Google search bar
Google service developed in Israel launched
Google Suggest, that completes search terms for users in real time and was developed by an Israeli team, launched in 151 local websites, 51 different languages, adapted to different countries' needs
Google Israel boasted another success on Wednesday, after the international Google Suggest service, which was developed by the Israeli team, was launched in local versions.
The service works by completing words a user types in the search box and offers suggestions in real time.
The Israeli team that led the development of the product is headed by Miki Hershkovitz, and Dr. Yoelle Maarek, head of search in the Google Israel R&D Center in Haifa.
The service has been operating for some months now on the Google.com homepage, and as of Wednesday was made available in all local websites, with cultural and local factors taken into account.
For example, while the British and Australian websites both operate in English, a user will get different results when using the Suggest feature.
"In Australia, for example, if you start typing 'kan', you will get results that include the word 'kangaroo'," said product manager David Kadosh, "This is information that is usually not relevant to other places, so it will only appear in Australia."
The service was launched in over 150 local Google websites and in 51 languages, including Hebrew and Arabic.
Another advantage to the service is that it automatically corrects spelling mistakes, which Hershkovitz said could not only help children learn how to spell, but may also protect them from websites that may want to lure them by operating from sites that are likely to be misspelled by children.
The company also decided against including "inappropriate" content in the service, such as pornography, junk mail, or religiously offensive material in certain countries.
The Israeli team is in charge of the service in all countries in which Google operates. The original service was developed in 2004 for the Google Toolbar, and development was moved to Israel in the end of 2006.
Google Suggest has also been made available in youtube.com, and the team plans to install the service in all Google search boxes, including Google News Google Images and more.
