Google Says Search Is Going to Be Like 'Star Trek'

By Hum
in Back Page News

 Share

Recommended Posts

Grand Master

Hum

Posted
Posted

AUSTIN, Texas - In the future, the experience of searching the web is going to be like something out of "Star Trek." Or at least, that's what Google's vision is.

"The destiny of search is to become that 'Star Trek' computer and that's what we are building," Google's Search Head Amit Singhal said at SXSW Interactive this morning. Singhal shared that computers will know what people want and users won't have to type their queries into a small box on a clean white page.

"You can walk up to a computer and say, hey, computer," Singhal explained.

Of course, that is dependent on other technologies, including improved voice control, touch and sensory tech, he said. Singhal told ABC News something similar a few months ago.

Google's already started showing that sort of capability with its Glass. One of the main ways of controlling the glasses, which project digital information over your eyes, is through voice.

"OK, Glass. Google Jellyfish," a woman says to her glasses in a teaser video released last month. The results appear right in front of her eyes.

On Saturday, Google showed off what it calls "Talking Sneakers," shoes the company says will motivate you to move more. While Google says they won't be bringing them to market, the shoes pair with a phone and out of the speaker in the top of the shoe they speak to you.

"These are some of the best times in search," Singhal said. "All the technology is coming together: speak recognition, knowledge graph, natural language understanding - there are new devices coming out, so when you marry all this, tomorrow is looking bright."

source

Mentor

thomastmc

Posted
Posted
In the future, the experience of searching the web is going to be like something out of "Star Trek." Or at least, that's what Google's vision is.

"The destiny of search is to become that 'Star Trek' computer and that's what we are building," Google's Search Head Amit Singhal said at SXSW Interactive this morning. Singhal shared that computers will know what people want and users won't have to type their queries into a small box on a clean white page.

"You can walk up to a computer and say, hey, computer," Singhal explained.

I don't know... This guy has made some pretty incredulous and far out predictions before this one.

I've heard that in 1998 he proclaimed, "Computers will one day be very small, and very fast". And, just a few months ago he was saying something like, "Renewable resources are the future of energy production".

Seems pretty outlandish to me.

Mentor

thomastmc

Posted
Posted

I for one would not enjoy having to talk to a computer.

Many times I just want quiet.

Your close-by neighbors may here everything you are doing -- and vice-versa.

And what if you have a sore throat ...

Privacy is a good point, as well as not having an office full of people talking to their computers. It would sound like the stock exchange floor.

I always cringe when someone is dictating a letter to the computer on Star Trek. I write very differently from how I speak, and like the differences. Dictation is out for me.

  • Ian W and FiB3R
  • Like 2
Enthusiast

droolingmonkey

Posted
Posted

Come on, haters, its not like google is going to confiscate your keyboards... this will simply be an extra option, that many may CHOOSE to use. More choices is good, right? Even if YOU dont like it, perhaps others might (like my Nana, who cant see super well, being able to speak to her computer would be great for her.)

Grand Master

The Teej

Posted
Posted

I don't know... This guy has made some pretty incredulous and far out predictions before this one.

I've heard that in 1998 he proclaimed, "Computers will one day be very small, and very fast". And, just a few months ago he was saying something like, "Renewable resources are the future of energy production".

Seems pretty outlandish to me.

Are you being sarcastic or serious? Because in 2013 we have hand held computers that are screamingly fast compared to household computers in 1998 - they're called smartphones. And renewable resources are the future of energy production, especially solar and wind energies.

Veteran

rfirth

Posted
Posted

On Saturday, Google showed off what it calls "Talking Sneakers," shoes the company says will motivate you to move more.

Yeah, that doesn't sound incredibly annoying AT ALL :p

Anyway... so search will be like 'Star Trek'... like IBM Watson? But... with Google AdSense?

Grand Master

Malisk

Posted
Posted

I think the language parsing is the most interesting part here. It sounds like you'll be brought to what you're searching for more easily without having to constantly refine keywords and browsing pages. However, this puts high demands on the artificial intelligence used.

As for deaf people: I'm sure that it, like Siri and S Voice etc, supports text output as well, despite being voice-oriented.

As for blind people: It would obviously be very useful. Any progression in this field is for them.

As for deaf and blind people: Hopefully there is tactile feedback in the future for those! Or they have to use the Internet with an assistant.

As for people with an aversion for new technology: Sorry, those can perhaps not be helped though.

Grand Master

BajiRav

Posted
Posted

Me: Google cheese singles

Google responding loudly: These are <adsense>Meet Russian singles near you who like cheese</adsense> the stores that sell cheese singles near you

Wife: Why are you searching for Russian ladies?

:no:

Grand Master

firey

Posted
Posted

Me: Google cheese singles

Google responding loudly: These are <adsense>Meet Russian singles near you who like cheese</adsense> the stores that sell cheese singles near you

Wife: Why are you searching for Russian ladies?

:no:

That's when you say "Don't come in in the middle of a conversation. Clearly the search wasn't for Russian Ladys, I do that when you AREN'T home."

Mentor

thomastmc

Posted
Posted

Are you being sarcastic or serious? Because in 2013 we have hand held computers that are screamingly fast compared to household computers in 1998 - they're called smartphones. And renewable resources are the future of energy production, especially solar and wind energies.

Uhhh, yes. I was being sarcastic. That's why I used those examples of predictions that aren't really predictions, but rather are just obvious logical progressions of technology. Everyone knew in 1998 that computers were soon going to be very small and very fast. It's Moore's Law.

This far out and futuristic "Star Trek" style of search already exists in a somewhat limited form, Siri, as mentioned in the article.

It seems incredibly obvious that voice recognition will be integrated more and more as one of the many choices we have of how we can interact with computers. While not convenient all the time, it can definitely be extremely convenient at least some of the time, like touch and motion capture.

Likewise, it just seems inevitable that, as we get better and better at AI, computers will be able to understand natural language and also be able to answer a question more directly than a list of dozens or hundreds of possible answers.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Posts

    • Save up to 87% on ChatPlayground AI lifetime subscriptions

      By News Staff · Posted

      Save up to 87% on ChatPlayground AI lifetime subscriptions by Steven Parker Today's highlighted deal comes via our Apps + Software section of the Neowin Deals store, where for only a limited time, you can save up to 87% on ChatPlayground AI: lifetime subscriptions. ChatPlayground AI puts the world’s top AI models in one powerful interface, letting you enter a single prompt and instantly compare outputs from multiple models to choose the perfect response for your needs. Boost productivity and creativity with access to the latest AI giants like GPT-4o, Claude Sonnet 4, Gemini 1.5 Flash, DeepSeek V3, and dozens more — all in one window. Whether you’re chatting, coding, generating images, or refining prompts, ChatPlayground AI equips you with advanced tools like prompt engineering, image/PDF chat, saved conversations, and AI image creation, plus priority support to keep your workflow seamless. Access the world’s best AI models Side-by-Side Comparisons: Enter one prompt & instantly view results from multiple AI models to find the best output for your needs 40+ AI Models: Includes GPT-4o, Claude Sonnet 4, Gemini 1.5 Flash, DeepSeek V3, Llama, Perplexity, and many more Multi-Function Platform: Access AI for chat, image generation & coding all within a single interface Web Browser Extension: Offers a Chrome extension to seamlessly integrate the platform into your browsing workflow Boost productivity with powerful features ChatPlayground Interface: Designed for seamless AI model comparison in one window Prompt Engineering: Refine & optimize your prompts for better, more accurate responses Chat with Images & PDFs: Upload visuals and documents to get context-aware answers Saved Chat History: Keep track of past conversations for reference & ongoing projects AI Image Generation: Create high-quality visuals powered by top AI image models Priority Customer Support: Get faster assistance whenever you need it What you'll get with the Unlimited Plan Includes unlimited messages/month Built for prompt engineers, startups, and teams who run experiments nonstop Includes priority access to new features and future models Good to know Length of access: lifetime Redemption deadline: redeem your code within 30 days of purchase Access options: Desktop Max number of device(s): Unlimited Available to both NEW & Existing users Updates included A lifetime subscription to ChatPlayground AI (Unlimited Plan) normally costs $619, but you can pick it up for just $79 for a limited time - that represents a saving of $530 (87% off). Click the link below for more details, always check terms and specifications before making a purchase. Get this ChatPlayground AI (Unlimited) for $79 (was $619) There are also two other discounted plans to choose from. Although priced in U.S. dollars, this deal is available for digital purchase worldwide. Support queries If you have queries or need support for any of the Neowin Deals, please use the contact form here. Neowin Deals are managed and sold by StackCommerce who represent Neowin on an affiliate basis. Why we post these deals We post these because we earn commission on each sale so as not to rely solely on advertising, which many of our readers block. It all helps toward paying staff reporters, servers and hosting costs. So for those that keep moaning and complaining, be thankful we're still online for you to even do that. Other ways to support Neowin Whitelist Neowin by not blocking our ads Create a free member account to see fewer ads Make a donation to support our day to day running costs Subscribe to Neowin - for $14 a year, or $28 a year for an ad-free experience Disclosure: Neowin benefits from revenue of each sale made through our branded deals site powered by StackCommerce.
    • Sihoo Doro C300 Pro V2 Ergonomic Office Chair review: The Ikea of chairs

      By Steven P. · Posted

      Not on my Aeron Remastered no.
    • Tidal won't monetize AI slop music, company says

      By Steven P. · Posted

      I like Tidal, but it still does not control devices from the mobile/app and still no surround support. And yeah re: above comment I still get a lot of network errors and I am on a 4/4 Gbit Fiber connection.
    • Microsoft Edge gets tons of security features, including AI model that can see your screen

      By Riggers · Posted

      Aren`t "security features" and "AI model that can see your screen" a tad diametric!
    • Samsung, Amazon extend 990 PRO 2TB NVMe SSD deal beyond Prime Day 2026

      By hellowalkman · Posted

      Samsung, Amazon extend 990 PRO 2TB NVMe SSD deal beyond Prime Day 2026 by Sayan Sen Recently, we had Amazon's Prime Day 2026 sales wherein there were several great deals including on SSDs. One of those discounted components was the Samsung 990 PRO SSD as the 2TB variant of it was selling for $370, a very good price after a long time. Although that deal was supposed to expire today, Amazon has now extended that sale further (purchase link under the specs table down below). The 990 PRO is a PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD and still one of the fastest drives available today for under $400. Speaking of fast, sequential reads and writes are rated at 7450 MB/s and 6900 MB/s, respectively. The random throughputs for reads and writes are 1400K IOPS and 1550K IOPS, respectively. The 990 PRO is based on Samsung's 7th Gen V-NAND flash, and it too is TLC. It packs 2 gigs of LPDDR4 DRAM cache, which helps the random performance. The endurance rating for this is 1200 TBW (terabytes written), which should be sufficient for most users. The Samsung 990 PRO is compatible with the PlayStation 5, but if you are going to use the 990 PRO on a PC, check out the Samsung Magician app that lets you track your drive's health, update its firmware, customize various settings, and more. The technical specs of the Samsung 990 PRO 2TB are given in the table below: Specification Value Form Factor M.2 2280 Interface PCIe Gen 4.0 x4, NVMe 2.0 NAND Flash Samsung V-NAND TLC Controller Samsung In-house Controller Cache Memory Samsung 2GB Low Power DDR4 SDRAM Sequential Read Speed Up to 7,450 MB/s Sequential Write Speed Up to 6,900 MB/s Random Read (4KB, QD32) Up to 1,400,000 IOPS Random Write (4KB, QD32) Up to 1,550,000 IOPS Random Read (4KB, QD1) Up to 22,000 IOPS Random Write (4KB, QD1) Up to 80,000 IOPS Operating Temperature 0°C to 70°C Reliability (MTBF) 1.5 Million Hours Endurance 1,200 TBW (Total Bytes Written) Get it at the link below: Samsung 990 PRO SSD 2TB NVMe SSD (MZ-V9P2T0B/AM): $369.99 (Sold and Shipped by Amazon US) Good to know This Amazon deal is U.S. specific, and not available in other regions unless specified. We only use first-party seller links (at the time of article publishing); ensure that you purchase from a first-party seller link only. Check out Today's Deals on Amazon | or our recent tech deals. Become a Prime member (for Students or SNAP) via Neowin Get Prime Access - Prime for half price (for qualifying Medicaid, EBT, SNAP) Subscribe to Prime Video, Audible Plus, Music Unlimited or Kindle Unlimited via Neowin As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases

  • Recent Achievements

    • Reacting Well
      NovaEdgeX earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • Week One Done
      NovaEdgeX earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Year In
      BA the Curmudgeon earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Conversation Starter
      rosiecharles earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • First Post
      KMilenkoski1202 earned a badge
      First Post

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      539
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      266
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      151
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      98
    5. 5
      macoman
      66
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!