Archive: September, 2010

We are all now familiar with the Google modification “instant search” or at least by this time, we all should

be.

With much fanfare, Google released instant search which in its most basic terms is, in my opinion, a

derivative of predictive texting.

Not to be undone, we have also learned that Microsoft (Bing) has made its own version, most likely in a bid

to “keep up”, and completed this application in record time.

What many of us may not be aware of is that Google has created a blacklist of words that it has essentially

disabled its instant search for, when entered in the search bar.

The end result is that you must hit enter and Google will continue on to the standard results as in the past,

but you can’t find certain things using the instant search function if it is left up to Google.

The biggest question I have is why is Google engaging in what appears to be blatant censorship?

Google discounts this censorship notion and instead views what they are doing as protection for children,

and screening out offensive results from the instant search function.

Google’s new innovation was just matched this week by a developer at Microsoft who was rumored to have written the application in just over a day.

Even more amazing is perhaps the short run that Google had with being the only kid on the block with the instant search toy.

It appears that Microsoft has built its own instant search using Bing APIs and some low-key timing settings. This accounts for a slight lag but it is predicting results as soon as you start typing keywords. It then works by analyzing 100 milliseconds between each key stroke, and as soon as you pause, bing references the api to get the suggestions.

I personally tried the application, and for all intents and purposes, it feels like the Google instant search. I didn’t really notice much of a relevance difference nor quicker results; pretty much it is the same application in my experience.

You can try the new application for yourself, currently at www.binginstant.com.

However, progress is rarely without cost, and it appears that in the wake of the Yahoo and Microsoft partnership, Search Advertisers could be the ones paying for all this innovation.

China Mobile does, and so does Twitter.

China Mobile is furiously racing to market an online search engine, due out early next year to compete with Baidu, the Chinese equivalent of Google, in Asia.

Recently Twitter also rolled out new fnctionality and changes somewhat out of the blue.

China Mobile’s specialty is, obviously by its name, cell phones and communications.  However, in a bid to stay viable, China Mobile is trying to enter the search engine market with a newly designed engine full of communications related features and functionality.

It has been speculated that users will be able to access the new China Mobile search engine via PC, laptop or mobile handsets, but in a surprising twist for Asia,  the law prevents China Mobile from excluding or blocking Baidu from accessing its mobile network as well.

The calculated risk here will be if this search engine will be a competitor or instead, actually increase Baidu’s already massive market share, by providing new features that Baidu users can search for, and access.

Google has rolled out its latest innovation in searching recently; instant search.

This is an interesting new modification that essentially “thinks before you do” and acts somewhat like “predictive typing” on your cell phone. As you begin typing a word, the results basically change “on the fly” and settle when you stop typing for a couple of seconds.

This new feature is essentially being done with the intention of getting you to the results you were originally searching for, just faster.

Some online specs to consider: the average user search takes approximately 25 seconds, however when using Google Instant, the average search time takes on the average 2 to 5 seconds less.

This reduction in search time is accomplished in the following way; it takes nine seconds to type a query, then it requires 400 milliseconds in network wait to communicate that search to Google’s servers.
At this point, there is a wait time of 300 milliseconds while Google actually processes your request, and then another 400 millisecond wait for Google’s return to you.
Finally, it is assumed that the average user takes approximately 15 seconds to view the results and select the one that actually matches the original intent of the search.