Semantic search tool Powerset has put out a new iPhone app this week. Those looking to search on the go can now use the service's plain English searching capabilities to scour the entirety of Wikipedia and Freebase (coverage). The app comes after months of Powerset staff fumbling while trying to use their own product on the popular mobile device.
The new tool will pull up everything the desktop version does, although I found performance to be a tad slower--even over Wi-Fi. Outline, one of my favorite Powerset features that gives you quick links to each section in a Wikipedia article, has also made its way into the pocket version. While not as convenient as the desktop version which sits beside the actual Wikipedia article, it's a great way to skip down to a lower section of an article, which is normally an activity that makes you look like a complete idiot while you continuously drag your finger up and down the screen of your phone. There's also a much needed search function, something the iPhone's version of Safari is lacking from its desktop sibling.
I expect the company to come out with its own native app that will save past searches and let you store local content depending on how popular this version becomes. I've embedded some screens below. Also embedded after the break is a demo video of it in action.
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Google integrates apps on iPhone and offers word suggestions when you type.
(Credit: Google)Google has optimized its applications for the iPhone so they are integrated into a single interface and operate faster.
Now, if you go to Google's home page on your iPhone you'll see the Web search box and links to Gmail, Calendar and Reader up at the top of the screen for quick access.
Google also offers word suggestions as you type to make the query entry faster.
And once you click on links, the pages download faster than before. "When you click it's instantaneous," says Gummi Hafsteinsson, a senior product manager at Google. "Just like on the desktop; there's no difference between the two."
Google plans to optimize its applications for other phones eventually, he said.
Links to Google Maps and YouTube are on the main menu of the iPhone.
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