Google Instant on a PC browser has always been a clever idea in search of a use case. With the new mobile beta for Android and iOS, the search giant has found its first.
“Wouldn?t it be great to have Google Instant on mobile devices, where each keystroke and page load is much slower and you frequently have just a moment to find the information you need?” writes Google engineer Steve Kanefsky.
Indeed. With fast hands and a full QWERTY keyboard, the time between typing “Google Instant” and “Google Ins” is minimal. On a non-PC keyboard like a phone, e-reader or remote control, it’s considerable.
To activate the beta, you need to be running Android 2.2 (Froyo) or iOS. Then go to google.com in your mobile browser and tap the Google Instant ?Turn on? link beneath the search box.
The only trouble with Google Instant on mobile devices is the net connection. Google Instant works by making server calls with each stroke. To even make it work in a mobile browser, google had to create a new AJAX and HTML5 implementation to dynamically update the page with new results.
On a good Wi-Fi network, that’s no big deal. On 3G, it’s not a major problem. On (gasp) EDGE, it can actually make search much, much slower.
“With Google Instant on mobile, we?re pushing the limits of mobile browsers and wireless networks,” Kanefsky writes. “Since the quality of any wireless connection can fluctuate, we?ve made it easy to enable or disable Google Instant without ever leaving the page. Just tap the ‘Turn on’ or ‘Turn off’ link.”
See Also:
- How Google Instant Could Reinvent Channel Flipping
- Chrome 8 Adds Google Instant to the URL Bar
- Google Debuts 'Instant' Search (Updated)
- What's In A Search, If You Don't Hit the Search Button …
- Google Adds Gesture Search to Android Phones
- Google Beefs Up Voice Search, Mobile Sync
Full story at http://feeds.wired.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/-haSoMbqXnM/
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