Last May, Yahoo acquired a startup called Inquisitor which offers a search plug-in for all the major browsers. Today, Inquisitor is available as an iPhone app and it shows how certain features, such as Yahoo’s Search Assist, really shine on a mobile device where you want to keep your typing to a minimum.
When you start typing a search in Inquisitor, a list of suggested keywords automatically appears below (just as it does on Yahoo’s regular search engine on the Web). The more letters you type, the more refined the suggestions become, allowing you to select one before completing the word in the search box. Results are presented in large, easy-to-read gray boxes, with favicons and two lines worth of text. Abbreviated news results from two sources appear at the very top if they are available, and can be clicked through to see only news results.
Once you click through to a Webpage or article, it is framed by the app. A toolbar at the top allows you to return to your search, making for more fluid navigation. You can always escape the app to view the app in the iPhone’s regular Safari browser as well. There is also an option for emailing links.
Despite all the advances in mobile Web devices, they are still constrained. Features that simplify navigation or remove unnecessary steps can still be the difference between a usable app and one that you never return to. Inquisitor is one app on the iPhone I will be returning to when I want to do searches, which is often.
Minor thing, but I like the images it displays next to each result, makes it easier to identify sites like wikipedia.
Clairvoyant search, invented in 1982, becoming a big deal on the iphone in 2009 – 27 years later. Cool.
Question: What was the first use of clairvoyant search?
This looks pretty interesting. Search has always been a little trying when it comes to mobile devices. I’ll have to try this out!
Also nice to see that Yahoo is doing some things with their acquisitions. Nothing worse than seeing a company get acquired and then fizzle.
I’ve been using Inquisitor in Safari and Firefox for a while now, and it’s amazing. Can’t wait to see what comes out of the iPhone version!
In what sense was Inquisitor a “startup”?
It was a small Safari plugin written by an individual developer. Nothing more.
Inquisitor is a product of a startup. The developer (David Watanabe) also makes NewsFire, the RSS reader for Mac.
Dave Watanabe is an individual who has been developing for years.
He is neither a company, nor (as far as I’m aware) is he ’starting’ anything.
And how is that a startup? Parent is correct: it’s just a small plugin developed, developed by a single guy, given away for free. It’s not a business, and it never will be.
You guys are clueless. In the world of private equity and venture capital, whether your one guy with an idea or a bunch of guys, as long as you have a legal entity and are creating something that makes money, you’re a “start-up.” Not sure what the rest of you folks outside the business world call it.
You’d be surprised how much money he made with Inquisitor, Aaron.
Amazon searches add up.
I’m a fan of anything that makes typing easier on the iPhone! Especially when I am trying to type fast and am not paying attention to every single letter. I’ll definitely download Inquisitor and play around.
I had used it and found it good.
The Inquisitor iphone app is the best search solution on iphone till date!
Try iSearch – it does Search Assist, great Image search, news search and it allows you to switch search engines, turn on/off filters. A much better application and you get more search results.
http://tinyurl.com/6rmswo
interesting
why not make this app iTouch ready too?
@patrick it will work on the iPod Touch — there is an issue we are working thru on the App Store.
Nice seeing search being focused on for the iphone.
I’ve been waiting a while for a good skin for my iphone for so long for usability this is the better option by far. two thumbs up many thanks
I’ve been using Google Mobile. Voice is killer (though the UI is a bit clunky).
With all the great feedback, I’ll have to gove this a try too!
Also try the Duck Duck Go iPhone App: http://duckduck...search-app.html
We provide zero-click information and related topics in addition to a framed browser and site icons like Inquisitor.
add your site here totally free,
great resource site.
menu design showcase: very useful stuff.
http://www.cssh...com/menudesign/
Thanks
I gave up on Inquisitor for Safari on OS X. It just was too aggressive in sending you to their selected page. I didn’t like the default action for “enter” going to their selection. Became very frustrating. Maybe it’s changed in the last 3 months. Maybe it’s better for the iPhone, but I won’t be trying it out.
Issue resolved:
Inquisitor works on both 1st and 2nd generation iPod Touch
Check out Glims. IT does what Inquisitor does plus a whole lot more, and works with Safari 4 beta. Also note that now Safari 4 implements Google suggest all on its own….
Inquisitor uses selectively Yahoo suggest (now the default) or Google suggest. Then it presents the top sites based on the suggested item being googled (or yahooed). Not really doing anything that spectacular.
Google App for the iPhone does that already…
They might just have nailed search for the iPhone, which has been a fairly dismal experience. Reloading pages or going back and forth between search results is just too painful on the small screen.
I’m definitely going to have to check this out.
The Inquisitor app is the good search solution on iphone. when will the Inquisitor app be used in Blackberry?
Give WeFind a try – it does everything Inquisitor does and so much more. Readily available in the German AppStore, should arrive in the US store next week
Looking forward to this (not yet released in the UK App Store). Can anyone confirm whether you can choose your search engine (like the Safari plugin) or whether this is Yahoo! only?
Would be a real shame if it was Yahoo only – the Safari Inquisitor plugin has also ceased to work with any of the Google locales.
Would be great to see a yahoo company get off to a strong start in the mobile search market. Hold G at bay.
I love Yahoo Search for its Search Assist and now SearchMonkey functionality.
Those working on iPhone apps that involve search or could benefit from Auto-Suggest/Auto-Complete should look at http://www.sema...o-complete.html as one potential way to get that functionality into iPhone and other apps.
i hope that yahoo even survives the economic downturn. the ideas that have come out of that company were excellent.
The developer has a fairly long track record. More successful than most might imagine as well. There are only a couple issues i have with the Iphone and one is ease of search overall. I think that can be solves relatively painlessly, such as with this product. The other is security related, in which I consult This site.