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Windows Phone 7 lets you make Google searches, but only through a back door.

Google’s free Search app for WP7 is available today, according to the Google Mobile team. “Just search the Marketplace for ‘Google Search,’ download, pin to Start, and the power of Google Search is only a click away.”

“Search, download, pin to Start” — doesn’t that seem a little complicated just to load a search engine on your phone?

A distinguishing feature of Windows Phone 7 handsets is their three dedicated hardware buttons. The Windows logo goes home, the left-arrow button goes back, and the magnifying-glass “search” button opens up Microsoft’s search engine, Bing.

That button is permanently tied to Bing. There appears to be no way to change it. (An anti-trust violation? Not likely, unless WP7 corners the smartphone market.)

On the iPhone or Blackberry, or nearly every web browser on the desktop, you can pick your default search engine. You can’t do that with Windows Phone 7. On the Microsoft smartphone, you get Microsoft search.

Now, Bing has a lot going for it; it works very well on WP7, and I think Microsoft is onto something by putting search front-and-center on smartphones. The hardware button is usefully contextual, too: If you’re in the Marketplace, it searches the Marketplace; if you’re in Outlook, it searches your inbox, etc. That’s handy, and exactly the kind of behavior you’d hope for.

But that doesn’t change the fact that hardwiring Bing makes Windows Phone 7 much more closed than most other smartphone platforms.

Considering the close ties between internet search, ad revenue and content-sharing with partners like Facebook, the fact that Microsoft is driving nearly all of its mobile search through Bing is no accident.

It’s a feature, but it’s also a problem.

See Also:

• Why Windows Phone 7 Will Make Android Look Chaotic
• Microsoft Announces First Windows Phone 7 Handsets
• Windows Phone 7 Hands-On With LG Quantum, Samsung Focus, HTC …
• Windows Phone 7 Is the Real Facebook Phone
• Samsung's Windows Phone 7 Packs Intuitive, Visual Punch
• Microsoft Blends Zune Media, Xbox Live Into New Phone OS
• Curious Ask: “Will Windows Phone 7 Have Apps For That?”
• Bing Friends Facebook
• Microsoft Adds OpenStreetMap Layer to Bing Maps
• Bing Will Add Video, Animation to Homepage
• Firefox 4 Adds Bing to List of Search Engines

Rhapsody member on Android? Your life just got a little sweeter. Following up on August’s iPhone update and in the footsteps of other downloadable streaming services like Slacker Radio, Rhapsody’s Android app now offers playlists that don’t turn into pauselists when you go offline. Subscribers paying the $10 per month can now make a list of whatever tracks they want (including full albums of content available on the service) and download those to the phone, where they can be played back even if there isn’t even a whiff of network connectivity in the air. Naturally we’re guessing the DRM is strong with these tracks and they’ll surely only be playable through the Rhapsody app itself, but if you have a long flight ahead and need a bunch of fresh tunes to come along you could certainly do worse.

Continue reading Rhapsody on Android now works offline, but still goes online too (video)

Rhapsody on Android now works offline, but still goes online too (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Nov 2010 13:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just like last year, Google is paying the Wi-Fi for people flying to meet their relatives—or run away from them—during the holidays. You just need to fly the right airline. More »

This article was written on July 21, 2006 by CyberNet.

Sometimes it is tough to find the phone number you are looking for but Google makes it easy. Most people, including me, never realized that Google actually has a phonebook operator (pun intended ). To get the phonebook results you just have to type “phonebook:???” where you replace the question marks with the name, business, or phone number you want to search for. The phone number lookup is one of the most useful features because how many times does someone call you and you have no idea who they are…now you just have to type in their phone number and see if Google can find their information.

The phonebook results screen will be divided into two sections, business and personal results, which can be slightly customized. If you just want to receive business listings then use the search operator “bphonebook:???” and if you just want personal listing just use “rphonebook:???”. Sounds simple enough, right? Finding John Smith in Miami, Florida would be as simple as typing “rphonebook:John Smith Miami FL“. If you are unhappy that you appear in these results then you can always submit your information to Google and have yourself removed.

News Source: Google Blogoscoped

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Coming hot on the heels of the ultra-impressive G2, T-Mobile has returned to its myTouch series with the myTouch 4G. While the G2 is the natural enthusiast flagship, the 4G represents a flagship in its own right of a skinned, curated Android experience. If the G2 is the Droid 2 killer, T-Mobile probably sees the myTouch as the iPhone 4 killer (even the name has a similarity to the popular “iTouch” misnomer, and the 4G / 4 mirrors T-Mobile’s matchy matchy naming sense with the myTouch 3G / iPhone 3G… we’re just saying, is all). So, what does that mean in practice? Some impressive functionality inside and out, including a front facing camera for video calls, HSPA+ network speeds, and WiFi Calling. How does it all play out in the real world? Let’s find out.

Continue reading T-Mobile myTouch 4G review

T-Mobile myTouch 4G review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 17:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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