Quixey: As more and more Internet users use mobile devices, the use of applications is increasing dramatically, as there are many who prefer to access the Internet through more "limited", but more practical channels/"packages", which are not open to links or "visible" to search engines.
According to a report by MIT Technology Review, the company Quixey aspires to change this, and in this direction it is utilizing 150 employees and $74 million in funding, with the aim of developing a search engine that can "look" inside applications.
Quixey's goal is to add a search box to a user's phone that can accept searches such as "best Chinese restaurants in such-and-such a city" or "taxi home" and display a list of results that allow the user to go directly to the relevant screen or function within an app.
According to MIT Technology Review (which reviewed a prototype that is set to launch later this year), the search engine will initially focus on places to eat and drink. When a specific cuisine is requested, the highest-rated restaurants are listed, based on reviews from apps like Yelp and Urbanspoon. Links to the OpenTable app are also provided so that the user can check table availability and make reservations. It’s worth noting that Quixey can provide search results from apps that aren’t installed on the device: tapping one of them will install it.
According to Liron Shapira, the company’s co-founder and CTO, the way people interact with apps today is problematic, as “it doesn’t make sense” to have to navigate through a jumble of icons to find the app you need and learn how to navigate within it. “A search bar is the best way to use ‘third-party’ apps, and Quixey’s vision is to put that bar on every device.”.
Source: naftemporiki.gr
