Google wants to know where you live

Google has launched an incremental upgrade to its mobile search engine promising "more powerful mobile search" for Australia.

Now when you access Google from your mobile handset you'll have the opportunity to enter your location and have subsequent searches "localised" to suit your needs.

The focus of this update seems to be on displaying local business results. A search for "pizza" will show local pizzerias, a phone number to dial and a link to directions. This is handy, but it's nothing you can't do already with Google Maps.

While the idea of local searches seems great, a quick hands-on failed to show local search results outside of business listings, and all the "News" results we encountered started with BBC stories from the UK.

Also disappointing is that, while local business results display a Google Maps tile, the search isn't integrated with Google maps directly. Although, if you want local business listings, perhaps skipping the search engine and heading straight for Google Maps is the way to go.

Google has a fight on their hands for dominance in mobile Web searches with suggestions they are lagging behind Yahoo who announced OneConnect at this year's Mobile World Congress.