Throwback Thursday: From the First Internet Search Engine to Predictive Search

Photo Credit: psdgraphics.com

Approximately 24 years ago, the first Internet search engine was launched, they called it Archie. "It was used to index FTP archives to make finding files easier. How, as the technology for the World Wide Web was not invented until later in the year, it was not the first web search engine." (thisdayintechhistory.com)

Innovations to search engines took off after that. Ever since then, there has been ever-changing improvements to search engine tools. Engineers are continuously trying to come up with ways to make searching easier, and in a span of about a quarter of a century, search has innovated a lot.

In today's World, we use search for almost everything. The most common answer to a question we don't know is, "Google it." It has become so easy to search for information on the Internet with the use of complex algorithms that analyze text (and voice in some cases) to provide you with the right content.  

Going forward, predictive search is a hot topic in the tech community. Google started using predictive search algorithms a while back (remember when finishing your sentence in the search bar was a new phenomenon), but now predictive search is getting more intuitive. Not only can it make an educated suggestion as to finishing your sentence, it can suggest answers to questions you didn't even know you wanted to know based on prior interactions. 

As we can see, search is beginning to move toward a more intuitive and interactive based logic to find what you need. It is becoming more like a personal assistant that can communicate with you, rather than a simple list of archived files. What do you think about the future of search? With smart machines and the Internet of Everything, how do you think search will adapt to simplify the lives of the billions of connected users?
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Tim Cook Says, "People Want to Relate to Their Phone in a Different Way"

About two years ago, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, was interviewed and asked about Siri. His response was, "I think Siri has proven to us that people want to relate to their phone in a different way. Yes it can be broader and so forth, but we see unbelievable potential here. I think you're going to be happy with where it's going. We're doubling down on it." (wired.co.uk)

Fast forward 2 years, we can tell that they are doing some serious upgrading to Siri technology to keep up with the competition. As we mentioned yesterday, Siri has some interesting new features to appear in the updated iOS8. Back in August, Apple submitted a patent application for a Siri-like virtual assistant for Mac's (appleinsider.com). And now, they are expanding their Siri office in Boston to accommodate their continued work on speech recognition technology. "Earlier this year a report in June suggested Apple could be looking to replace Nuance as the speech recognition component used for Siri pointing to several new hires at the company." (9to5mac.com)

Siri, and other Virtual Assistants alike, provide users with a sense of connection to their devices, making it more personal. It has completely changed the way humans interact with not only our phones, but technology in general. Virtual Agents are being used more and more for customer support (helping users solve their own problems), sales (giving users knowledge and recommendations based on specific, personalized information), and care (letting users know information about their shipments/orders).

Do you agree that Siri has changed the way we relate with our devices? Imagine a life with a more intuitive and interactive Virtual Assistant; similar to a trusted 'pal' that can predict your needs/wants, give you relevant information in real time, and assist you with things such as scheduling, shopping, and controlling other devices. Siri might not be there yet, but it seems that the future of Virtual Assistants is moving in that direction.   

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