Google Labs

Yesterday, Google Labs pulled back the curtain on its latest tech toys. One is Similar Images, a search that allows users to find images that look much like one in the results listing. Suppose my image search turns up a photo of a black bear. I click on the "similar images" link below that photo and a new set of results comes up, all featuring black bears.

This is an intuitive way to help me find exactly what I want without describing it down to the last detail or clicking through pages of results to find the right kinds of images. Want to see the controversial Tropicana OJ package and the way it looked before (and after) that hiccup? This is a good way to search for it.

Remember "Timetables of History" book? Google News Timeline is all about timelines, with headlines and photos arranged day-by-day to scroll up and down recent history. Choose from an odd but diverse assortment of sources: various newspapers, Time mag news, Wikipedia events, sports scores, blogs, and more. Want to see Time mag covers for all of 1999? Enter the year in the "date" search box and click. Voila!