“We’ve received multiple (if thin) reports that Apple is working on a search engine of some sort,” Michael Arrington reports for TechCrunch.
“Apple’s Safari browser has 6-7% market share, and currently uses Google as the search engine for both the standard and iPhone/iPod versions (unlike other browsers, you don’t have a choice),” Arrington reports.
MacDailyNews Take: Incorrect. For iPhone and iPod touch: Settings>Safari>Search Engine: Choose “Google” or “Yahoo!” And, of course, Safari is customizable by third-parties, including allowing the other search engine additions. One such example is David Watanabe’s Inquisitor.
Arrington continues, “Also, Apple can’t be super pleased with Google’s competition to the iPhone with Android. Google CEO Eric Schmidt, who’s also on Apple’s board of directors, sits out of discussions involving Apple’s mobile strategy, and rumor is he may leave the board. But one important fact that isn’t checking out – if Apple were building a search engine, they’d be hiring search experts and engineers. We’ve talked to a ton of them at all the big companies, and while some of them heard the same rumors, none have lost search employees to Apple, or heard of any specific hirings.”
“Here’s what we think is really going on: Apple doesn’t like the search experience on its mobile devices, and may be building a radically different user experience which is much more visual than exists today,” Arrington reports. “It will likely still be powered by Google…”
More in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Jonathan G.” for the heads up.]
“”Also, Apple can’t be super pleased with Google’s competition to the iPhone with Android”
really? why would Apple care about that train wreck?
I think they could build off the Cooliris app. For image searches you can’t beat it. thoughts? anyone? is thing on?
Steve Jobs’ things to do:
1. Complete Sno’ Leopard
2. Design next iPhone
3. Design next iPod
4. Integrate Nehalem technology
5. Transition to LED for all Macs
6. Revive mini
Nope, don’t see search engine anywhere.
“and rumor is he may leave the board”
I heard another rumor that he is going to stay on the board.
Funny how rumors can be made up to suit the article, isn’t it?
This guy obviously has no idea what he is talking about.. Since he reports you cant change your search engine, but you CAN. and its OBVIOUS you can, everything else this guy writes is WRONG.
Idiot…..
How can it be a new search engine if the search is ‘powered by google’?
resurrect Sherlock!
goobi, in so much as search engine has become synonymous with the type of browser based front-end experience of things like google. The “engine” may well still be google, but maybe they’ll tap into the results and give them an apple twist. Perhaps an iPhoto like interface for image searches?
Probably just something to do with Spotlight.
Like we are doing to M$; We WILL hit you on ALL fronts.
Sherlock was pretty cool in its day, but required 3rd parties to jump on board. Watson was given away for free and was cool, too.
Sounds to me like Apple and Google agreeing to dividing up responsibilities for the avoidance of duplication…
Apple will be just fine with Android as its main competitor.
I wouldn’t mind seeing a revised, new and improved sherlock type tool. Not a search engine, more of a search results interface. It should be tied to google…why reinvent the perfect wheel?
1. This would keep Google focussed minding their primary (money making) business, as opposed to others.
2. Google may have been hatin’ a bit lately, probably. Just use their news to search Apple and notice any trends in prominence? Subtle, but I bet someone at Apple notices these naughtiness.
3. Why would they want to hire search engineers, when they can just pick up Yahoo for a pretty penny.
4. Better privacy, better UI, and Jobsian focus, could make for a bit of healthy competition, and would be so welcomed for many. Google is a legitimately monopoly gatekeeper, and therefore should be suspect to serious mistrusts.
Seriously, Google, go back fighting Office with M$, and innovating betas.
Coverflow for search results?
Buy Yahoo? That’s the first good Apple acquisition I’ve heard suggested.
As Judge Judy likes to say “It doesn’t make any sense… and usually if things don’t make any sense, that means THEY’RE NOT TRUE!”
Truer words were never spoken.
Meanwhile MS is secretly building a custom fit ‘loser trunk’ for Ballmer…
Why would Apple want to challenge Google? Google is more entrenched than Ebay, Amazon, etc. Apple doesn’t need to compete with Google when Apple can simply use Google’s services.
Buying Yahoo! makes no sense either. Yahoo! is an also-ran now and falling further behind.
Apple is a hardware company which makes great software to power the hardware. No reason to become a search engine company; there’s no hardware sales there.
I also think any search research would be spotlight related. If apple is the least concerned with how search results are presented, that is no reason to create your own search engine.
Techcrunch is garbage for rumors and even worse for analytical thinking.
“Also, Apple can’t be super pleased with Google’s competition to the iPhone with Android. Google CEO Eric Schmidt, who’s also on Apple’s board of directors, sits out of discussions involving Apple’s mobile strategy, and rumor is he may leave the board.”
That’s well and good now (sitting out conflict-of-interest topics) but how did things play out leading up to the iPhone and related discussions?
Since the iPhone seems to have been discussed, planned and given the go ahead well before the Android project (noting the iPhones obvious influence on Android and many other phone wannabes), would Schmidt not have been in on early iPhone talk and planning? Was he able to influence and feed “iPhone” info to the Android team and project?
The fact he may sit out mobile topics now seems like closing the barn doors after the horse has escaped.
It would be funny and Balmer’s head would explode if Apple bought Yahoo, but it’s not a good fit for Apple.
I could see Apple building a portal and having the search be powered by Google. Remember the way Yahoo search was powered by Inktomi and then Google before they developed their own search engine?
I think Apple and Google understand that they feed off each others’ strengths, and their real rival/threat is MSFT, not each other. There is one piece of search data Apple has more than maybe even Google – media search through iTunes. THAT points to a basis for a much better and more advanced AI search engine than the overwhelming sea of patterns you can comb off of Google or Yahoo in trying to understand human interests and behavior. I don’t think the Genius Bar concept is limited to just in-store tech support and iTunes music auto pairing. But with Apple, it won’t be revealed until its time.
I suppose Apple could buy Yahoo, and let it continue as a semi-independent entity. Sort of like how they own Filemaker, but don’t run it directly. Might be a good solution to Yahoo not being a very good “fit” for Apple.
…dang, you ever notice how one unlikely rumor tends to spawn additional unlikely rumors?