Ask.com launches Ask3D for easier Web searching

Ask.com launches Ask3D for easier Web searching

Ask.com is competing with its search rivals by launching Ask3D, which produces Web, image, video, news, blog, sponsored links, and other search results all on the same page. According to the company, it takes an average of four queries for people to find what they are looking for, and the new features reduce this "hunting and pecking." For example, searching for "Avandia" yields not only organic text links, but also video of a CBS news clip, which begins in preview mode when the mouse hovers over the image, allowing the user to see a portion of the clip without navigating away from the main results page. It also suggests other related terms to narrow the search, in this case, terms such as "Avandia side effects" and "Avandia recall." Other new Ask.com features include location-based results, which filter based on the user's geographic location. For example, searching for CVS will yield nearby business locations. Users can also customize their backgrounds, according to the company.