16. The computerized information and display apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the performance of the desired action includes identification a plurality of approximate but non-exact matches for a user query that is at least part of the speech received from the user.
10. Computerized information and display apparatus, comprising: a wireless network interface; processing apparatus in data communication with the network interface; a display device; a data interface in data communication with the processing apparatus and configured to transfer data between the computerized information and display apparatus and a portable electronic device placed in data communication with the data interface; and a storage apparatus comprising at least one computer program, said at least one program being configured to, when executed: obtain digitized speech generated based on speech received from a user, the digitized speech relating to a desired action which the user wishes to perform; and cause, based at least in part on the digitized speech, access of a network entity to cause performance of the desired action; wherein the computerized information and display apparatus is further configured to: receive information obtained via the access of the network entity via the wireless network interface; and provide at least a portion of the received information to the portable electronic device via the data interface; wherein the computerized information and display apparatus further comprises speech synthesis apparatus in data communication with the processing apparatus; and wherein the computerized information and display system is further configured to engage the user in an interactive dialogue, the dialogue comprising: (i) the speech is received from the user; (ii) at least one subsequent confirmatory or adaptive response to the speech generated audibly by at least the speech synthesis apparatus, the response based at least in part on the speech; and (iii) at least one subsequent speech input provided by the user after the response is audibly generated; wherein the computerized information and display apparatus is disposed within a land- mobile transport device capable of moving between locations, and further comprises: at least one infra-red radiation detection apparatus in data communication with at least a portion of the data processing apparatus and configured to cause the computerized information apparatus to generate a visually perceptible alert of the presence of a human in an area proximate to the transport device, the visually perceptible alert comprising a rendering on the display device showing at least a portion of the area; and a short-range wireless interface configured to obtain user-specific data from a portable user radio frequency device when the portable user radio frequency device is within sufficient range of the short-range interface, and provide the obtained data to the computerized information apparatus so as to enable one or more functions of the transport device, according to a previously supplied user preference or profile.