Google suggestions and beyond

If you use Google (and who doesn't?), lately you have probably noticed that when you type in the search box, Google tries to guess what you're looking for and offers suggestions in real time. This feature is called, surprise!, Google Suggest. Personally, I find it very helpful, and sometimes I'm astonished by how accurately it predicts what I am looking for. However, I can imagine that some might find it irritating, and in a shared computer environment even downright embarrassing. Fortunately, it's easy to turn off. Click on the "preferences" option at the RH side of the search box, and at the foot of the preferences page you will find the field "Query Suggestions". Select "Do not provide query suggestions in the search box" and save your preferences. More info on Google Suggest can be found here.
But one thing that Google - along with most other search engines - struggles with is a query in plain English: eg, "How many Kiwis play soccer?" This may be about to change, thanks to a new system being developed at Harvard University. A NZ Herald article calls it the biggest internet revolution for a generation.

The new system, Wolfram Alpha takes the first step towards what many consider to be the internet's Holy Grail – a global store of information that understands and responds to ordinary language in the same way a person does. Although the system is still new, it has already produced massive interest and excitement among technology pundits and internet watchers. Computer experts believe the new search engine will be an evolutionary leap in the development of the internet.