TORONTO, ONTARIO, Aug 13 (MARKET WIRE) --
Free Download Available at http://ca.m.yahoo.com/voice
Today, Yahoo! announced the availability of Yahoo! oneSearch(TM) with
voice to consumers in Canada, allowing mobile device users to initiate
searches simply and quickly using the power of their voice. With Yahoo!
oneSearch with voice, consumers can search for anything - including
flight numbers, sports results, Web site names, local restaurants and
more, simply by speaking. These innovations build on Yahoo!'s strategy to
become the starting point for mobile consumers.
"Yahoo! continues to deliver innovative mobile products and services to
our Canadian users. With the launch of Yahoo! oneSearch last year, we
offered mobile consumers a rich, new search experience specifically
tailored to mobile devices," said Bruce Stewart, vice president and
general manager of Connected Life Americas, Yahoo!. "With today's launch
of Yahoo! oneSearch with voice, we embark on the next generation of
mobile search technology and make it easier and quicker for Canadians to
find what they are looking for on their mobile devices."
Yahoo!'s voice enabled mobile search allows users to conduct searches
more quickly than entering text. According to internal metrics, Yahoo!
oneSearch with voice, which launched earlier this year in the US, has
demonstrated the ability to increase the number of average searches per
user by over 35% across the same mobile device models after discounting
for speech accuracy rates.
For example, a search query like "Beijing Olympics" or "Canada at
Beijing" instantly returns a rich set of results highlighting the latest
results and schedules, breaking news, Olympic team profiles, Olympic
images, and Web links.
Whereas most mobile voice recognition systems are specific to vertical
categories such as local listings, Yahoo! oneSearch with voice lets
consumers perform unstructured searches - returning relevant results for
practically every kind of query.
With continued usage, Yahoo! oneSearch with voice will adapt to the
user's intonations and accent, providing increasingly fine-tuned results
as the product is used. The new voice-enabled Yahoo! oneSearch with voice
is available beginning today for select Blackberry devices including the
8800 series, the Curve and the Pearl, and can be downloaded from
http://ca.m.yahoo.com/ on compatible mobile devices. Yahoo! does not
charge for the service, though carrier data fees may apply.
Key features of Yahoo! oneSearch with Voice:
- Wide-open, unconstrained voice-enabled search: Say anything and get
relevant results returned through oneSearch
- Personalizes to your voice: Voice-enabled Yahoo! oneSearch adapts to
your voice the more you use it.
- Speak or text: Allows users to switch between speaking and typing at
any time, allowing consumers to easily refine their queries.
To learn more about Yahoo!'s mobile products, consumers can visit
http://ca.mobile.yahoo.comon their PC or visit http://ca.m.yahoo.com on
mobile devices. Over the coming months, Yahoo! oneSearch with voice is
expected to support additional devices, languages and become available in
additional countries.
About Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is a leading global Internet brand and one of the most
trafficked Internet destinations worldwide. Yahoo! is focused on powering
its communities of users, advertisers, publishers, and developers by
creating indispensable experiences built on trust. Yahoo! is
headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.
For more information on Yahoo! Mobile in Canada please visit
http://ca.mobile.yahoo.com/newsroom.
Yahoo!, Yahoo! oneSearch, and the Yahoo! logo are trademarks and/or
registered trademarks of Yahoo! Inc. All other names are trademarks
and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Contacts:
Yahoo! Canada
Clive Hobson
Director, Public Relations
(416) 848-6184
Email: chobson@yahoo-inc.com
Website: http://ca.mobile.yahoo.com
Environics Communications, Inc. for Yahoo! Canada
Laura Butcher
(416) 969-2766
Email: lbutcher@environicspr.com
Copyright 2008, Market Wire, All rights reserved.
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