A few years ago, search giant Google joined the web browser race with Chrome. Now, Yahoo! is getting in on it, too. The company has announced the launch of its own Web browser. Dubbed Axis, the browser is a little bit different to what we're using to seeing.
Available as a standalone app for iPhone and iPad, and a desktop plugin for IE, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Yahoo! describes Axis as a "visually rich search experience" and says it's moving away from the ten blue links we've been seeing for years and towards a solution that shows you a visual preview of the webpage or search result before you even click on it. This means you'll see a scrollable ticker of small previews of webpages instead of links to each site.
The most interesting implementation (in our opinion, at least) is the desktop version of Axis, which arrives in the form of a plugin for your current browser. Axis for desktop is just a small search box that sits in the lower left corner of your browser window and follows you around the web. To search, you start typing and it expands into the visual search experience complete with page previews, instant answers and images.
The mobile version for iOS is a stand alone application that offers the same visual previews and what search results as you type. It also links to your desktop if you're running Axis on your computer, too. This means you can start browsing on your iPad and move to your phone or computer and continue your search there. Bookmarks are shared across all devices, as well as personalized homepages that display your favorite sites and articles.
"Axis is the first time the search experience evolves from a destination to a companion," Yahoo! said last night. "It's the first search experience to provide visually rich page previews of results instantly as you type. It's the first mobile browser that connects with any major desktop browser. Axis is the first browser to really change the game."
Unfortunately, Yahoo! hasn't provided any information on when we can expect a version of Axis for Android or Windows Phone devices, so unless you're rocking an iPhone or iPad, you're out of luck on the mobile front. If you do have an iOS device or are interested in giving the desktop version a shot, you can hit up axis.yahoo.com to download the plug-in and app. You can also check out the video below for an Axis demo:
