google's mobile search.