Software and technology

Help!!!! Live Search killed my mobile phone! Well, sort of

So, I upgraded. After reading on Mobile Marketer that Microsoft sent out a new upgrade to Live Search Mobile (Read it here), I kinda got carried away and went ahead and upgraded. I think I was the first user to follow suit. Big mistake!

After starting the software and finding a message in the menu bar that a new client update was available, the rush to try it was quite intolerable. So, I went ahead with the installation. But my mobile phone just crashed. Froze! Kinda died. It did nada!

I’m a “proud” owner of a T-Mobile Dash which boasts turtle-processing speeds of 201 MHz and I guess it could not handle the extra software load. You can blame me in part for that (otherwise blame T-Mobile, and while you are at it, maker HCT too).

I like to play with my gadgets to the point that it hurts them, and sometimes it hurts me too. Upgrading a platform is such a great thing to do (you can compare the feeling to that of when you get a new toy). But of course, you do this at your own risk.

Learned my lesson. Once again… Actually, lost the count.

Since smartphones lack the clever idea of the three-finger-salute that so much helps us tame our square-minded PCs, one of the most common solutions is removing the battery pack. Now, that’s kinda scary considering the fact it feels kind of cruel. But I guess “you gotta do what you gotta do…”

And so I tried again. Nada…. Froze again.

So, I connected the phone to the computer to jumpstart its vital signs. Tried once again and I was able to get the upgrade without much effort (and headaches).

Was it worth it?

Well, I am a fan of Live Search Mobile. But just that; a fan. Use it once in a while and the upgraded version feels faster and has just a few new features that though I still can’t get them to work, they look cool, like voice command for example, to speak-start searches instead of typing them.

But I think the software could do a little more than just show limited search hits for businesses or stall while loading intricate maps (besides crashing your phone during upgrade of course).

And so, as part of Microsoft’s New Year’s resolution, they ought to re-release this release with a few minor adjustments: