iPhone's Siri Threatens Google

Answering questions posed by the U.S. Senate antitrust subcommittee, Google chairman Eric Schmidt called the personal voice assistant in the iPhone 4S, named Siri, a "significant development" in the search market. Schmidt went so far as to say that Siri represents a threat to Google's search business, which is the company's bread and butter.

He could be right. Here's why.

I've been using Google's voice-assisted search tool for years on iPhones and Android smartphones. It's a great tool when you don't want to (or can't) take the time to peck out search queries on a touchscreen. It's not 100% accurate, but it works well enough most of the time that I prefer it to any other search method.

That is, until Siri came along.

With the iPhone 4S, I pose all questions to Siri (when it's working). Is Siri a better search tool? Does it provide better results? Is it faster? Not necessarily, but it's a hell of a lot more entertaining. And if Siri doesn't succeed on the first try, you have the pleasure of awaiting its sassy response. This is clearly a case where personality actually counts for something.

[Looking for some new apps that take advantage of Apple's updated mobile operating system? Check out 10 Innovative iOS 5 Apps.]

"Even in the few weeks since the [previous] hearing, Apple has launched an entirely new approach to search technology with Siri, its voice-activated search and task-completion service built into the iPhone 4S," he wrote, reports AppleInsider.

Of course, Schmidt's motivation for calling Siri a competitive threat isn't because he's actually scared of Siri's impact on Google's search business. No, he's trying to allay the Senate's concerns that Google is a monopolistic entity that needs to be regulated. Schmidt is going to call up every competitor he can think of to shore up Google's defense.

"Google has many strong competitors and we sometimes fail to anticipate the competitive threat posed by new methods of accessing information," Schmidt noted. "Apple's Siri is a significant development--a voice-activated means of accessing answers through iPhones that demonstrates the innovations in search."

Innovative? Yes. Competitive? Yes. A real, immediate threat to Google's core business? Well...

Siri will not impact Google's position in the search market anytime soon. Despite the entertainment value in Siri's search powers, it's not going to dislodge Google's dominant position in the search market, at least, not for a while. While iPhone 4S users may skip Google search on their iPhones, that's one very small segment of users and doesn't account for Google's desktop search business, which is huge.

Google owns 65% of the U.S. search market, 94% of the European search market, and 97% of the smartphone search market (thanks in no small part to the raging success of its Android smartphone platform).

Siri might have an impact eventually, if Apple brings it out of beta and expands it to more than a single device. For the time being, however, Schmidt's statements ring a bit false.

The Enterprise Connect "Phone, Tablets, Smartphones--Who Gets What In Your Enterprise?" virtual event will help you sort through the choices that are out there today. It happens Nov. 16. Sign up now. (Free with registration.)

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Posted in: Google,iPhone

HTC Details First Round of Android 4.0 Upgrades

Early next year, seven smartphones from HTC will be upgraded to Android 4.0, also known as Ice Cream Sandwich, the company said on Monday.

Since Google officially announced the arrival of the new version of Android, users have been worrying about if and when their smartphones will get the new version of the mobile OS. HTC said it knows how excited its fans are to get their hands on Google's latest version of Android.

The Sensation, Sensation XL, Sensation XE and EVO 3D, as well as U.S. models Rezound, EVO Design 4G and Amaze 4G, will be the first batch of smartphones to be upgraded, according to HTC.

That will leave some HTC smartphone owners happy, but several models are missing from that list. Users whose phones aren't on the list shouldn't worry too much, at least not yet, and instead "stay tuned for more updates on device upgrades, timing and other details about Ice Cream Sandwich," HTC said.

Android 4.0, which has been developed to work equally well on phones and tablets, includes a mixture of improvements and new features.

Google has created a new font optimized for HD displays and eliminated all hardware buttons in favor of adaptable software buttons, as shown on the Galaxy Nexus. Google has also improved the keyboard, made notifications more interactive and created resizable widgets, it said.

Android Beam is one of the new features in Ice Cream Sandwich. It uses NFC (Near-Field Communications) technology to share Web pages, YouTube videos, maps, directions and apps by tapping two phones together.

The last few weeks have been good for HTC. The company reported its highest-ever quarterly revenue and it has become the largest smartphone vendor in the U.S. during the third quarter, and the fourth largest in the world, according to data from market research company Canalys.

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Posted in: Android

Windows Phone 7's 'Mango' Update Looms: 10 Important Features

Microsoft is inching closer to launching its Windows Phone 7 “Mango” update. The upcoming operating system improvement will be coming to devices this fall and is now in the hands of vendors so they can preinstall it on their devices so they will be ready for the official launch.

Mango is releasing at an extremely important time for Microsoft. The software giant has been trying desperately over the last several months to cement its position in the mobile market, but so far, it has fallen short as its top competitors, iOS and Android, continue to appeal to both consumers and enterprise users.

Of course, much of that has been due to Microsoft's own issues. The company waited too long to release Windows Phone 7, and when it finally did, the operating system lacked a host of important features, such as full multitasking. But Microsoft is addressing that problem and others with Mango.

Read on to find out about some of the most important improvements Microsoft is bringing to Mango.

1. Apps and search play well together

One of the most important additions in Mango is the ability to search the Web via Bing and, based on what the user is looking for, call up apps related to a query. As Microsoft points out, if users are searching for movie times, for example, the new feature will provide users with a direct download point to add the Fandango app to their phones. If it's implemented well, the feature could have a profound impact on Microsoft's mobile application support.

2. Full multitasking

One of the biggest complaints of Windows Phone 7 users has been the platform's lack of full multitasking. With Mango, users will be able to switch between applications easily, as well as have multiple applications running at the same time. Considering competing operating systems already have that functionality, it's about time Microsoft follows suit.

3. Better Live Tiles

Microsoft has promised far more appealing functionality in its platform's Live Tiles. According to the company, its Live Tiles will provide more real-time data, as well as allow users to track individuals or groups of people from their devices. Live Tiles is far more useful in Mango, and most Windows Phone 7 users will be happy to see that.

4. People Hub is a nice addition

Microsoft is making it easier for people to keep in contact in Mango. A new addition called People Hub will help users find all the online places where they can contact a friend. One of the biggest issues on mobile devices now is finding where people are. People Hub is designed to cut down on those issues, and by the look of things, consumers will be happy to have it.

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Posted in: Microsoft

WP7 Mango dev tools get updated

Microsoft has just released a new version of the software development kit for the updated version of its Windows Phone software, Mango.

The move would seemingly come as an assurance that Microsoft is well underway to deliver its promise of having Mango open for business by the end of the fall season.

Earlier this week it was revealed that Mango would go live in Japan before any other country, and the first Mango-powered devices would be available there in September.

The new version of development tools it called Windows Phone SDK 7.1 Beta 2 Refresh. "The phone OS and the tools are two equal parts of the developer toolkit that correspond to one another. When we took this snapshot for the refresh, we took the latest RC drops of the tools and the corresponding OS version," wrote Microsoft in a company blog.

Mango, also known as Windows Phone 7.5, will be a cataclysmic update to Microsoft's still-nascent mobile platform that launched late last year. In its brief time on the market, WP7 has managed to make significant splashes but has also suffered from bungled management and updates that were delayed an almost comical amount of time.

Here are a few more features that will be coming to WP7.5:

- Streaming video or music content from the phone's Web browser will continue even if users open up another app or put the phone in sleep mode.

- Expanded Xbox Live connectivity - voice chatting with other Xbox Live users, attending or hosting Xbox Live parties, and possibly even playing online Xbox 360 games in real-time with console players.

- Extremely deep Facebook integration, tying the user's login credentials directly to the phone, eliminating the need to log in over and over.

In other words, Mango looks to be one heck of an update. The only thing to worry about is whether or not the update will happen as scheduled. Microsoft hasn't exactly boasted a stellar record with Windows Phone software updates up to this point.

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Posted in: Microsoft