Yahoo! has released an update for its voice-activated mobile search-app, bringing a handful of new capabilities to the programme.

Yahoo! OneSearch is a shortcut that lets users search by typing or speaking terms into a search bar located on the home screen of mobile phones. The search engine had previously released the voice-enabled search function to a few Nokia mobiles last August, but Download.com reports that the company has taken its time to create the remaining of the mobile platforms.

The OneSearch update offers a number of additions, including a location feature that uses cell towers to mark your exact whereabouts. The app will then search for local businesses and answers based on where you're located. Yahoo! has so far been slow to integrate these new features, and OneSearch follows similar previously released programmes from Windows Live Search for mobile and Google - which recently released a voice search app for the Apple iPhone.

The new release is sure to affect plenty of users, as it is run on the Windows Mobile operating system, which is used on mobiles from companies including Samsung, Motorola, LG and Sony Ericsson. The application and shortcut also see improvements in the suggested search department. As users type a query, the programme breaks its predicted offerings into two - the first block gives suggestions from previous search items, while the second pulls in answers from a directory based on the first letters used.

The assisted search function is standard in most search engines, but is an addition to mobile browsing. Yahoo is also offering new support for its voice search aspect, though it's currently only available in the US and some phone models in Australia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.