Daily Bits

Arun

Search Updates at Google and Yahoo

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The tough news around Yahoo apart, the second most popular search engine is doing good on rolling out new features. Announced this week was the availability of Yahoo Glue. What Glue does is return a list of different media types for a search query based on the context such as Wikipedia links and excerpts for people and stock quotes for companies. The feature was first launched and tested in India. Google’s Universal search immediately comes to mind when looking at the interface. The glue pages are not available for all topics but the list of topics is growing.

Google also announced a new feature called SearchWiki. Its an approach made to factor in user preferences for search results, albeit in a scaled down manner. For a given list of results, users can now choose to move links up or down the rankings or even delete them. These changes will affect the ranking for the particular user only. There is also a feature to add custom notes to the results and also view notes added by other users. In the long run perhaps Google will mine all these user preferences to further enhance their search algorithms. Its interesting to see Google implement features for social input to search results.

The Storm Has Arrived

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The iPhone has been the darling of gadget lovers but its the Blackberry Storm that has been highly anticipated in enterprise circles. Research in Motion’s latest device that mimics many of the features introduced in the iPhone has, according to reports, been very well received.

Some of the features that are unique to the Storm are :

  • Support for Microsoft Office documents
  • Copy and Paste
  • Tactile Feedback – to give a physical effect for keys pressed
  • Support for both CDMA and GSM
  • 3.2 MP camera
  • Support for normal 3.5mm Jack for headphones

Features similar are automatic switching to portrait and landscape mode, on screen keyboards (some difference is there in the portrait mode). The device is available from Verizon Wireless. One real hard miss is the lack of support for WiFi. For $200 and a two year contract its a good alternative for the enterprise users mesmerized with the iPhone.

Real-time Document Editing with Etherpad

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The real appeal of the web is how its reduced the time it takes to get your work done. And compared to other web based services, productivity software have established revenue models with offering premium services or hosted services specifically for businesses. A new start-up called Etherpad now adds another layer to online collaboration by supporting real-time editing of documents across the net.

Etherpad allows users to share the URL of the document with anyone and make real time changes to the document. Each user is assigned a background text color so they can track the changes as they are being made. The feature has its skeptics and supporters. Some contend that live editing is not a necessary requirement. But when it comes to note taking during meetings, or collaborating within a group on a piece of literature, this is one cool way to track of changes and edits.

Its not that other online text editors cannot support similar feature. Perhaps its not a feature on top of their wish-list. The service does not require any signing up.

Adobe to Bring Flash to ARM

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Adobe will soon be porting the full fledged Flash Player to the ARM processor, bridging the gap between its offering for the desktop and mobiles. Earlier Adobe had pushed ahead Flash Lite, a scaled down version of Flash but now with its plans to bring Flash to ARM processors, the attempt is to snag a major share of mobile devices internet experience.

An excerpt from Technology Review:

Specifically, the companies say that Adobe’s Flash Player 10 and AIR (a platform for building complex Web applications) will be compatible and optimized for the ARM chips available in 2009. While ARM is used in a huge number of mobile phones, the announcement has broader implications: the chips are also used in set-top boxes, mobile Internet devices, personal media players, and automotive platforms.

Though Flash is not coming to the iPhone, its hoped that this initiative will aid that process too by showing that it is possible to run full blown Flash functionality without slowing down the mobile device. Developers of mobile software also stand to benefit from the availability of the same technology across multiple devices, essentially negating the need to work on portability issues. Adobe does not want to miss out from being the major format for videos on mobile as well, especially considering how Microsoft is pushing Silverlight.

Is Voice Search the Killer App for Mobiles?

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Google’s release of the search-by-voice application on iPhone has received rave reviews and may be indication of how things may finally be coming around for mobile applications. Voice search looks to be the kind of application that will create its niche as a localized search option of choice. The logic being that if I am searching for a restaurant, street or movie, there is a good chance that I don’t have the luxury or time to open my laptop, forget along having net connectivity.

The search by voice application has been found to be fairly accurate. It has also spurred a demand that the basic phone functions should also accept voice input. Interesting thing to note is that Google did not try to make this app available across only the Android based handsets first. Goes to show where they have their priorities (more search eyeballs than people using Android). And the fair accuracy of the service is a significant achievement considering that services get better over time.

Also, the new application fits the first criteria indicated by Google Vice President, Merissa Meyer a couple of month’s back.

First, why couldn’t I do these searches right then, when I needed to? Because search still isn’t accessible enough or easy enough. Search needs to be more mobile – it should be available and easy to use in cell phones and in cars and on handheld, wearable devices that we don’t even have yet.

So, what are the future indications. For one, we can fairly expect Android Software Stack to extend beyond the mobile devices front. A scenario with Embedded Internet access may not be that far fetched in Google’s radar. And yes, to have a link to the Google Voice Application, you can try here.

Microsoft Spins Social Web Around Hotmail, Messenger and Other Live Services

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In one of the most significant social moves from the Redmond giant, Windows Live Messenger, Hotmail and other Live services will include features that make it possible for users to maintain and share notifications across their network of online contacts. What is more interesting is that the services will support notifications from third party web applications too ( e.g. Twitter, Flickr, LinkedIn, iLike, Yelp, WordPress Blogs among others).

An excerpt from SearchEngineJournal:

The new Microsoft Live Service portal would bring together Windows Live Messenger which is by far one of Microsoft’s most popular web service and infused them with both new and refurbished old online services such as an upgraded Hotmail, Windows Live Group, photo gallery, toolbar, calendar and many more.

All companies with major web properties have been announcing social features to better service and retain their users. Google had announced its single profile for all services which is a step towards greater integration across its umbrella of services. Yahoo had announced its Y!OS initiative to make social data accessible across services.

But real integration means you can have access to your networks from any service. This is where the absence integration with FaceBook and MySpace for the Microsoft initiative matters. But it is hoped that those nitty gritties will be resolved in due course.