Windows Live Mobile Search v2 Released

Mobile Search v2 has just been released with improved navigation, caching, movie listings, restaurants, GPS, traffic reporting and more! This is one of my all time favorite apps, and not just because I work in the Windows Mobile team. It is extremely well designed, the search results are accurate, and it comes with enough bells and whistles to be useful in many scenarios. Read the announcement and download the latest version from the team blog (while you're at it, check out this review on CNET news.com).

Also try out the updated Live Search in IEMobile by visiting https://m.live.com.

If you want one more cool mobile search option, try Microsoft's recently acquired TellMe's service. Simply SMS a search query like "Starbucks 90210" to TELLM (83556) and wait for the results. This works on all phones - not just Windows Mobile.

Note: If you're a Windows Mobile developer, I especially recommend downloading the Mobile Search client above. This app follows all the design guidelines and compatibility best practices that ensure it works on the widest range of devices. And it is written in managed code (C#)! Seeing it work may help you improve the usability of your own applications, or inspire you to create something equally cool with the Windows Mobile 6 SDK.

-Mel

Comments

• Anonymous
  July 12, 2007
  PingBack from http://jdoss.net/blog/2007/07/12/windows-live-mobile-search-v2-released/

• Anonymous
  July 12, 2007
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  July 12, 2007
  This app is ace. I had Google Maps on my mobile, but after reading a few online reviews a few months back found that this app is far better; can't wait to get home and download it.

• Anonymous
  July 12, 2007
  So cool. I have been waiting for such an application so long.

• Anonymous
  July 13, 2007
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  July 14, 2007
  Could someone please confirm that this only works in the USA and is not worth installing for those of us who live elsewhere?  If by any chance it does, will it work on Windows Mobile 5 ?  Thanks.

• Anonymous
  July 14, 2007
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  July 15, 2007
  I have a rather annoying issue using this application with a Dopod C730 in the US.  When I attempt to type in an address that uses keys that can also be used as numbers using the Fn key, it shows the number instead of the letter.  The input mode is set to ABC.  Everything on the device is localized for English (United States) on this Windows Mobile 6.0 Standard device.

• Anonymous
  July 15, 2007
  I have the same issue that BQ raises:  I have a Dopod C730 set to US English and the keys associated with Fn+Number will not type the associated primary character, will only type the number, no matter that text entry is set to ABC mode.

• Anonymous
  July 15, 2007
  Yes, I too have a Dopod C730 with the same problem of not able to input letters on the search.  Not sure if this is device specific issue or if there is something in this program not agreeing with the Dopod C730.

• Anonymous
  July 15, 2007
  Just chiming in, my Dopod C730 (in English) is experiencing the same problem mentioned above. Unfortunately, the new Windows Live Search v2 is unusable on the C730.

• Anonymous
  July 15, 2007
  I also own a Dopod C730 and have the same text entry issue.  The following keys are an issue: w,e,r,t,i,a,s,d,f,g,l,x,c,v,b,and the period.  Numbers are not an issue.  I can enter any of the numbers, but the letters associated with the numbers are not recognized.  Any ideas? Thanks, GP

• Anonymous
  July 15, 2007
  Does the app host a browser control or have they reimplemented the JavaScript in C# in terms of figuring out which tiles to fetch from the server etc.? Cheers

• Anonymous
  July 15, 2007
  I also have the Dopod C730 and am having the same problems with text entry as previous posters have indicated.  Any help would be appreciated! DM

• Anonymous
  July 16, 2007
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  July 17, 2007
  The one "how'd they do that" I'd like to know is: how did they make that awesome enhanced listbox with C#?

• Anonymous
  July 17, 2007
  i've loved every version of this application since its early iterations as virtual earth mobile... but the scrolling on this version has been tweaked for the worse and it now takes too long to scroll around the map using the keys ....  was there any reason for the change?  any change of it changing back?

• Anonymous
  July 19, 2007
  I just installed Live Search v2.0 on my Sprint Treo 700wx. 2.0 is a huge improvement over the previous versions; however, I am having lock-ups when selecting "Current GPS Location" under "Choose a New Location". My position is showing fine on the map, so I don't think my Pharos BT GPS is the problem (I will test with another GPS in a few days). I have been able to replicate this issue repeatedly on two different 700wx's with clean installations of Live Search v2.0. My e-mails to the feedback address on wls.live.com keep coming back to me as undeliverable. I should also add that this issue never occurred in the previous version of Live Search using the same hardware (BT GPS and phones). Any ideas? Thanks, Davin

• Anonymous
  July 20, 2007
  I posted earlier about the input issue with the C730. Just wanted to ley you know that I now have HTC's S630 and it has the very same issue.  This is a great phone and a great app...  too bad they don't work well together.

• Jim

• Anonymous
  July 20, 2007
  Very slick. How can I get it to open links in my default browser, Opera, instead of always in IE?

• Anonymous
  July 21, 2007
  as others have reported with the Dopod C730, Windows Live Mobile Search v2 also doesn't work on the HTC Cavalier (S630) under WM6...  :-( The app runs, but you can't enter text into the input fields

• Anonymous
  July 24, 2007
  Awesome apps, thanks for releasing it.  However, it does have some crashes in low-memory situations (zooming in, specifically).   Rather embarassing when I'm trying to show off to an iPhone fan and it ends up crashing.

• Anonymous
  July 28, 2007
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  August 03, 2007
  Doug "The one "how'd they do that" I'd like to know is: how did they make that awesome enhanced listbox with C" You can download the exe to you're pc and use Reflector to disassemble it, the code is quite easy to follow.

• Anonymous
  August 06, 2007
  I too have the same problem when using Yahoo Go. The input field is set to ABC. I cannot enter any text but work fine with numbers.

• Anonymous
  August 08, 2007
  REally like v2.Search improvements, the beep before turns etc. etc. very nice. BUT BUT BUT....can someone please explain to me how they overlooked giving DIRECTIONS-BOUND directions. By that I mean, if I need to get onto I65,  WM live search will not say I65-North or I65-South. It will only say take a right onto the ramp to I65. Such an easy thing to implement, yet overlooked. It makes it a little tricky while driving, esp, when the ramps to the interstate are right next to each other.

• Anonymous
  August 11, 2007
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  August 13, 2007
  And this is useful to those without a data plan how? I'll stick with the Pocket Streets or some other brand which may not be "always up-to-date" but is faster and doesn't stop working when I get a loss of signal or have no wifi capability.

• Anonymous
  August 20, 2007
  Checking in to see if there has been any progress on solving the mystery behind the text input problem with the HTC Cavalier (HTC S630/Dopod C730). I'm anxiously waiting for a fix or a bandaid. Thanks, JonnyWiFi

• Anonymous
  September 06, 2007
  I'll ditto the comments of the HTC S730/Dopod C730 users.... Please fix it!

• Anonymous
  September 07, 2007
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  September 10, 2007
  Hi, excellent software, thank you for that. I just have two questions.

1. When locating myself using GPS, it just centers the map and I didnot notice any mark on the map showing that location. And also there's no cross or any other pointer that I can move to set exact start and destination locations. For instance when I select set as Start location - the center of the map is taken as the start location. Second is that - we have "clear pushpins" in the menu, but I could not find a way to place a pushpin. Thanks, Uliss.

• Anonymous
  October 22, 2007
  I love this program...installed it on a T-Mobile Dash and it rocked...then I got my upgrade phone, a T-Mobile Wing (Dash is unfortunately near dead), and whenever I enter a address, it searches for it but can't find it. On the Dash, it finds it. I tried removing it and reinstalling it, but that didn't seem to make a difference. Any other Wing users seeing this?

• Anonymous
  November 16, 2007
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  December 07, 2007
  The maps and GPS integration are just great - and fast!  Only problem is that occasionally it hangs when I close the maps page, or choose "search near here" - my ATT 8525 will totally hang needing a battery pull.  I'm on 2.5.2859.37360 and Windows Mobile 6 with no updates available.

• Anonymous
  January 08, 2008
  Like Barry, my unit (HTC Apache, WM6 but did it also with WM5) will totally hang trying to exit. I have to pull the battery. Somehow Live Search does not completely exit when you select "exit" from the menu. Other than that, this is a fantastic program.

• Anonymous
  February 11, 2008
  Is there a public API for tying Live Search into other applications, such as a custom CRM app?  I'm looking for ways to do things like "how do I get from my current location to a customer's site" with the fewest clicks.  Maybe this is mostly trivial with Visual Studio, but I'm stuck thinking in terms of VBS and COM, and have yet to figure out .NET.  (This is on a WM6 AT&T Tilt/Kaiser, BTW.)

• Anonymous
  March 31, 2008
  hi, How i can display overlay on map portion so that when user click on marker then it open popup window with some details. Is it possible with windows live search?

• Anonymous
  March 31, 2008
  Hi, I want to display the map on my windows mobile 5.0  by specifying address. is it possible with live search.

• Anonymous
  June 18, 2008
  Do we have a solution for the Fn key dual-use buttons? I have an HTC Mogul (I believe p6800) and this amazing program (Live maps) is absolutely useless because I can't type in any letters to spell out words, addresses, etc. Just the corresponding Fn equivalent shows up. If anyone knows the solution to this please let me know at:    analog(dot)iotus(at)gmail(dot)com

• Anonymous
  July 16, 2008
  Hi.  I also have the same issue as dsparks.  I bought a bluetooth GPS receiver, and downloaded the Windows Live Search Mobile for my VW XV6700.  The program works great when I am in a Hotspot.  When I am not in a hotspot it attempts to connect to the the Verizon data network, which is really expensive.   Is there a way to use Window Live Search without having to pay for an expensive data plan? Thanks.

• Anonymous
  July 30, 2008
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  September 19, 2008
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  September 20, 2008
  Updating Category list fails - "Category Update Error Sorry, we couldn't update the category list. Please check your network connection." I have changed location, performed a cold boot and re-installed application fresh from the d/l, still cannot get the list to update (No results).

• Anonymous
  February 06, 2009
  The mileage between points appears to 1.6 x the correct mileage. This appears to be kilometers but suffixed with the miles indicator.

• Anonymous
  February 09, 2009
  does any one know if it uses "data". i don't have a data plan anymore but i love Live Search. i want to know if can still use it

• Anonymous
  March 09, 2009
  Hi, I have problem of opening an attachment in hotmail mobile because it will not allow me od download and only shows as grey and not as link to be opened. Any idea please. Thanks.

• Anonymous
  March 09, 2009
  Hi, I have problem of opening an attachment in hotmail mobile because it will not allow me od download and only shows as grey and not as link to be opened. Nokia N96 hotmail email. Any idea please. Thanks.

• Anonymous
  March 16, 2009
  I have been getting an error that causes the newest version of WLM to close. I have a Fuze and using WM6.1. Anyone else?