14 DAY TRIAL // Google has debuted Google Related, a Chrome extension that provides relevant related content to whatever you are browsing. If you're reading about a band, you may get related videos or info, or additional photos for a news story.
The Google Chrome extension is also a Google Toolbar feature and relies on Google search to provide the related links.
As an added benefit (for Google), the company also gets to know what site you're currently visiting, helpful for anything to search ranking to relevant ads for the site.
"Almost every time I go online, I come across some new topic or item that I’d like to learn more about. Sometimes it’s as simple as the latest buzz on the new shop down the street," Google's Ran Ben-Yair writes.
"While the answer can be just a simple search away, we wanted to find a way to get some of those answers to you even faster," he said.
"Now with Google Related, a new Chrome Extension and Google Toolbar feature, you’ll automatically see interesting content relevant to what’s on the page you’re viewing, right where you’re viewing it," he explained.
Most of the times, Google Related will stay hidden until you land on a page where Google believes it can provide additional info. The toolbar kicks in for a number of sites and pages, new stories, music, shopping sites, restaurants and so on.
It pops up at the bottom of the page, displaying links to additional info. Depending on the site you're visiting, the links may be to videos, Google Maps, ratings and so on.
Google gets to see the sites you visit in order to send you recommendations and will store the info, according to its existing policies. Of course, you can uninstall the Google Chrome extension at any time if you want and also disable the feature in the Google Toolbar.