14 DAY TRIAL // In an effort to redefine what it means to search and browse the web on your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, Yahoo! unleashed Axis this week, a new type of web browser for iOS platforms.
As Yahoo! themselves explain, Axis allows you to “enter your search, see and interact with the results, and find what you need without ever leaving the page you are on.”
The software relies on rich, visual snapshots of around 85% of the whole Internet. Results can be previewed before visiting the sites, while bookmarks and recently visited pages are always available wherever you need them (a function similar to Opera Link and Firefox Sync).
Yahoo! explains: “Set a bookmark on your iPad and it will automatically appear on your iPhone and desktop, or seamlessly jump from one device to another and pick up from wherever site you left off.”
One of the key benefits, according to Yahoo!, is that Axis gives you instant answers, and this allows you to explore content without hiccups.
“You will never have to leave the page you are on to view your search results again,” reads the app’s iTunes description.
In an already crowded ecosystem, Yahoo! is making a bold move towards shaking up the established model of searching and discovering new content on the web.
For example, long-time rival Google has just released an updated version of its iOS Search application, which also aims to reinvent some of the aspects surrounding web search, with a focus on graphical quality, but also on ease of use.
Some industry watchers, however, have their eye on Siri, Apple’s personal assistant which yields any type of result just by asking with your voice. It is believed this is the general direction of all search engines, and Apple may have had quite an early start with Siri.