If the SureType keyboard is not your idea of fun, Google Maps has now added a voice search option for the Pearl 8110, 8120, and 8130, US only. If you are curious how it works simply press the left-side key and hold it while you say the name or type of business you’re looking for (for example, “pizza”). While only the US versions of the BlackBerry Pearl are compatible at the moment, the Google Maps team is constantly testing new features on different devices.
Some things to keep in mind are the accuracy of the voice recognition is limited by the software, the results have been impressive and lead to a number of good reviews. Without a BlackBerry Perl on hand we are going to leave the verdict out on this one until some of the readers chime in. The following is the 1,2,3 tutorial to using the Google Maps Voice Recognition on the US BlackBerry Pearl:
Using voice search is as simple as 1, 2, 3:
- Press “0″ to center the map view around your location
- Press the left-side key and hold it while you say the name or type of business you’re looking for (for example, “pizza”)
- When you’re done speaking, release the left-side key, and our voice recognition technology will figure out your request and find the business you’ve been looking for, no typing needed.