Hakia is a new generation semantic search engine. Founded in 2004, it has actually been around for a while now, but is only just starting to find its feet as an established and credible search engine.
Hakia sorts results into tabs categorised by web results, credible sites, news and images – aside from the credible sites, not sounding much different from Google so far…
…Where Hakia does differ from Google is in the way it ranks its search results. Hakia bases its search results on three criteria simultaneously:
1. They come from credible websites recommended by librarians (cooler than it sounds!)
2. They represent the most recent information available
3. They remain absolutely relevant to the query
What makes Hakia special is that in using semantic technologies, it also returns results that are accurate in meaning or concept – matching your keywords to related keywords on web pages, as opposed to results that provide the best match to the term that was searched for.
Why have we chosen Hakia as our site of the month?
Where it already takes the lead on Google is with its ‘credible sites’ results sorting. Currently only covering the topics of health and education, Hakia distinguishes between normal web results and credible results from pre-determined credible sites. Useful, for example, if you want to quickly find details of the side effects of a medication, without having to filter through the many less credible sites and forums that will undoubtedly appear in search results.
What makes Hakia our site of the month is that it is embracing what is almost certainly the future of the web. The site is still undergoing significant development and so currently does not offer the same breadth and depth of results as established players such as Google. However, with substantial funding backing its development, Hakia gives us an insight into the ‘intelligent’ web of the future.
What is this web of the future?
It’s impossible to predict the future of the web, just as it is impossible to predict the future in general. However, we have a pretty good idea that the semantic web will play a huge part in taking the virtually endless mine of information that we have with today’s web and turning it into an amazing, user-friendly resource…
…Imagine searching for ‘places to eat in London’ and along with relevant restaurant results, also receiving results that include details of cab companies, hotels and events happening that month…
…or imagine searching for a ‘Vauxhall dealer in Hampshire’ and not only returning details of Vauxhall dealers in Hampshire, but also car reviews, examples of the price of parts and servicing and details of private Vauxhall car sales in Hampshire.
The semantic web provides far more opportunity than simply the search angle we’ve covered in this article – watch our blog for more on the semantic web coming soon.
In the meantime, enjoy trying out our site of the month – www.hakia.com. If you’d like to see how it currently compares to Google, you can use the Hakia Challenge to compare results side by side.
Showing posts with label semantic web. Show all posts
Showing posts with label semantic web. Show all posts
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
The Internet Psychic
That’s what I feel like sometimes, scared to speak out in case I get it wrong.
It's been an interesting journey running a digital agency over the past nine years, to think back in 2000 when Lastminute.com floated and Boo.com crashed, people actually dismissed the internet. I remember back then oh so many businesses telling me "who needs a website", in fact I would be the first to admit that I was very embarrassed to even admit I was in the website building business in the months following the dot com crash, the internet was almost like a dirty word, a fad that had ended.
Today we proudly say at the top of our website, “We build websites!” Yes, its a bit Ronseal, but how proud we are today to claim this...a far cry from 2000 when I would rather just label Bluhalo as "new media" and do everything to avoid the words ‘internet’ or ‘web’.
Back in early 2006 we were talking about Web 2.0, almost instantly, well at least by the end of the year, there were countless claims that this was all a marketing fad? Well is it? Was it? Web democratisation is now part of internet culture.
Today, once again, I am scared of being ridiculed by talking about Web 3.0 or at least if there is a Web 3.0, what is it? What's next? One thing traditional media hasn’t had to do is stick its neck out on the line as much as technology businesses, whether its Beta or VHS; Bluray or HD-DVD; Innovators and Digital Mavens are always trying to spot the next big thing.
There is a saying in business that pioneers get scalped. Bluhalo is a settler. We are on the leading edge, not the bleeding edge...that’s not to say we aren’t right up there...
So, Maven or not, let me stake a claim as to my feelings on the next few years, how things will map out and then think about how your business will evolve to provide these sales, marketing or productivity features to your lives and customers.
The Semantic Web
Nothing new here. Tim Berners-Lee has been talking about this for many years and continues to talk regularly on the subject. Bluhalo is already microformatting its website and I read only last month that Kelkoo is too, along with many more people that see the value in getting their data into microformat.
Imagine a web where machines can read sites almost as easily as humans can read them. Picture this; you ask your machine to check your diary against the appointment diaries of all the dentists and doctors within a 10-mile radius - and it obeys. Imagine your mobile or gas bill comes in and your computer automatically compares your type of usage and identifies the best service provider for your type of use and initiates a change of provider for you... an exciting and virtually limitless prospect…
The 3D Web
We are already seeing these worlds growing daily, a 3D Web you can walk through. Without leaving your desk, you can go business networking in different regions or with different social groups or sectors. You can take a tour of South America, or you can walk through a Second Life style virtual world, surfing for data and interacting with others in 3D.
The Media-Centric Web
A web where you can find media using other media - not just keywords. You supply, say, a photo of your favorite painting and your search engines turn up hundreds of similar paintings in multiple media formats.
The Pervasive Web
A web that's everywhere. On your PC. On your mobile phone. On your clothes and jewellery. Spread throughout your home and office. Even your bedroom windows are online, checking the weather, so they know when to open and close. Nike+ is a good early example of the pervasive web, with a tablet that fits into your running shoe to track your performance. Maybe another is the internet fridge that can weigh your milk carton and know when to re-order online for you…
Browser Applications
Browser based applications are really growing in popularity and in fact one of our most read blog articles from one of team covers this subject really well click here to read more.
So what happens next? There won't be a sudden life-changing moment, but like social media there will be a change in usage trends as adoption of the new technologies grows. Then one day you will realise that it has all changed and you didn't even notice it happening. But by then, everyone is doing it and you've missed the opportunity to get ahead of your competitors. Start thinking about the future, now.
Spencer Gallagher
It's been an interesting journey running a digital agency over the past nine years, to think back in 2000 when Lastminute.com floated and Boo.com crashed, people actually dismissed the internet. I remember back then oh so many businesses telling me "who needs a website", in fact I would be the first to admit that I was very embarrassed to even admit I was in the website building business in the months following the dot com crash, the internet was almost like a dirty word, a fad that had ended.
Today we proudly say at the top of our website, “We build websites!” Yes, its a bit Ronseal, but how proud we are today to claim this...a far cry from 2000 when I would rather just label Bluhalo as "new media" and do everything to avoid the words ‘internet’ or ‘web’.
Back in early 2006 we were talking about Web 2.0, almost instantly, well at least by the end of the year, there were countless claims that this was all a marketing fad? Well is it? Was it? Web democratisation is now part of internet culture.
Today, once again, I am scared of being ridiculed by talking about Web 3.0 or at least if there is a Web 3.0, what is it? What's next? One thing traditional media hasn’t had to do is stick its neck out on the line as much as technology businesses, whether its Beta or VHS; Bluray or HD-DVD; Innovators and Digital Mavens are always trying to spot the next big thing.
There is a saying in business that pioneers get scalped. Bluhalo is a settler. We are on the leading edge, not the bleeding edge...that’s not to say we aren’t right up there...
So, Maven or not, let me stake a claim as to my feelings on the next few years, how things will map out and then think about how your business will evolve to provide these sales, marketing or productivity features to your lives and customers.
The Semantic Web
Nothing new here. Tim Berners-Lee has been talking about this for many years and continues to talk regularly on the subject. Bluhalo is already microformatting its website and I read only last month that Kelkoo is too, along with many more people that see the value in getting their data into microformat.
Imagine a web where machines can read sites almost as easily as humans can read them. Picture this; you ask your machine to check your diary against the appointment diaries of all the dentists and doctors within a 10-mile radius - and it obeys. Imagine your mobile or gas bill comes in and your computer automatically compares your type of usage and identifies the best service provider for your type of use and initiates a change of provider for you... an exciting and virtually limitless prospect…
The 3D Web
We are already seeing these worlds growing daily, a 3D Web you can walk through. Without leaving your desk, you can go business networking in different regions or with different social groups or sectors. You can take a tour of South America, or you can walk through a Second Life style virtual world, surfing for data and interacting with others in 3D.
The Media-Centric Web
A web where you can find media using other media - not just keywords. You supply, say, a photo of your favorite painting and your search engines turn up hundreds of similar paintings in multiple media formats.
The Pervasive Web
A web that's everywhere. On your PC. On your mobile phone. On your clothes and jewellery. Spread throughout your home and office. Even your bedroom windows are online, checking the weather, so they know when to open and close. Nike+ is a good early example of the pervasive web, with a tablet that fits into your running shoe to track your performance. Maybe another is the internet fridge that can weigh your milk carton and know when to re-order online for you…
Browser Applications
Browser based applications are really growing in popularity and in fact one of our most read blog articles from one of team covers this subject really well click here to read more.
So what happens next? There won't be a sudden life-changing moment, but like social media there will be a change in usage trends as adoption of the new technologies grows. Then one day you will realise that it has all changed and you didn't even notice it happening. But by then, everyone is doing it and you've missed the opportunity to get ahead of your competitors. Start thinking about the future, now.
Spencer Gallagher
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