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Apple's latest experiment makes finding apps easier
With more than a million apps available on the App Store, finding the right one is often more troublesome that it needs to be. In an effort to ease that burden, Apple has quietly begun testing a new related search suggestion feature that aids the discovery of new apps, displaying categories similar to your current search term. For example, when you perform a search for Twitter apps, the App Store displays related listings for "news apps," "traffic apps" and "photo editors," queries that loosely match what users might associate Twitter with (okay, maybe not traffic updates). In the past, app suggestions were limited to Genius recommendations and "Customers also bought", but Apple's latest experiment shows it may soon do more with the App Store data available to it. It's not known whether the company is manually curating groups of apps or relying on tags and keywords provided by developers, but it's a small peek at the future we first imagined when Apple bought app discovery service Chomp.
Pinterest redesign shows pins related by creator and activity, stokes curiosity
Going on a Pinterest spree isn't always easy -- not when there's been extra work involved in exploring someone else's board, or figuring out what else is similar. The company may have licked both of those problems with a redesign that's exiting its testing phase today. As of now, visiting a pin will show others from the same board or company, as well as items that fellow explorers have pinned alongside the one you're viewing. Lower-profile changes are in store as well: the pin content itself is bigger, and the site will finally remember your place when you step back from a curious click. Web-based Pinterest fans should soon get an invitation to use the discovery-friendly revamp, while the Android and iOS apps will eventually see the new tricks through updates.
Google Knowledge Graph explains related content, finds the six degrees with less Bacon
We had a bit of a laugh with Google's Kevin Bacon calculator. Not everyone needs to tie their searches to the star of Footloose, though, which is partly why Google is pushing out an update to its Knowledge Graph that explains how searches turn up related items. The effort is starting with actors, celebrities and their links to any movies and TV shows they've starred in. Looking for Orson Welles and mousing over Rita Hayworth's portrait reminds us that the two luminaries were married for years, for example. We won't know when the more intelligent searches will expand, but at least we won't be quite so confused if the animated Transformers movie appears next to Citizen Kane.
Android Market update brings long-awaited 'Related' tab, similar app suggestions
Remember that "Related" / "Similar" tab we spotted in Google's own Gingerbread video? Looks as if you won't have to wait for Android 2.3 to enjoy the spoils of having El Goog sort out what similar apps you may like after you download one. This morning, waves of Android loyalists are finding a new tab in their Market, with a Droid 2 and Nexus One both seeing the update here at Engadget HQ. Naturally, it works just like the App Store's equivalent, but it remains to be seen just how accurate the advice is. When looking at 'Related' for the (also recently updated) Engadget app, we're finding items we'd prefer to be listed first about a page or so down, but we're sure the mix-and-match engineers in Mountain View are already fine tuning things as we speak. You know, during the brief moments they aren't preparing for Tuesday's big Chrome reveal. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] %Gallery-109230%
