Mobilecrunch reports on Tellme's new voice-activated mobile search application for directory services.

...TellMe mobile is a free Java application that you install on your phone. You can then find normal 411 information via a voice activated menu. Just hold the talk button and say the city and state you are searching in. Then say the business name. Phone and address information comes up on the screen. You can then call the business, see a map and/or get driving directions, and send the information to a friend via SMS.

Like the new Gmail mobile application, TellMe requires a Java enabled phone, see FAQs.

Mobilecrunch is hooked and gives a good review, well worth reading, but in the comments on the blog one reader takes the wind out of the sales of the launch with the following comment (Comment by TS):

All of this is well and good for people who care enough to actually download an application — which unfortunately is nowhere near enough of the population to make the whole venture profitable. People need a number or address and don’t want to pay two dollars to the carriers for directory assistance? They end up calling 1-800-free411, an intuitive process, a memorable number, nothing that involves work or figuring things out. Let’s call TellMe another step on the road to fully-integrated and useful mobility, but definitely not something that consumers will get excited about.

There is definitely a restricted audience for downloaded applications, unless Tellme can get in pre-installed.  On the other hand for those who can download it the charge per request is a fraction (data charges only) of the direct carrier call to directory services.

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