Do Search Engines Have Any Boundaries?

Jason Gorham - August 2, 2010

Everyone has to use a starting point when looking for information on the internet, that’s why search engines are so powerful.  

Our recent Google webinar had me wondering if search engines have any boundaries.  
Of course they have boundaries you would say.   Did you know mobile search will make up at least 50% of the search engine market within three years?   That means that search engines will not only dominate the desktop, but will be everywhere that you are.   One of the newest types of search features is Google Goggles.   Google Goggles allows mobile phone users to take pictures of books, landmarks, artwork, places and wine and then identify what the picture taken is.   The system identifies the picture and then searches based on what the item is.

Another new technology soon to be released is Speech to Search.   Instead of typing your search queries into a search engine on your mobile phone, you will be able to speak your search and have the search engine recognize your searches via voice. Speech recognition has been available for years, but combining search engines and speech recognition will increase search engines ease of use on mobile devices.   What if search engines knew what you were thinking of searching?   Is this the next phase for search engines?   What if search engines could understand your finger touch and be able to predict what you’re going to do or type next?   These are just a couple of examples of where search engines could go next, so the possibilities are boundless.