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Google Preps Instant Search For Chrome 8

An anonymous reader writes "Google is apparently playing with a nifty integration of instant search inside of its Chrome browser. Typing in the URL bar will automatically bring up a search page, while URLs apparently can be completed much faster as well. It seems as if Google isn't running out of ideas for its browser anytime soon."

12 of 128 comments (clear)

  1. So they want our complete URL history? by wal9001 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Sounds like a not too subtle excuse to send every URL you type back to your targeted advertising file at Google. Were there a separate search box, I'd be less cynical, but one has to wonder if this was always their vision for what the browser bar should do.

    1. Re:So they want our complete URL history? by jojoba_oil · · Score: 3, Informative

      Actually, Chrome has been doing that for ages with the existing suggestions. I setup a Squid cache for my house and found letter-for-letter requests coming from computers using Chrome. Try it yourself if you're curious--or you can just turn off suggestions.

    2. Re:So they want our complete URL history? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      The interesting thing about Google Instant is that it was really a vehicle for Google to permanently enable Search Suggestions.

      Previously on their webpage search options, you could turn suggestions on or off.

      Now that dialog has been replaced with Google Instant on/off. Turning it off leaves you with the old style suggestions enabled (no way to disable). That, in turn, allows them to track everything you type. Don't be evil indeed.

  2. Re:I hope there's a way to turn this off by AnonymousClown · · Score: 3, Funny
    Tell me about it! I was searching for articles on milk and milk's affect in the mouth, lips, blowing bubbles, hair and saliva glands anyway, I mistyped and put in milf and BAM! these site with these naked women having sex and other things that I just can't say! How could this happen!?!

    I mean really, no one actually goes out and searches for pornography! Google just puts it there when you accidentally mistype something.

    You gotta be carful!

    --
    RIP America

    July 4, 1776 - September 11, 2001

  3. Features by Reality+Master+101 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I love Chrome, and don't miss Firefox at all (and especially don't miss my system being brought to its knees by the constant memory leaks that seemingly can't be fixed), but I wish they would focus less on whiz-bang features, and focus more on filling in the gaps in the core features. Things like "Print Preview" and "Properties" when you right-click an image come to mind.

    --
    Sometimes it's best to just let stupid people be stupid.
    1. Re:Features by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      Things like "Print Preview" and "Properties" when you right-click an image come to mind.

      If you'd like to see those implemented, please star/comment on these bugs:
      http://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=173
      http://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=9278

  4. Nifty is a relative term... by feidaykin · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I suppose it is "nifty" for folks that actually like the instant search feature, but I've been happily avoiding it by doing my searches through the URL bar in Chrome. Guess they'll take that option away, too? Oh well, I'm not going to nerd-rage about it like some of the posts I've seen on Slashdot. It's just a minor annoyance to me but I'll likely still use Chrome to browse and Google to search. I really like Chrome, mainly because it's one of the few browsers that's lightning fast when I have lots of tabs with Flash heavy content open. That's probably only because of my aging hardware, and it's not like Firefox is really sluggish on my system, just noticeably slower.

    Plus Chrome has other neat features, like when I type the URL of a site I have searched before, you can search that site again by pressing tab, so I don't need to have a bunch of different search boxes for different sites like I do in Firefox. Anyway, I guess I'll reserve my judgement until it's actually implemented, maybe they'll do it in a way that isn't too irksome or distracting.

    --

    "To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit." -Stephen Hawking

  5. Works on passwords too! by rwa2 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Hey! Did you know if you type in your root password into the search bar, it can list your computer in the search results?

    It works on Slashdot too... see, here's mine: ********

    / accidentally his password in the google search bar the other day
    // it's different now

    1. Re:Works on passwords too! by MozeeToby · · Score: 4, Funny

      You accidentally the whole password into the search bar?

  6. Re:I hope there's a way to turn this off by DJLuc1d · · Score: 5, Informative

    Google has already said that instant search will not search for 'adult themed material' even if safe search is off. Go ahead try typing in some of the most common porn searches. Anal, teen, hardcore, none of it will return results in instant search. And yes, I'm sure you will be able to turn off google instant just like you can now. http://www.google.com/instant/

  7. Re:Not good ideas, tho by cgenman · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I find it useful for refining results.

    [Dominant concept] [sub concept 1] [sub concept 2] [refining concept 1] [refining concept 2] [additional info 1] [additional info 2]

    Start typing. If you don't see what you're looking for, keep typing. Add terms and refinements. Keep going. Running 4 separate searches to find what you're looking for is slow. Seeing how you need to change your query to shape your results in realtime can be helpful.

  8. Technically true by The_mad_linguist · · Score: 3, Insightful

    " It seems as if Google isn't running out of ideas for its browser anytime soon"...

    That's true, but they are running out of good ideas.