Broken Search?
January 19, 2011
Beer and cake is not a combination I’ve tried yet, nor is it one that sounds even remotely appetizing. Has Google has dropped the ball or turned a blind eye to some clever search engine optimization tactics?
The search giant seems to think beer and cake go together like peas and carrots or peanut butter and jelly. I think it seems more like tuna and a rubber tire but really, who am I to judge?
According to Phil of Phil’s blawg on tumblr.com, there had been several searches for “Cake Central” that yielded a top result of Beerby.com. Beerby is a mobile application that lets users track their favorite beers and breweries, as well as the eateries that carry them. Though they have since corrected the issue, the question of why Beerby was the #1 search result when a user queries for cake recipes and decorating tips remains a mystery.
I am beginning to think that it is difficult to get a set of results from a query that is relevant and on target. I hope I am wrong, however.
Leslie Radcliff, January 19, 2011
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Google and Local Search Commitment
January 17, 2011
Google re-loads and takes aim, this time at Facebook. “Google’s Mobile Matchmaker” reports on an interview with Marissa Mayer, Google’s executive in charge of “local” products. For Google “local” includes, maps, mobile, and even social activities. “Contextual discovery,” giving automatic location-based information, or “search without search” as she calls it, is the basis of the way Mayer seeks to knock Facebook off its pedestal. Google is working on taking the location information and adding social contextual information, such as showing a person in a restaurant the menu with annotations from friends or regular customers of the venue. When asked if Google might work with Facebook on some of these social applications, Mayer demurred, citing Facebook’s closed nature versus Google’s support of the open web. Instead, Mayer pointed to the Google social-esque alternatives such as Google Latitude, an application that follows the physical location of someone on a map. The social implications seem obvious: “Once you tell Google who your friends are on Latitude, that same information might eventually be used for other services like socially marked-up menus, if you permitted it. The point is that Google may have more ways to acquire social information than just by building its own competing social network.” My view is that Facebook may have reached its peak and is ripe for a serious alternative The idea of friends’ LoJacking on Latitude doesn’t appeal to me, but then I’m not a FourSquare fan either. Facebook, watch out, Google’s war is underway.
Alice Wasielewski, January 17, 2011
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X1 Rolls out Search for iPhone
January 14, 2011
X1 Technologies, Inc., has released the new X1 mobile search for iPhone on iTunes. The application requires X1 Professional Desktop Search to run but once installed allows the user to access his / her home pc from their mobile devices, regardless of physical location.
“We know that information workers snatch stray minutes to fit in work when they are on the move. But they often find that their mobile devices lack the files, contacts, or data they need.X1 Mobile Search remedies that problem.”
X1 Mobile Search also enables the user to experience fast-as-you-type searches, offline document storage as well as the ability to search inside of email and the ability to edit documents from your mobile device.
Leslie Radcliff, January 14, 2011
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Search and the Responsive Web
January 13, 2011
I hate the term UX, shorthand for user experience. “Responsive Web Design: What It Is and How To Use It” introduced me to a new term, “responsive Web design.” I like it. The article that explains what responsive Web design is. The passage I noted was:
We should rather start a new era today: creating websites that are future-ready right now. Understanding how to make a design responsive to the user doesn’t require too much learning, and it can definitely be a lot less stressful and more productive than learning how to design and code properly for every single device available. Responsive Web design and the techniques discussed above are not the final answer to the ever-changing mobile world. Responsive Web design is a mere concept that when implemented correctly can improve the user experience, but not completely solve it for every user, device and platform.
The article includes a number of excellent examples and some of those very useful, ready to edit code snippets that the goslings and I love.
What can search vendors learn from this write up? In my opinion, vendors can learn how to break out of the search box. Times and user needs have changed. It’s not experience. It is responsiveness.
Stephen E Arnold, January 13, 2011
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Mastering the Android OS Universe
January 10, 2011
Google’s quest for world domination of the smartphone operating systems’ universe may be thwarted says the ZDNet article, “Android’s Biggest Worry: Fragmentation,” . Despite growing market share and popular applications, the Android is fragmented by many complex issues including OEMs software, carrier applications, and multiple operating system versions.
“Android is growing, but it’s also growing complexity at the same time. Device fragmentation is not the issue, but rather the fragmentation of the ecosystem. So many different shops, so many different models. The carriers messing with the experience again. Open but not really open, a very Google-centric ecosystem,” says Peter Vesterbacka, one of Rovio’s founders and an Angry Bird developer, in a Tech N’ Marketing interview.
My money’s on Google. They’ve managed to conquer (or at least be a top contender) in the vast and complex information world, making search easy and effortless. Perhaps they can do the same for the Android? Is Google confident that Android fragmentation is a trivial problem?
Christina Sheley, January 10, 2011
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Any.Do for Voice to Device Actions Technology
January 10, 2011
When I was running around Central America a week ago, I received from one of my two or three readers a link to a story in VC Cafe with the title “Stealthy Startup Any.do Raises $1 Million Seed Round for Voice Mobile Commands. There is precious little information about the company available, but the article mentioned two individuals who have pumped some dough into the outfit. One is Google’s Eric Schmidt and the other is Joe Londsdale, a founder of Palantir. There are some other smart money investors, but I find the Schmidt and Londsdale references most interesting.
What’s Any.do do?
Based on what information I have, one talks to a mobile device and the Any.Do technology figures out what one says. With this information, Any.Do makes the instructions happen. Here’s VC Cafe’s summary:
[Any.Do is] developing technology to translate the user’s natural language voice input to the mobile device into actions, using voice recognition and semantic analysis algorithms…. AnyDo is capable of understanding subtle differences, such as the ability to purchase a product offline vs. online, pay bills on the mobile, purchase insurance, etc, using voice commands on the mobile.
The company’s Web site says, “Any.Do helps you do more of the things you love doing.” You can sign up to get information about the company at http://any.do.
I learned that Any.Do has developed an application for Android. Any.Do seems poised to release a product something this year. If it gets magnetic, maybe the Google will buy the company. I heard that at least one Googler works at the company now.
Stephen E Arnold, January 10, 2011
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A Theory of Android Stickiness
January 8, 2011
Can mathematics, specifically Metcalfe’s Law, be used to explain the assumption that mobile phone users will stick with a particular platform like Android for a lifetime? The recent Asymco.com blog post “How Sticky is the Android” makes this attempt.
After a lengthy explanation, author Horace Dediu surmises that mathematically, stickiness can be derived from the equation “value of a platform is K n log(n), where K is the stickiness of sunk costs.” He goes on to say that “in the end it’s not just about how big the user base n is (which is the only thing that is measurable), it’s how contiguous n is and how compelling the content,” making these important factors in keeping individual’s engaged with a particular platform.
A must read for those interested in more theoretical explanation of consumer behavior. There have been anecdotes about the “value” of the iPhone to AT&T. These rumors pivot on the data consumption of an iPhone user compared to a user of a BlackBerry or other mobile device. Stickiness may be partly defined by data consumption. Will a fast and efficient search service reduce stickiness or increase it? There’s more work to be done on the subject of stickiness.
Christina Sheley, January 8, 2011
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New iPhone App Takes Down Language Barrier
January 3, 2011
¿Usted quiere oír la cosa más asombrosa nunca? ¿Habla usted español? ¿No?
Without Spanish language skills or time to correctly type this into an online translator, you may not realize I just asked if you wanted to hear about the most amazing thing ever. A new post on gizmag.com entitled World Lens app turns your phone into a real-time translator details what has just incited giddiness across the tech community: the latest in translation tools. Quest Visual has brought the future into the palm of our hands with its recently introduced “World Lens” for the iPhone, an application that uses your phone’s camera to “view printed words and translate them into another language as you watch.” You can expect modest photo editing options such as cropping and zoom, and what camera would not be complete without a flash? If that was not good enough, the process is near instantaneous while still maintaining the texts original color and font.
There are noted limitations. First, Spanish is the only language currently available. Don’t be too disappointed though as the programmers are working on others, promising to continue until they “get all the way across the globe.” Also, it is only compatible with iPhone 4, iPhone 3Gs and the camera-equipped iPod Touch, so other users, including Android fans, are out of luck at this time. Finally, even Quest Visual recognizes that the translation will not always be exact; they do promise you will always walk away from the situation with the right idea.
I did notice a couple of reviews on the iTunes website stating that it was lame to give the application away for free only to turn around and charge five dollars for the plug-in languages (which is in fact the pricing model). Seriously? This novel instrument is straight out of a science-fiction novel, gadgetry many never expected to see in their lifetimes. We should be so lucky it only costs five dollars to own this incredible capability.
Sarah Rogers, January 3, 2011
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Simplexo Search
January 3, 2011
Short honk: I learned about Simplexo earlier this year. The company provides “optimized search for your mobile.” The company has a product that makes it possible for a user of Simplexo to search a desktop computer from a mobile device or a Web browser. Yahoo UK reported in “Simplexo Aims to Simplify Remote Desktop Searches”:
Simplexo said that the software could find emails in Outlook and Exchange Server, as well as documents in SharePoint, spreadsheets and database records, and can scour social networking applications such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
The service is to go live early in 2011. If you are interested in this type of product, navigate to this link and sign up.
Stephen E Arnold, January 3, 2011
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Bing Pressuring Google
January 1, 2011
Keep in mind that Google controls a big chunk of Web and mobile search. I am not sure what the mid-tier consulting firms report as Google’s share, but it is hefty. The number 65 percent of US searches is one that I see from time to time. Microsoft, therefore, is in catch up mode. “Can Bing Take on Google with These New Features” reported:
“Starting today, if your search results include a specific link that has also been ‘liked’ by someone in your Facebook network the link will be highlighted as ‘Liked’ within Bing,” Microsoft’s Bing team explains. “This gets especially interesting for a query like ‘Xbox’ where my friend ‘Liked’ the ‘Kinect’ site and while our algorithms didn’t feel it was relevant enough to make it the ‘answer’ we reference above, we are still able to indicate that my friend liked that link that happened to show up within the results.”
The new functions are interesting and aimed at individuals who do popular or what I call “soft” searching. There are social features with Facebook hooks, information about sports, and new local search services.
Three observations:
- Microsoft is hooking into other information providers; for example, for restaurant information, OpenTable. This interlocking is useful, and it is a model that may give Microsoft an advantage as Google races to gain ground in social functions and refine its consumerized offerings.
- Microsoft is pushing the user experience angle. Right now, Bing.com looks quite good to me, and I have a hunch that consumers will respond positively to polish and gloss.
- Google is the clear leader. With refinements to Bing.com, Google faces 2011 with the knowledge that Microsoft is not prepared to concede defeat in search and search-related services.
However, the punishing costs of delivering consumer information services are unlikely to go down in 2011. Both Google and Microsoft have the cash to keep the search arms race operational. The downside is that companies with solid Web search technology enter 2011 with foreknowledge of the costs of competing in general purpose, consumer centric search and search related applications.
It looks like a two horse race for search in 2011. Which horse has the prettier one trick revenue pony?
Stephen E Arnold, January 1, 2011
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