Microsoft is hoping to interest punters in its much ignored Windows Phone 7 by sticking four new features under the bonnet including Turn-by-turn navigation, Bing Vision, Bing Audio, and SMS dictation.
Apparently Microsoft has worked out that a a free, built-in turn-by-turn navigation is one of the features that gives Android a leg up on Apple, so it is thinking that it wants some of that action. Turn-by-turn navigation appears to be in the Mango update and is probably the result of Microsoft's relationship with Nokia.
The Finnish phone maker already includes Ovi Maps and navigation with Symbian. In addition to that there will be Bing Vision which looks similar to Google Goggles. It will have a barcode and QR code scanner, can pick up Microsoft Tags, and can detect CDs, DVDs, Books, and text using OCR.
There will also be Bing Audio which is an app like SoundHound or Shazam. If you hold your phone up to a song, it will detect which song is playing and provide you links to download it in the Windows Marketplace for music.
Finally SMS dictation which will provide a voice-to-text service for SMS messages. It will be very cool, if it can understand your accent.
Tuesday, 10 May 2011 13:28
Microsoft brings turn-by-turn navigation to Phone 7
Written by Nick Farell
There is a season, turn, turn, turn
Published in
Mobiles
Tagged under
Latest from Nick Farell