New Google Tools

kinetic

December 12, 2002
Google Cooks Up Even More in the Labs
By Michael Singer

Never one to sit and browse the Web all day, the gang over at Google this week launched two new experimental applications on its Google Labs site.

The Mountain View, Calif.-based search engine uses the Lab site to public beta-tests new services before felling confident about rolling them out. The company has used the area as an official testing ground for platforms including its now popular Google News feature.

New to the labs are Google Webquotes and Google Viewer. Each prototype features links for e-mail feedback and a Google Groups discussion page, where users can share their comments directly with our engineers. Google has also launched Froogle, a shopping site which the company says "makes it easy to find information about products for sale online."

Google Webquotes lets the user read multiple viewpoints and descriptions of a specific Web site. For example, entering the phrase "digital camera" as a search term will result in a list of the most relevant results. Every digital camera Web site listed in the results page is accompanied by descriptions and critiques that have been automatically collected from third party sources from around the Web.

The other prototype - Google Viewer - lets you browse Google search results as a slide show. For example, the phrase "tahoe ski cams" as a search term and Google Viewer automatically displays a list of Tahoe ski cam sites accompanied by a live preview of each page. As Google Viewer displays the search results, users have the option to speed up or slow down the rate at which results are displayed or to stop the viewer at the site they wish to visit.

"Google Labs enables Google to test its latest search technologies, while collaborating with its loyal user community in an effort to build search services that are better suited to user needs," said Google spokesperson Nathan Tyler.

The Lab is also still testing other features like a Google Glossary, which takes search terms and collects a mass of definitions as provided by relevant sites. Other fun Google toys include Google Sets, Voice Search and Keyboard Shortcuts.


You can test them here http://labs.google.com/

digitalwanderer

More google goodness, thanks!

Kelsenellenelvian

Thanx I really like google. Espescially their search bar.

denis111

hmm.. I think google is the best search engine!