The Google Blog announced a few new features for Google search this week. First, they confirmed the realtime counter we reported earlier last week. Second, local search suggestions are now for cities around the world, not just in the US. Finally, Google Alerts for news based alerts is now improved. In April 2010, Google made Google Suggest -- which is now is calling "Autocomplete" -- locally relevant, so that if you are in a specific city or metropolitan area, Google will tailor the autocompletions based on that area. Google said they have extended the "hyper-local predictions" around [...]

Related Topics: Google: Alerts | Google: Instant | Google: Maps & Local | Google: News | Google: Suggest

Google announced a few new small features added recently. (1) Google Translate added Latin as a new language. Google said, "although considered a “dead language” by many, Latin is still studied by hundreds of thousands of students worldwide and is the predecessor to many modern tongues." I am sure those who study in this language welcome it to Google Translate. (2) Google has updated their flu shot location search in collaboration with the U.S. Department for Health and Human Services (HHS). The flu season is right around the corner and it might pay for you to get your shot earl [...]

Related Topics: Google: Alerts | Google: Health | Google: Translate

It seems like the Google Alerts team is up to some new tricks. A couple weeks ago, Google tweaked the quality algorithm of Google Alerts and, although I missed it then TechCrunch noticed, they dropped the web alerts option. In regards to the quality change, Googler Marcel said: Regarding the volume of alerts, we've been tweaking Alerts from a quality point of view to try and avoid sending things that people aren't interested in. If you want more results, change the "Email length" setting for your alerts from "up to 20 results" to "up to 50 results" - you'll get more results with looser [...]

Related Topics: Google: Alerts

How did singer Katy Perry discover that Russell Brand was going to propose to her? Turns out that Perry googles herself on a regular basis and found out Brand had purchased a ring. Perry explained to reporters as she walked down the red carpet to the Grammys this week that she uses Google Alerts to track news about herself: Unfortunately, I still Google myself sometimes. I saw it on Google alerts. I'm going to be honest! That's from Monsters & Critics, and many other publications including the New York Daily News have the same quote. [...]

Related Topics: Google: Alerts | Search & Society: General

Can a search engine accurately diagnose health problems? Can it someday replace your doctor? Questions like this aren't new, but the discussion has gotten a bit louder in recent weeks. Just a couple weeks ago, I reported on a Microsoft investigation of cyberchondria, when inaccurate medical information online makes actual health problems worse. On Friday, Dilbert cartoon creator Scott Adams shared a different point of view, telling blog readers how Google helped him find treatment for a speech defect known as Spasmodic Dysphonia. More specifically, Adams was using Google Alerts to get i [...]

Related Topics: Features: Analysis | Google: Alerts | Google: Health | Google: Web Search | Microsoft: Other | Microsoft: Other Search | Search & Society: General | Search Engines: Health & Medical Search Engines | Top News