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October 2, 2006

SearchMash, a New Google Search Site


SearchMash is a low-profile site created by Google, that mixes Google Search with Google Image Search and adds some interesting features. The concept is similar to the old A9.

Search results are numbered and you can reorder them. Clicking on the green URL, you'll see a list of options like "cached copy", "similar sites". You don't have click on the search box to type your query. There is no search button, you just have to type enter. Google shows the number of visible search results in the top right corner. Clicking on the "more" link, Google loads a new set of results using Ajax and scrolls to the first result of the new set using a nice animation (this seems broken in Firefox). Actually the entire site uses a lot of JavaScript and Ajax, and it can't be used if you disable JavaScript.

For the moment, SearchMash is a playground for small ideas that could be the foundation of an entirely new Google site. Although this site is mainly for Google testers, it's interesting to see it growing.

{ Found by Pete Warden, who has an interesting site called... SearchMash. Via Blogoscoped Forum. }

Related:
Restrict your search to your favorite sites, soon at Google

7 comments:

  1. Yeah its definatly at testing ground for google, they can try new ideas on here and see what response they get as i noticed on the features page it asks what you feel is useful, this way they can do the research without using the main google site.

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  2. I love the way the interface works on it, although i haven't tested the image part since google images are blocked in college.. gah

    Only weird thing i noticed is when the searches reach 100, it ends.
    Plus when you are actually searching, it could be better if they kill off searches that are 20-30 pages back, or at least hide them away under a click-to-reveal link.
    I'll need to suggest that to them later.

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  3. SearchMash is so kool ! Particularly impressive is automatically scroll down while viewing "More Web pages" against A typed Seacrh Query.

    Just one suggestion - get the up and down keys to cycle through results as well?

    After all (technically) anything is poosible Gooooooogle !

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  4. Noticeable: when the query gives no match, this text appaears:

    "Oops, no results found! Try a new search, or maybe explore popular searches?"

    Where "popular searches" brings you to a totally random query like MTV or "Je t'ame".

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  5. I am not sure if it is a google site. To me it looks like a shady site. looks like a hoax.

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  6. Dude, I've been using it for months now. The only harp I have against it is the lack of Greasemonkey scripts and Firefox extensions for it (AFAIK anyway).

    At first, I would jump past the first 10 results since I wasn't quite sure what that dotted-line was for.

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  7. Would be really great if there was a widget for Google Desktop :)

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