Google Voice Search could be Iphone killer app

IT'S FOUR DAYS LATE but Google's Voice Search function has finally appeared on the Iphone. And it really works!

There are some localisation issues for UK users but the app, available free from Itunes, is really useful and, in a totally unintentional way, a lot of fun.

Basically, Voice Search tends to get a little confused with the INQ's perfectly plummy British accent and returns some unexpected results.

We wanted to stretch Google's voice recognition service to the full by asking it to search for something quintessentially British, so we booted up the application and held the handset up to our lughole.

The proximity detector built into the Iphone automagically detects that you are holding the phone against your head and lets out a gentle beep to let you know it's ready to recieve your words of wisdom.

"Indian Take Away" we asked in our best BBC-approved English.

The software takes a second or two to sample the voice clip and send it off to a server somewhere across the pond to be interrogated by some clever voice recognition voodoo. It really is quite impressive that, in less than two seconds, we were learning everything we could ever wish to know about something called the Indiana Raceway. D'oh!

Adopting a slightly mid-atlantic drawl and extending vowels until we sounded like a slightly drunk Loyd Grossman garnered better results. Speaking like Stephen Hawking's voice synthesiser thingy worked even better.

"Swimming Pool" found us our local sports centre. "Apple Store" returned results including directions to our local High Street outlet, as well as links to the UK store online. "Taxi" was translated as "sexy" which kept us busy for a few more minutes.

"Woolworths" sent us off to Norwood Massachusetts, regaled us with tales of dwarfs and showed us how to make a Waldorf salad until we tried saying it using our best John Wayne impression. Bingo! fourth time lucky.

Sometimes it just goes completely bananas, a search for "Dunstable Lock and Safe" returned results for "printable welcome sign"! Go figure.

But if you don't mind looking a bit of a berk by bellowing in a cod Yank accent into your phone in the middle of Chipping Sodbury High Street and you're not expecting perfection - happy to be lead astray on the internet with all the joys that can entail - this one could become an Iphone essential. µ