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Out-Googling the Google?

Over the last few years, a few new companies have touted their search engines as superior to Google. I would then perform a simple test: Googling myself. None could match the master.

Now comes a new player: Wolfram. This tool promises the world. It doesn't just return results based on keywords, but shows a deeper understanding, offering answers that would make a Harvard prof proud. A couple of examples in an article from The Independent? It can play a scale based on a search for a note or compare the height of Everest to the Golden Gate Bridge (I don't want to give away the surprise, but apparently the mountain is higher).

This is all well and good, but my sense is the system can't automatically reach all these conclusions, but that vastly more complex tagging will be needed. And if this really is a Google killer, Google will probably just buy it.

Posted by Doug Barney on May 04, 2009


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