Yahoo! invades iPhone Arena with two new Apps

Yahoo Inc. have finally released two new iPhone apps for the iPhone OS.Though too late to launch the Yahoo! search app, they today unveiled another app called Yahoo! Sketch-a-Search, which with a finger touch can provide you with visual results.

Yahoo! Search app is a basic app that simply does a keyword search and present you with results arranged in a neat tabbed manner. The links open in the app itself .One can even search for movie timings,restaurants etc. The app supports voice inputs and we were pretty much impressed with the response of the voice engine.The auto complete complete feature of the app is an added advantage.

Features of Yahoo! Search are :


1. Local Maps: Get maps tied to your location; place a phone call or get directions with one tap
2. Search Assist™: Offers instant, local suggestions as you type
3. Best of Yahoo!: Get results from Yahoo! Sports, News, Finance, Movies, and more— designed just for the iPhone.
4. Voice search: Don’t type—just talk, making search easier and faster
5. Local Businesses Photos: View photos, ratings, phone numbers, and more from Yahoo! Local, Yelp!, and Citysearch
6. Personalized information: Tailored results that get even better the more you search
7. Fast queries: Get site summaries at a glance with Quick Load
8. “My Log”: Offers quick access to recent searches and local business results
9. Shake to clear: Start a new query with a shake of your iPhone

Yahoo! Sketch-a-Search app can turn a finger touch to visual results. It will present you with a bird’s eye view of your restaurant results, well within your reach.Search can be narrowed with the type of cuisine, atmosphere or rating.As of now only restaurant search is available, but many more features can be expected soon.

Features of Yahoo! Sketch-a-Search are :

1. Fun, faster search: Use your finger to draw and select keywords from a menu—no typing required
2. Sketch-a-Search: Draw a loop around your desired dinner location, or sketch a line that represents your commute, and you’ll get results in that area
3. Get the results you want: Search by type of cuisine, atmosphere and/or rating
4. Current location or choose a city: Find restaurants near you or in a specific city
5. The information you need: Get phone numbers, ratings, directions, photos, and menu pricing at-a-glance.
6. Share via email with friends