The impact of mobile and portable computing devices is changing not only the way we communicate ‘on-the-go’ but it is driving the future of search and stimulating a flurry of new product developments and upgrades. These include increased processing power, enhanced voice and visual applications, and location aware search technologies. It’s all about faster search with fewer key strokes.

The days of dialing “411” and asking for a number are over. Voice search is handled by an automated “Stepford” woman who responds to queries without losing her melodious tone and who shows no sign of dismay when connecting you to the Tanning Factory (for animal hides) instead of the Tanning Salon (for a suntan appointment). You will notice the days of “411″ refunds are also over. Supervisors are impossible to locate.

But, as we grapple trying to find the holy grail of voice recognition we have to consider that the semantics of search over a mobile device are very different from those of an internet search. Mobile search is more focused on navigation, weather, direction and local search. Mobile searchers are more ready-to-buy and they want fast, accurate, information that can be acted on immediately. Scrolling is “out”. For one thing, the screen is too small. Mobile search is also special. A mobile phone is always with you and it knows where you and your friends are.

So if voice-enabled search is destined to be “big” (perhaps even a game changer), why are we doing such a poor job with developing the technology?

Well, according to Melvin Hunt, co-founder of Novartis Technologies, one of the biggest challenges facing the future of voice search are the idiosyncrasies of differing pronunciations and accents making voice recognition difficult at best. Only 30% of stored speech is repeated which means results are not delivered the first time. Users also show only a 10% click thru which is a dismal statistic to report.

However, in spite of the challenges Google has made inroads as have Vlingo and Dragon Naturally Speaking. These speech-to-text innovators are committed to breaking through these past barriers to entry.

Google’s Nexus One allows you to Tweet, Text or send an email via voice while driving. Vlingo lets you control your mobile phone with the power of your voice allowing you to voice search dial, to search the web, or send a text message as well. Then there is Dragon Naturally Speaking which is a cool application that creates a voice profile of you to better understand your vocal idiosyncrasies. It’s known for its accurate dictation, simple navigation commands, numbered commands, and fast response time. It also boasts a 300,000 word dictionary.