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Just to clarify (disclaimer, I'm a happy A9 employee), A9 saves the search history on the server. The A9 toolbar (for both IE and Firefox) does allow you to access your history, but it is entirely optional. You can sign in to A9 using your Amazon account and try out that (and many more features).

Hasn't a9 been doing this for some time?

I don't use a9 much, but it seems like google with a different skin. I swear sometimes they're snarfing google's results and storing them. Not that this is all bad, since Google's results tend to be some of the best, but it's still eerie.

Probably because they are using Google's results: "The current list of searches (and their sources) includes: The web (Google)" (from A9.com)

Agreed. I have been enjoying using A9 from Amazon. I primarily use it for research. Although it is not set up for sharing, it easily allows the addition of bookmarks, a search history, and is useful when you use a lot of computers.

<copyright>&copy;2003-2005, A9.com, Inc. or its affiliates.</copyright>

OpenSearch RSS 1.0 is an extension to the RSS 2.0 standard, conforming to the guidelines for RSS extensibility as outlined by the RSS 2.0 specification. The intent is to provide a standard format for returning results for a search query. This extension is designed to be backward compatible with existing RSS readers.

Version 1.0 of OpenSearch RSS adds only three new elements, each within the openSearch XML namespace. Additionally, OpenSearch 1.0 makes recommendations on how existing RSS 2.0 elements can be best used within a search context.

Future versions of OpenSearch RSS will attempt to maintain backwards compatibility with OpenSearch RSS 1.0. More complicated search extensions to RSS 2.0, such as language selection, encoding type, spelling suggestions, multi-media results, sponsored links, etc, will be done in such a way as to keep OpenSearch RSS easy to implement and interpret.

I was given to believe that there are textbooks on UI design, much the way Mac goes about it. It tells you left-to-right cognition, widget distances among the few. And the most critical piece being mapping functions built into the software into the user interface.

And I'm bound to ask, does slashdot have a good UI in any of these terms. Sometimes people just start habitually getting used to UIs and stop complaining.

Just the place you've already visited probably is Amazon A9 link on Xerox PARC and their UI work.

Last time I checked there was still:

Yahoo!
Altavista
a9
Ask Jeeves
Lycos
Teoma

...and even:

MSN

Have a reality check; Google is far from a monopoly. They may be the most popular but that's quite different than being a 2 time convicted monopolist.

it seems that I'm reading about some inane aspect of a search engine that I will never use. I

Hey, Amazon just released a cool new feature to their A9 search engine! I can see my house from here. I bet you'll like it.

A9.com's Web Search Results are enhanced by Google. Data provided by A9.com and Alexa Internet is also used for search history and Site Info.

Weird. I wonder if they mean Google's results are added to their own search results or if it's just colorful language meaning all their results.

at work we classify A9 as a "severe privacy threat" and therefore it is blocked at the firewall

What about the cookie-free http://generic.a9.com/?

Don't forget you can use http://generic.a9.com/ so they don't keep track of you (or at least don't LOOK as if they're keeping track of you...)

The link in the article ("launched a Yellow Pages service") doesn't actually link to the Yellow Pages service.

Here's a direct link.

The link in the article ("launched a Yellow Pages service") doesn't actually link to the Yellow Pages service.

Here's a direct link.

http://a9.com/cheeburger

Kinda neat... I go to cheeburger cheeburger, its a real popular place near my house for burgers.. It even showed a jpg of the menu! and the fat asses eating burgers and on the wall of fame for eating a one pounder.

Get a FREE Mini Mac http://www.freeminimacs.com/?r=14172807

Searching for plumber brings back some interesting images....

Sorry if I'm a little late to the party here, but I had never heard of A9. So it was a little disturbing when I went there and it greeted me by my full name. Reading their privacy policy, it looks like it's nothing more than a way for Amazon to get more info on you and track you better so they know what to try and sell you.

Hopefully Google won't be adding those types of A9 style "features". I don't care if A9 is "A WHOLLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF AMAZON.COM, INC.", I don't like it. At least they shout about it in the privacy policy of A9: "PLEASE NOTE THAT A9.COM IS A WHOLLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF AMAZON.COM, INC. IF YOU HAVE AN ACCOUNT ON AMAZON.COM AND AN AMAZON.COM COOKIE, INFORMATION GATHERED BY A9.COM, AS DESCRIBED IN THIS PRIVACY NOTICE, MAY BE CORRELATED WITH ANY PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION THAT AMAZON.COM HAS AND USED BY A9.COM AND AMAZON.COM TO IMPROVE THE SERVICES WE OFFER."

It looks like Amazon's privacy policy allows them to do this, although they don't specifically say they might start a totally unrelated website and share harvested info between the two. Maybe it's just me, but I think that's pushing it.

I'm pretty sure that A9/Amazon is using google's image search in it's engine. The bottom of A9 says:

Search results enhanced by Google. Results also provided by a9.com and Alexa.

Also, from the faq

Who provides web search results? A9.com's Web Search Results are enhanced by Google. Data provided by A9.com and Alexa Internet is also used for search history and Site Info.

since it doesn't mention the images as from Alexa, and since I'm guessing the A9 stuff is Amazon's inside the book, it seems logical that the image search is from google.

I think that Amazon a8 search is quite cool, and it comes with a link to it's crossplatform Firefox toolbar on the front page. It's cached searches and resizable image columns are quite cool. I don't use it more than google, but it could be a contender.

I think that Amazon a8 search is quite cool, and it comes with a link to it's crossplatform Firefox toolbar on the front page. It's cached searches and resizable image columns are quite cool. I don't use it more than google, but it could be a contender.

It's pretty funny too.

I use Amazons A9 toolbar. It runs on Firefox (Crossplatform .xpi) and IE. It's very nice and installs very quickly.

http://toolbar.a9.com/

I believe they've also licensed their software to some companies who want to build more specialized search tools as well.

http://a9.com/ is a particularly good example.

Not at all. Although advertising is still a major source of revenue, Google makes plenty of business offering enterprise solutions. For example, Amazon's new search engine is Google powered (previously reported here). I believe Yahoo's search engine has been powered by Google for a while now too, although I could stand to be corrected.

> Barnes and Noble has a right to make money without having to compete
> with government-subsidized pseudo-businesses.

Sure they do. But I imagine Kinkos and B&N would have access to the same LoC book database, and would be able to print books for purchase too (otherwise it would be unfair to them). This just puts libraries on an even footing - libraries that don't want to sell books to the public could stay that way.

> If you want information or to read a book, go to the library.
> If you want to OWN the book, go to a bookstore.

Yup, that's the current model. Lets break down what you said:

Go to a library for this:
1. information about a book
2. to read a book

Go to a bookstore for this:
3. To own a book

One of the key reasons people use libraries is the library database, and the assurance that a book in the library database is probably "in stock" for lending out. Now if this proposal goes ahead, both Kinko's and B&N will suddenly get #1 - the best library database there can be. With #3 becoming more attractive, (book price reduction due to a larger market -- see below), one of the USPs of libraries simply isn't so anymore.

> I'd also say that the concept of really cheap books
> because of lack of physical inventory isn't guaranteed.
A book typically has a single fixed cost at the start (the authoring). After that, the more copies you sell, the more the profit.

> It certainly hasn't panned out with magazines or academic journals
That's because a journal is different from a typical book - each journal issue is like a book that comes out each month with the authoring costs paid each time, but sold to a very limited market.

Since this proposal would broaden the market immensely both books and journals:
- size of the print run is no longer an issue
- inventory is no longer an issue
- royalties keep flowing in for longer durations ... the costs for all categories of information - both books and journals - would come down.

> There's also a big copyright issue with the whole concept of scanning in the LoC collection.
> With physical library items, only one person may have the item at a time,
> so there's no copyright issue. (No copies are being made.)
> With a digital version, multiple people can access it at one time.

Many copyright holders _want_ this to happen and are already doing this.
For instance, you can go to Amazon's A9.com site and search on Gandhi's wife:
http://a9.com/gandhi%20kasturba
(be sure to click on the books button on the left - this returns matches within a book)

Now if entire books were scanned into the LoC database, a canny person could type in the name of a book, and then "page 1", "page 2"... and so... to essentially read the book without paying for it.

One way to secure copyright against behavior like this is by restrictions that can be imposed on both the server and the clients that are searching the book (say, the client cannot view more than 30 words surrounding each match). Amazon's restrictions seem to be that they just scan in the table of contents, not the entire book.

> Finally, the upkeep cost for scanned items is huge.
Well, that scanning would only be done once, using government funds to scan it into the LoC database. The only thing a library would need would be network access to the LoC database (just like they currently do with some electronic journals and databases.)

Hate to pick nits here. But A9 does serve ad's and places them in a more annoying space.

Consider this search on the word "denver"

http://a9.com/-/company/whatsCool.jsp:
The current list of searches (and their sources) includes:

• The web (Google)
• Search Inside the Book® (Amazon.com)
• Images (Google)
• Movies (Internet Movie Database)
• Reference (definitions, encyclopedic entries and other topics by GuruNet)

http://a9.com/-/company/whatsCool.jsp:
The current list of searches (and their sources) includes:

• The web (Google)
• Search Inside the Book® (Amazon.com)
• Images (Google)
• Movies (Internet Movie Database)
• Reference (definitions, encyclopedic entries and other topics by GuruNet)

How many people actually jump on the "bandwagon" and switch search engines just because some one says it's "new and fresh"?

I gave a9 a try, I like the interface and some of the new features like the search history and the multiple search panes. But shortly after I found myself using google again. Even though a9 uses google, and the results are almost identical, I didn't find anything compelling enough to make me switch.

Does anyone else feel they might be missing some results if they were to use another search engine?
What must a new search engine provide to "steal" users from google?

Free iPods? Sure!

Instead there is now http://a9.com/ search on http://imdb.com/... I already hate that little A9 window, even have to turn on javascript for it to work!

If you are really interested in privacy, read the Privacy Policy. The first thing I did was print it out, and lo and behold, if you don't want to be recognised, you can use their alternate service at http://generic.amazon.com. On generic.A9.com, they won't recognise your A9.com or Amazon.com cookie, and the information they gather will not be used in their data analysis.

Don't like the personalization features? Then use the generic search page.

Lastly, amazon's offering a discount to all a9 users

It's an interesting concept, but I honestly question some of the image results. For example, Test returns:

$ A punching bag dummy
$ A Hindu woman dancing
$ A Home Pregnancy Test
$ This

Weird.

I'm definitely not going to let my kids use this search engine. What if they got a project on interracial relationships and type in Interracial... Plenty of stuff they shouldn't have to see.

If you don't want Amazon tracking your searches, use http://generic.a9.com/, which doesn't look like it even sets any cookies.

I've been won over :P

• Visit a9.com
  
• Decide upon a quick test query: "anything"
  
• get a picture of two naked men embracing
  

• Visit a9.com
  
• Decide upon a quick test query: "anything"
  
• get a picture of two naked men embracing
  

Some people seem to be having trouble getting the cookie. Going here helps.

If pictures of women in swimsuits disappoints you, then don't try this query : query at A9.

don't like pictures .

whatever.

According to the site itself:

*** Currently the A9 Toolbar runs only on Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or above. We are working to extend the toolbar to other browsers. ***

Also:

Note: We are working on toolbars to support other browsers and other operating systems (and we're looking for great developers to join our team).

If they are hiring people to port the toolbar over, we should see a XUL or similar port very soon. Which apparently is required for some of the more advanced features of the site, such as adding diary entries.

Other than that it seems to work as expected (I'm not noticing the problems other firefox users are complaining about?), maybe in another few months.

Use of Third Party Service Providers: We may, from time-to-time, employ other companies and individuals to perform functions on our behalf. Examples include sending e-mail and analyzing data. They have access to personal information needed to perform their functions, but may not use it for other purposes.
Business Relationships with Third Parties We Do Not Control: We work closely with some third parties. In some cases, we will include offerings from these businesses on A9.com. In other cases, we may include joint offerings from A9.com and these businesses on A9.com. Click here for examples of co-branded and joint offerings. You can tell when a third party is involved in the offering, and we share customer information related to those transactions with that third party.

I searched on Yahoo! but couldn't find anything. Google on the other hand returned tons of useful results.

Stupid Google fanboys. Besides, Google is dead. Long live Google.

Stupid Google fanboys. Besides, Google is dead. Long live Google.

http://a9.com/-/company/whatsCool.jsp

Just wait 'till you search on "Veronica Zemanova."

How about "string"? Programming strings, yarn, etc.? Nope, g-strings and thongs. It's funny that the text links on the left have nothing to do with the photos on the right.

Sorry, no dice. Everything is a Firefox extension.

I posted this using the AutoRecommendFirefoxExtensions Firefox extension. Get it today at www.google.com.