On Tuesday, Yahoo unveiled an innovative mobile app named Sketch-a-Search for both iPhone and iPod touch. The app introduces a new way to search on a map and makes the search experience even better.
Yahoo! Sketch-a-Search is a free application available on App Store [iTunes link]. The app offers an interesting feature that lets you draw a boundary on a map around a specific area and it will automatically discover all local business (e.g. restaurant) around that location. You no longer need to type in the keyword and specify the location via the virtual keyboard. Just circle an area on the map with your finger to initiate a search. Cool, right?
Actually, the app allows you to draw any shape or even a line to see what restaurants are available in that area or a particular street. You can then navigate through the restaurant results, read user reviews, get direction or call up the restaurant directly to make reservation.
Presently, as Yahoo claimed, the search will only work in U.S. and provides restaurant information. But the company will launch additional local categories and extend to other international countries in near future.
The Sketch-a-Search greatly improves the search experience on a map. With Yahoo’s initiative to offer finger-based search on iPhone, it’s very likely Google and Bing will soon bring this feature to their own iPhone app.
In additional to the release of Sketch-a-Search app, Yahoo also announced its search app for iPhone. Again, it is a free application [iTunes link] and offers similar features as Google/Bing’s mobile app. It comes with features such as voice search, intelligent search history, “Shake to Clear”, etc. For regular Yahoo! users, you’ll definitely love the app.
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Its good to see , yahoo coming up with innovative apps . Its all about providing solution to Iphone.
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