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300 'search' stories May 2011 - December 2015

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Yahoo’s new Video Guide app offers universal search across streaming services

Jordan Kahn Dec 10 2015 - 9:36 am PT

Yahoo today released a new “Yahoo Video Guide” app for mobile devices that acts as one central location for users to find content from across a long list of competitive video services and networks.

The app allows users to search from one place and then offers links to buy or start streaming the content in other apps like Amazon, Netflix, HBO GO, and many others. So you’ll still need to be a subscriber, have the app downloaded, and or purchase the content once the Yahoo Video Guide app redirects you.

And while you can just search for something you’re looking for, the app also has a Mood Picker feature that lets users pick a from GIFs to search through curated lists.

Yahoo of course has its own Yahoo Screen app for mobile devices, but it also links to content on iTunes, Amazon Video, Hulu, Netflix, HBO GO, ABC, FOX, CBS, NBC, Xfinity, YouTube, A&E, BET, Cartoon Network, Cinemax, Comedy Central, Disney, Food Network, and others. In total it says it’s promoting over 30 video services through the new Video Guide app.

The Yahoo Video Guide Android app is available to download for free in the US.

Google Drive gains search improvements on Android, iOS, and web

Jordan Kahn Dec 9 2015 - 1:35 pm PT

Google has highlighted new features for Google Drive apps today that it says make it easier to search for files on Android, iOS, and web.

Among the improvements to search in the app, you’ll now be able to narrow your search by file type and open advanced search from the search box. For iOS specifically, users can now get quick access to recent files and search from the Home screen icon using 3D Touch and the ability to search from iOS’s Spotlight feature.

Here’s a full list of improvements courtesy of Google:

Narrow your search to a file type from the search box on Android, iOS, and the web.
Open advanced search instantly from the search box.
Access recent files or search Drive from the home screen using 3D Touch on iOS.
Search Drive using the iOS search bar without opening the Drive app.
Search for shared files by file owner using their name or email address.
Use advanced search options like the date a file was modified, words it contains, or who it was shared with.

Google says the improvements for Drive will roll out to the Android and iOS apps over the coming weeks.

Google brings app streaming to ads, letting users try before they download

Stephen Hall Dec 3 2015 - 10:08 am PT

Google introduced a really awesome feature called app streaming to search results last month, and now a very similar technology is coming to the company’s AdMob ad platform. A couple new app ad formats are being introduced today, the first of which allowing users to try out an app within an ad itself before downloading…
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Children too trusting of Google and YouTube, unable to identify paid ads, says UK govt report

Ben Lovejoy Nov 20 2015 - 4:56 am PT

A report by the UK’s telecoms and Internet watchdog Ofcom says that children are too trusting of what they find on the web, a surprisingly high percentage of them taking search results on trust, and unable to identify paid ads.

One in five online 12-15s (19%) believe information returned by a search engine such as Google or Bing must be true, yet only a third of 12-15s (31%) are able to identify paid-for adverts in these results.

The report found that the position was even worse with YouTube …
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Google introduces app streaming, app-first results to mobile search

Stephen Hall Nov 18 2015 - 9:30 am PT

Google acquired app streaming startup Agawi earlier this year, and now it looks like the Mountain View company is putting their technology to good use. As of today, users will be able to stream certain apps straight from Google’s mobile search results. Google is also going to show “app-first” content (that without a web-based counterpart) in search results starting today as well…
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Google Search on mobile now has deep links into Facebook’s app

Abner Li Nov 16 2015 - 9:19 am PT

According to a report this morning from The Wall Street Journal, Google will now be able to show publicly available info from the Facebook app in mobile searches. Clicking on such a link while on your smartphone will take users directly to the relevant part of the Facebook app. The agreement between Google and Facebook went into affect last Friday, according to an Alphabet spokesperson.

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Google reveals RankBrain, the AI system that it’s been using for ‘a very large fraction’ of searches

Ben Lovejoy Oct 26 2015 - 5:55 am PT

It’s no surprise that Google employs artificial intelligence to help parse search queries, but it did surprise me to learn that a full 15% of Google searches are ones its systems have never seen before. It’s these that the company has been decoding with the help of an AI system called RankBrain, reports Bloomberg.

For the past few months, a “very large fraction” of the millions of queries a second that people type into the company’s search engine have been interpreted by an artificial intelligence system, nicknamed RankBrain, said Greg Corrado, a senior research scientist with the company, outlining for the first time the emerging role of AI in search.

As you’d expect, Google uses literally hundreds of different ‘signals’ to make sense of searches, and the vast majority of these are based on discoveries and insights that people in the team have had – but RankBrain is the first system that genuinely learns …
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Yahoo will now show Google search results after signing deal

Cam Bunton Oct 26 2015 - 2:23 am PT

Yahoo announced in its financial earnings results for Q3 that it has signed a partnership deal with Google to show search results and ads in its own search tools. The deal came in to effect on October 1st and will last until the end of 2018. Under the terms of this new deal, Yahoo gets to choose which search queries it sends to Google, while Google provides search ads, algorithmic search and image search services for mobile and desktop…

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Google’s app indexing links coming to Safari on iOS by end of month

Jordan Kahn Oct 9 2015 - 12:38 pm PT

Google first introduced app indexing for iOS apps in search back in May, allowing in-app content to appear in search results with links that send users directly to an app. The feature was originally only available in the Google app and Chrome browser, but now Google is launching an updated version of the framework that will make the app links also appear in Google search results in Safari.

Getting your app content found on Google just got easier. App Indexing is now compatible with HTTP deep link standards for iOS 9, as it has been on Android from the beginning. That means that you can start getting your app content into the Search results page on Safari in iOS, simply by adding Universal Links to your iOS app, then integrating with our SDK.

Developers simply need to support the Universal Links standard to get their apps to show up in search results. Users will begin to see the app indexing links showing up in Safari on iOS by the end October.

Devs can read more on how to support the feature here.

The constitutions of 13 countries now show up as Knowledge Graph results

Stephen Hall Sep 17 2015 - 10:15 am PT

Google is always expanding the information it offers at the top of search results, with the goal being to keep users within Google itself — no longer needing to navigate to external websites. Today, the Mountain View company has announced that it is adding constitutions from 13 different countries to the top of your search results page…

According to Google’s Inside Search blog:

The Constitute Project helps people access, compare and analyze the world’s constitutions. Now we’re adding more of this content to our search results, so you can find the full text for the United States Constitution—or constitutions from 12 other countries—right at the top of your search results page. To try it out, type (or say) “constitution” into Google Search or the Google App and a box will pop up with the Preamble for the United States Constitution and a drop-down menu where you can see all of the accompanying articles and amendments.

The new feature comes in partnership with the Constitute Project, a group that hopes to give people more access to world constitutions. Of course, the United States constitutions is one of the many you’ll be able to access. Besides the US, there’s Afghanistan, Bhutan, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Japan, Laos, Latvia, Micronesia, Norway and Ukraine.

Just head over to Google and search for “constitution of [your country]” and you’ll be given many drop down menus that let you get a full glimpse of these documents. Of course, Google says that it is looking into adding more countries in the future.

Google’s new ‘I’m feeling curious’ feature is really addicting

Stephen Hall Sep 3 2015 - 6:36 am PT

Google is definitely known for its hidden easter eggs and features in search, and this one is really going to keep you occupied: Searching for “I’m feeling curious” now shows you a widget that rotates through some random and interesting facts about just about everything — from how much a “lifetime airline pass” costed in the 80s to facts about Oprah.

After clicking the “Ask Another Question” a few times, it looks like the box pulls information from anywhere and everywhere on the web. A few facts were pulled from Wikipedia, and plenty of others were from History.com, Princeton.edu, People.com, and several other sources. As a bonus, it looks like “thefactsite.com” is going to get some nice extra traffic today.

If you want to check it out, head over to Google and search “I’m feeling curious“. Alternatively, it looks like other similar queries like “fun facts” will also show the widget.

Google rolls out visual tweaks to Search on mobile, Google Now on Android

Jordan Kahn Sep 1 2015 - 12:14 pm PT

In addition to unveiling its all new logo today, Google has announced some changes coming to its Search experience on mobile devices and its Google Now homepage on Android. Google notes that it’s made the search results page for mobile devices easier to navigate with a new swipeable and tappable UI. Google offered a look at the new UI for images, videos and news stories in the video below.
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Google rolls out attractive, new apps search UI

Cam Bunton Aug 28 2015 - 2:52 am PT

It looks like Google has been working behind the scenes to make searching for apps a much more intuitive and better-looking experience on Android. As spotted by the folks at Android Police, if you go searching for apps from the default search feature in Android, you’ll now get a very attractive, Material-themed grid of apps. Although it doesn’t work for every single term, simply search for anything followed by ‘apps’ and it’ll bring up a grid of downloadable options from the Google Play Store.

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Google Search has new context-based storm-preparedness recommendations

Tom Maxwell Aug 27 2015 - 8:37 am PT

Google puts a lot of effort into making the world’s knowledge organized and accessible, and in particular it has a record through its Crisis Response project of making certain information more accessible during times of disaster. Today it released a blog post detailing how it’s doing more to help people be prepared.

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Don’t be evil? Google is now giving everyone in NYC free waffles

Stephen Hall Jul 31 2015 - 8:57 am PT

Google teased some kind of #paywithaphoto Google Photos promotion last week, and now it looks like the food trucks are rolling out. The first locale luckily able to participate is New York City, and you can see the full schedule, running until August 2nd, below.
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Google details new ‘Purchases on Google’ buy button for mobile ads

Zac Hall Jul 15 2015 - 7:45 am PT

Image via <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/buy-button-coming-to-google-search-2015-7" target="_blank">Business Insider</a>

Google confirmed at a conference in May that a “buy” button was planned for products in its search results, and today the company elaborated on those plans at a press event in NYC. The new feature called “Purchases on Google” will allow consumers to purchase products directly from ads in Google Search results. Featuring a buy button in ads when searching for products should make purchasing those products more seamless for consumers and boost the value of ads for merchants.
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Evidence of offline ‘OK, Google,’ other features found in Google app version 4.8

Stephen Hall Jun 29 2015 - 5:52 am PT

The Google app — previously known as “Search” — was updated to version 4.8 last week, and now a new teardown has revealed some interesting new details about some features that might be coming in future versions. Most notably, it looks like offline support for “OK, Google” is likely to be on the way, letting you give your device some voice commands without having a connection to the Internet…
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Google’s new search carousel skims more content from sites like Pinterest and Houzz

Tom Maxwell Jun 26 2015 - 1:37 pm PT

Google is known for historically having a goal with search to get people to the information they want as quickly as possible. Search engines by design are intended to get you what you’re looking for on the first try, so it makes total sense that Google optimizes ruthlessly in hopes that you don’t have to click the next page link. But ever since the company introduced search cards it’s been evident that it wants to be the host of the information you’re looking for whenever possible. A new small change today adds on that.

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Instagram Android app adds revamped Explore tab w/ trending content, improved search

Jordan Kahn Jun 23 2015 - 11:43 am PT

Instagram is rolling out an update today for its Android app bringing two major new features, including a redesigned Explore tab and improved search functionality. The company said the updates will “help connect our community to the world as it happens,” or in other words, a more real-time experience thanks to new trending Tags and Places within the Explore tab.

With more than 70 million photos and videos posted to Instagram every day, wherever something is happening, chances are you can see it here. Whether it’s behind the scenes at the NBA Finals, on the runway with the latest fashion trend at a favorite club with a local band, people are capturing moments large and small on Instagram. But, until now, there’s never been an easy way to find these moments.

On top of the new trending tags and places in Explore, the company said it will be adding curated collections of images based on various themes, such as specific people or places, and featuring content from across the network.

The updated Explore feature is first rolling out to users in the US as part of the 7.0 update for Android that also adds improved search functionality:

For everyone on Instagram, we’ve dramatically improved the ability to find what you’re looking for. With the new Places Search, you can now peer in at just about any location on earth, allowing you to scout out your next vacation spot in the South Pacific, get a look inside that hot new restaurant or experience your favorite music festival — even if you couldn’t make it this year. The new Top Search also lets you search across people, places and tags all at once.

You can grab Instagram version 7.0 for Android on Google Play today.

Chrome ‘OK Google’ hotwording extension sparks new privacy concerns, confusion (Update: Chromium team backpeddals)

Tom Maxwell Jun 22 2015 - 11:08 am PT

Update: What’s that? Oh, just the smell of change. After initially standing firm on its implementation of the hotwording module and proprietary Google extension being automatically downloaded in new installations of the Chromium open source browser, a wave of criticism has led to the team pulling it out of Chromium 45 and onwards. The module that manages whether the hotword listening extension is enabled will be “disabled by default” and the proprietary technology that actually listens for “Ok Google” will not download. A member of the team says simply:

In light of this issue, we have decided to remove the hotwording component entirely from Chromium. As it is not open source, it does not belong in the open source browser.

The original story continues below.

It all started with a blinking LED light. Ofer Zelig wrote on his blog today about an odd case where the LED light on his computer, that turns on whenever the microphone or camera is activated, seemed to blink every few seconds or so while he was working on his PC. He investigated in the Windows Task Manager to look for any process that might be to blame – no dice. He shut down some suspicious processes that might have been causing it and says he didn’t have any malware installed, but still to no avail. Turns out, the culprit was none other than Google’s Chrome browser…

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Google’s cache page now offers new ways to view old webpages

Tom Maxwell Jun 22 2015 - 8:02 am PT

As reported by users on Twitter, Google has updated its cached link toolbar with new ways to view website snapshots. Cached webpages can now be viewed in their full glory with all styling intact, in a text-only version that strips all styling, or viewed by their source, meaning you can view the code behind the cached webpage.

Here’s what visiting the text-only cached version of Google.com looks like:

The company every so often will take a snapshot of a website and save it to its cache, so the page can still be viewable in the event that the website its hosted on becomes inaccessible. You can access the cached version of a webpage, like the one above, by searching for it on Google, clicking on the green down arrow directly to the right of a result URL, and clicking “Cached.” Click here to see the cached page for Google.com.

Google making it easier to have revenge porn de-listed from search

Tom Maxwell Jun 19 2015 - 10:52 am PT

Google in an announcement today on its blog on public policy issues said that it will soon have a web form for victims of revenge porn to complete in order to have links to the offending images removed from global search results.

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EU says few people are appealing ‘right to be forgotten’ rulings, most denials justified

Tom Maxwell Jun 18 2015 - 10:45 pm PT

Google controls most of the search engine market in Europe, and as a result receives most ‘right to be forgotten’ requests, those things where individuals can request the de-listing of links to sensitive information about themselves that are deemed out-dated or irrelevant. But more than half of requests are denied, and of those that are appealed, most of those are too denied – which the European Union says is just fine.

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Pro-tip: you can set alarms for your Android phone using desktop Google search

Tom Maxwell Jun 18 2015 - 5:11 pm PT

If you’re anything like me, at some point during your day you’ll consciously think to yourself about what time you’d like to get up the next day. You’ll think about it, but then just forget to set an alarm on your phone before you go to sleep and end up waking at a different time than you’d like. Well, there’s a neat card in Google search that can be evoked with a simply query that may help you with this problem.

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