SearchEngineUpdate with Vanessa Zamora - 07-31-2008 Part I
Abstract: 1. Google Shows Users How It Customizes Search, 2. Google Acquires Omnisio For YouTube
Vanessa Zamora
Video Content Producer, SearchEngineWorld
5:11 pm on July 31, 2008 (utc 0)
Transcript
Thursday July 31, 2008
Google Shows Users How It Customizes Search
Google is adding an element of transparency to its search service, now revealing details about how it customizes search results displayed, based on a persons location, determined by a computer users Internet Protocol address or by address information stored in a users Google account, also based on recent searches that provide Google context for relaying search results, and lastly based on search history, but only if explicitly enabled by a user. A message will appear in the upper right hand corner above the search results revealing how searches were customized and offering a link to more details. Users utilizing Google customized search option also have the option to follow a link to the search results that would have been shown if Google didn’t take into account the available information.
Google has acquired online video editing company Omnisio for integration to its YouTube video sharing website. The Omnisio tool lets users add comments to videos, combine various clips found on YouTube, Google Video or Blip.tv to form new, embeddable videos and synchronize Slideshare presentations to videos. This is the second time Google has introduced a remixer for YouTube, following the first unsuccessful attempt of the release of a slow and somewhat feature-weak tool that has since been abandoned. Omnisio launched publicly in March of this year and is backed by Y Combinator, a venture firm which invests small amounts of capital in early stage companies. According to TechCrunch, the all-cash deal is worth about $15 million.
