Online search giant, Google, often tests the waters for newservices by rolling out a "beta" (first) version of an ideato gauge public reaction.

By employing this strategy, it's easy to imagine a buildingfull of creative, "mad scientist" types cooking up thelatest and greatest online gizmos.

In fact, you can take a peek at what's cooking at Google bylogging on to http://labs.google.com.

There you'll find glimpses of the true "bleeding edge"technology Google thinks will shape the way we useinformation on the Internet in the very near future.

** Online Video Search **

Log on to http://video.google.com to see the next step inGoogle's quest to become the world's foremost repository ofonline and offline information.

This first attempt at providing searchable data about videois currently restricted to recent television shows.

Unlike the video search at rival Yahoo!( http://video.yahoo.com ) which provides a searchabledatabase of actual video clips available for viewing rightonline, Google's video search results take the browser to apage with still frame images and text transcripts of theshow.

Since it rates much easier to search text than video, thisparticular format of transcript combined with still frameshould win out over the straight video clip method (atleast for now).

** Help With Keyword Searches **

One problem everyone encounters periodically onlineinvolves wanting to find something, but not knowing exactlyhow to phrase the request to a search engine.

You sort of know what you want, but aren't 100% sure how tophrase it, or the results you get from the phrases you usedon't give you the results you want.

Log on to http://labs.google.com and click the "Google Suggest" link (currently third link from the top onthe left side of the page).

This link takes you to a search page where, as you type inyour keyword phrase, Google will make additionalsuggestions on related search terms you should consider.

Other gizmos in the Google "lab" include: Google Maps.Google Desktop, and Google Scholar.

** Recent Graduates From The "Lab" **

Some recent graduates of the Google Lab include:

"Web Alerts" - Log on to http://www.google.com/alerts toreceive an email notification any time a new web page ornews article enters the Google database containing a searchphrase you specify.

This provides an excellent means to quickly find new sitesthat mention anything from your favorite movie star to useof a trademarked product name you want to monitor.

"Search By Location" - Log on to http://local.google.com tofind local businesses and other interesting informationbased on geography.

A search on "printing" in "norge, va" immediately broughtup the Printwell printer I use, and a search for "mexican"in "lightfoot, va" turned up my favorite Mexicanrestaurant.

Also, a search for "museum" in "williamsburg, va" turned upsome very interesting places I didn't know existed, eventhough we live in a tourist town.

I actually doubt that Google hires mad scientists, but bythe looks of all the projects they have going, it's safe tosay they hire extremely creative people who like to pushthe boundaries of technology.

© Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved - http://www.thenetreporter.com

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