The next generation of web browsers

August 5th, 2008 • Internet, Search

Aurora (Part 1) from Adaptive Path on Vimeo.

Too many experiments with computer interfaces are just plain irritating.

Take Compiz for Linux, for example; no, please, do. A thousand and one oh-my-golly-wow UI tricks, including the wacky ability to ‘roll’ between four or more screens. Impressive for 180 seconds, but ultimately pointless (sorry if you’re reading this, Team Compiz, but I’ve installed and uninstalled the thing too many times).

Then today, I came across a depiction of the next generation of web browsers that didn’t sniff of geekery for its own sake.

The Aurora concept video predicts a time when browsing is no longer such a solo venture, and when the internet is truly integrated into an OS (you may think that’s the case today - watch Aurora, and think again).

Written and directed by Jesse James Garrett at Adaptive Path, the video is part of the Mozilla Labs concept browser series, the aim of which is to encourage more web folk to think harder about the next big breakthrough in accessing the web.

OK, so the dialogue in Aurora is a little cheesy (sorry, Danielle and Byron), but the notion of a truly collaborative browser works. It’s something you can instantly imagine using, to the point where you’ll switch back to your Firefox or IE7 today and be p*ssed that it isn’t there.

Cuil proving no so cuil

July 29th, 2008 • Google, Search

Cuil.com (pronounced ‘cool’ with an Irish twang) has been hyped as the new Google. It launched a few days back, and almost instantly suffered the downside of enlarged expectations.

For one, it didn’t work that often; you were greeted with a message explaining that the server was going through a mid-life crisis. And the results were less than enthralling (try a search for ‘cuil’ on Cuilcom - the search engine doesn’t know that it exists).

Still, early days. The evidence of the last 24 hours is that the ’server sweating’ warnings have faded away, which gets over the largest hurdle.

That said, I’m not sure I can see any magic in the way Cuil does its stuff: the results are shown over two or three columns, which presents its own problems. And there are few options within the Preferences pane to customise your experience. One to watch, maybe, but Google can sleep safely for now.

What if you own the search and the results?

July 28th, 2008 • Google, Internet, Search

The speculation is now rife: is Google showering favours on its own sites? The search beomoth’s answer to Wikipedia launched last week, and now Jason Calacanis has launched an attack on the Knol strategy:

For Google’s own good they should not try to take over their own search results. If Google results start showing 20-30% Knol pages and YouTube videos then that is going to drive users away from Google in search of more diversity.

I’ll guarantee that thousands of companies around the globe are microwaving a strategy of their own to deal with Knol. If indeed Google is favouring its own site in search results (so breaking one of their promises never to become a content provider), then any self-respecting website publisher will be forced to play the Knol game.

It’s worth saying here that Calacanis has an interest in Knol falling at the first hurdle (his Mahalo ‘human-powered search’ aims to turn Google’s weapons on itself). But regardless, he has a point: will I stop using Google when the first page of every return is a Google-owned link (and hey, let’s remember - until Friday, Google was showing strong interest in buying Digg)?

Google Knol: squint and it shines

July 23rd, 2008 • Google

So Knol has gone live, centuries after it was first announced. Hardly sock-scorching yet, but you know how it goes with all things Google - they’ll add a feature here, a widget there, and before you know it…

And ask yourself this - what cheaper way is there of building a vast social network using free material? You couldn’t make this stuff up.

When does a company stumble into being bad?

July 15th, 2008 • Internet, Search

I loved the later Star Wars films. OK, so they took a pounding from critics, and in truth represented a massive victory for graphic trickery over subtle scriptwriting. But they did hammer home one message: most things stray into being bad. The Empire didn’t suddenly yank off its Smiley Face mask, revealing the grotesque evil beneath. It just kind of stumbled into nasty - a person here, a decision there.

Made me think of a very well known internet company. It has no intention to become bad. In fact, its mantra is to Be Good. But a person here, a decision there…

One example: The Company, which operates in the search market, decided to pop its own in-site search box into its results (try this). Probably saw it as a useful additional service to its users: we’re known for search, and many sites use shonky off-the-shelf search engines, so we’ll give ‘em a hand. How were we to know that many commercial sites sell adverts against those in-site searches?

Then The Company began discussing the notion of penalising sites that advertise with it for having ‘heavy’ landing pages. The aim is to improve the user experience: why should you have to wait 30 seconds for a page to load? One way of lightening those pages, of course, is to carry fewer ads. But The Company would never have made that connection in a million years.

A person here, a decision there…

Google paints it black for Earth Hour

March 29th, 2008 • Google

Blink in disbelief - Google’s home page has gone black as a sign of support for Earth Hour.

Google News elevates ‘right to reply’

March 24th, 2008 • Google, Journalism

A few months back, Google caused a heap of stink by offering subjects of stories ‘featured’ on Google News a right of reply. Various traditional news sources threw a minor fit, pointing to the fact that Google didn’t actually generate any news in the first place.

Until a few days ago, the apparent invisibility of comments from story subjects made the Google move somewhat toothless - Old Media had, it seemed, caused a fuss over nothing. But Google is nothing if not dogged, and lo and behold News has begun to feature links showing all recent replies for the good folk featured in ‘its’ stories. This one’ll run and run.

Like Google, only hand-crafted

January 13th, 2008 • Search, Social
Tags: Google, Search, Social, Untitled

Just stumbled upon a Firefox extension from the people at Mahalo.

Not Earth-shaking, I know, but quietly cool. Mahalo, in case you’ve been holidaying on Mars for the last six months, in the new search engine from Jason Calacanis, the entrepreneur who brought you such legendary web properties as WeblogsInc (the power behind Engadget and Autoblog).

Read more »

Checkout Trends: the new retail price index

January 13th, 2008 • Google, Search
Tags: Google, Search

Just about everyone working on the web uses Google Trends at one time or another, if only to give that quick gauge on which term would prove more popular (Hilary or Barack?).

But now there’s Google Checkout Trends, the search equivalent of every retailer opening their ledgers to the world’s prying eyes. Well, almost. Read more »

The largest threat to Google yet?

January 7th, 2008 • Google, Search, Social
Tags: Google, Search, Social, web3.0, wiki

Wikia Search went live today.

So what? So it’s the brainchild of one Jimmy Whales, the clever chap who brought you Wikipedia. So there’s just a remote chance that it may fly.

The search results are, so far, pretty damn poor, and many of the preferences do not work. But as the world gets stuck in and begins to rate those returns, so they’ll improve (tricky right now, as the star ratings that accompany each entry in a return are disabled), and doubtless the various features will get switched on in the coming weeks. Read more »