gmb45
15th May, 2009, 05:23 AM
Web giant Google has unveiled changes to its search engine to let users to "dig deeper" into results.
Google unveiled new search engine options at their Searchology event
The developments include automatic tables of information on a subject, arrange results by date and genre, and a GPS phone app for naming stars in the sky.
Google believes the changes will keep their search engine ahead of rivals such as Yahoo and Microsoft's Live search.
They currently have 63% of the US search market to Yahoo's 20%.
Vice President Marissa Mayer said search technology is "in its infancy" and Google engineers hope to identify the next big thing first.
Innovations unveiled include Google Squared, which does not return page results but arranges what appear to be facts from across the web.
For example, a search for breeds of dog could return a table of types, names and sizes.
Rich Snippets offers more detail in the preview text below web page links.
This is aimed at those searching for reviews, as it could offer average scores or price ranges for a restaurant.
The Search Options feature filters results depending on genre, allowing the search to be refined to forum discussions, reviews or videos, and also by date.
"As people get more sophisticated at search they are coming to us to solve more complex problems," the company said in a blog post.
"To stay on top of this, we have spent a lot of time looking at how we can better understand the wide range of information that's on the web and quickly connect people to just the nuggets they need at that moment."
Another innovation announced at Google's Searchology event was the phone app Sky Map.
Designed for Android mobiles, it uses GPS technology to identify the stars of the solar system.
Google unveiled new search engine options at their Searchology event
The developments include automatic tables of information on a subject, arrange results by date and genre, and a GPS phone app for naming stars in the sky.
Google believes the changes will keep their search engine ahead of rivals such as Yahoo and Microsoft's Live search.
They currently have 63% of the US search market to Yahoo's 20%.
Vice President Marissa Mayer said search technology is "in its infancy" and Google engineers hope to identify the next big thing first.
Innovations unveiled include Google Squared, which does not return page results but arranges what appear to be facts from across the web.
For example, a search for breeds of dog could return a table of types, names and sizes.
Rich Snippets offers more detail in the preview text below web page links.
This is aimed at those searching for reviews, as it could offer average scores or price ranges for a restaurant.
The Search Options feature filters results depending on genre, allowing the search to be refined to forum discussions, reviews or videos, and also by date.
"As people get more sophisticated at search they are coming to us to solve more complex problems," the company said in a blog post.
"To stay on top of this, we have spent a lot of time looking at how we can better understand the wide range of information that's on the web and quickly connect people to just the nuggets they need at that moment."
Another innovation announced at Google's Searchology event was the phone app Sky Map.
Designed for Android mobiles, it uses GPS technology to identify the stars of the solar system.