[Previous entry: "Letter from a soldier in Iraq"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Fiscal disaster warning -- from an unexpected source"]

09/20/2004 Archived Entry: "The new A9 search engine"

I LIKE THE NEW A9 SEARCH ENGINE from Amazon.com. Although at the moment it rides on Google technology, it's the first site I've seen that has the potential to blow Google straight off the map.

It does Googlishly accurate searches. Then it automatically loads thumbnail images that match your search. It also does special searches of the Internet Movie Database, Amazon.com (of course), and other popular reference sites. Lots of customization of results available, too, yet without complicating things. And click the "Discover" button; it finds new sites it thinks you'll like based on your past searches.

I got a little shock when I went there for the first time and it greeted me, "Hello, Claire," as Amazon.com does. If you don't want A9 recognizing you and keeping records of your searches, you can change the privacy settings. Click "Help" then look under "Organize and Customize." You'll find a link to Generic A9 and instructions on clearing your history.

BTW, I ego-surfed. And trust me, none of those women whose photos pop up are me -- though none of them are bad looking and A9 did find a number of book covers and my wolfhead logo (so kindly created for me by a man who, last I knew, still insisted on remaining anonymous).

Posted by Claire @ 08:33 AM CST
Link