Google is undergoing a transformation to adapt to the AI era. As part of this, the company is now providing AI summaries directly in its search results. Additionally, Google is introducing a new feature that allows users to filter their search results to only display text-based links. The addition of the new “Web” filter at the top of the results page will allow users to specifically filter for text links, similar to how they can currently filter for images, video, news, or shopping.

The announcement was made on Tuesday through a post on X during Google I/O, the company’s developer conference. During the conference, Google introduced significant changes to its search engine, including AI-organized search results and AI overviews in search.

We’ve launched a new “Web” filter that shows only text-based links, just like you might filter to show other types of results, such as images or videos. The filter appears on the top of the results page alongside other filters or as part of the “More” option, rolling out today… pic.twitter.com/tIUy9LNCy5

— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) May 14, 2024

Google states that the new “Web” filter will be visible either at the top of the results page or within the “More” option, depending on the specific search query.

The launch acknowledges that there are instances when individuals simply desire to display text-based links to web pages, which are typically considered less significant nowadays as Google either provides answers directly in its informational Knowledge Panels or, more recently, through AI experiments.

The Google SearchLiaison X account is noted. The post stated that this addition was made in response to feedback from users who expressed a preference for seeing only web page links in their search results. This preference may arise when users are searching for longer-form text documents, using devices with limited internet access, or simply preferring text-based results to be displayed separately from search features. “If you belong to that particular group, I hope you have a pleasant experience!”

Google has specified that on mobile devices, the new “Web” filter will be displayed by default, along with the other filters, without necessitating users to access the “More” menu. On desktop, Google will display the filters that appear to be the most pertinent to the search results.

Google announced that the feature will be gradually released to users worldwide over the course of today and tomorrow.

The announcement of a “Web” filter is bound to spark some controversy, especially among the SEO community. These experts have always strived to enhance their links in order to secure a spot on the first page of Google search results for specific keywords. However, this type of SEO manipulation has potentially diminished the usefulness of Google compared to its early days. At that time, search experts weren’t manipulating the PageRank algorithm.

The move is a significant gamble that suggests the future of search may not revolve around presenting website links. Instead, users may find the answers they are looking for in alternative forms of content or even AI responses that provide sources for those who want to explore the topic in more depth. It is yet to be determined how these changes will impact industries that heavily depend on clicks and visitors.

Looking Glass produces immersive mixed-reality displays that create a three-dimensional visual experience without the requirement of specialized eyewear. Today, it introduces two new displays, one of which is a 16-inch model priced at $4,000. Additionally, there is a 32-inch screen available, which comes with a price tag that is intentionally kept high to deter those who cannot afford it from inquiring about its cost. The displays are offered in both landscape and portrait orientations, allowing for increased versatility to accommodate various content formats and applications.

The price of the previous 15-inch model was $6,000, thus indicating a slight decrease in prices. Additionally, a few years ago, the company unveiled a $350 holographic digital photo frame along with software that enables the enhancement of your vacation photos to produce a three-dimensional effect.

The new displays offer stunning group 3D visualization without the need for headsets. This means that professionals working with 3D content can get things done without having to deal with the hassle and fatigue of wearing extra hardware. The company says that its products are made for professionals in design, engineering, education, research, and healthcare who need cutting-edge visualization tools.

The new displays, along with the recently announced Looking Glass Go, complete the company’s range of space-related products. Looking Glass Go turns 2D photos into 3D memories, but the bigger formats are better for XR developers and professionals.

Groups can view the content, which is another advantage of these displays. This is especially useful when working together. The business says that up to 100 different people can use the content at the same time.

The screens can show a lot of different types of media, like holographic images, high-quality videos, and real-time apps. They also have gesture-based controls that make the experience even more immersive without having to touch the computer screen.

Looking Glass has many ways to make content, such as plugins for Unity, Unreal, Blender, and WebXR. It also comes with a software development kit and a 3D model importer for making your own holographic content.

Reddit, which is now a publicly-traded company and subject to increased scrutiny regarding its revenue growth, is placing significant emphasis on expanding its international user base, beginning with targeting French-speaking individuals. During the company’s inaugural earnings call, CEO Steve Huffman verified that the company is presently engaged in developing real-time automatic translations of the site’s content into French, utilizing advancements in large language models.

In addition, he mentioned the expansion of the ecosystem through a few reversals in direction. Reddit aims to attract developers by offering new tools, which is unexpected considering its past approach in this area. Additionally, the company plans to reintroduce Reddit Gold, a virtual currency that it discontinued less than a year ago, which is also surprising.

These moves involve predicting the potential future of Reddit rather than focusing on its current state. Currently, the news regarding Reddit is quite positive. In the previous quarter, their revenue increased by 48% compared to the same period last year, reaching $243 million. Additionally, the number of unique users grew by 37%, reaching a total of 82.7 million. (This number encompasses both users who are currently logged in and those who are not, following a similar method that Twitter, now referred to as X, used to calculate its audience when it was publicly accessible.)

Expansion of user base and language localization
During the earnings call, Huffman stated that 50% of Reddit’s audience is located in the United States. This indicates that the company is prioritizing efforts to enhance its international presence.

“Our ratio of U.S. to non-U.S. is still 50/50, but our peers have a much higher percentage of non-U.S. members, ranging from 80% to 90%,” he stated. “I believe there is a significant opportunity available.” He proceeded to characterize automatic, AI-powered translation as “one of the significant breakthroughs for us in the near to medium future.”

“Today, we are translating our complete collection of texts, which is primarily in English, into other languages. We anticipate that this will contribute to the rapid expansion of our international presence,” he stated.

Despite the substantial allocation of resources, the speaker described the site-wide translation effort as being in a testing phase right now. Huffman observed that the content is also being included in the search results of Google for the French language, thereby increasing the number of visitors to the website. The company’s next objective is to address the Spanish language.

Reddit has been providing post-based translation since last year, supporting a total of eight languages.

Software development tools
Hearing Huffman discuss developer tools on the call felt unreal. In July 2023, the company became involved in a significant dispute with third-party client developers due to changes in the API. This led to the blackout of numerous subreddits as a form of protest against the API changes.

Currently, the social network is operating in a mode where users are expected to behave in a respectful and cooperative manner. Huffman stated that there are intentions to develop tools that have the potential to expand the limits of what a subreddit can encompass. He provided illustrations of current experiments, such as real-time scores displayed on certain sports subreddits and a live stock ticker on r/wallstreetbets, the subreddit famous for the Gamestop stock controversy.

According to him, several hundred developers are currently conducting tests on these new experiences. Reddit plans to expand its developer base by inviting more individuals from the waitlist to join this summer. Additionally, the platform intends to introduce monetization capabilities later in the year.

Additional notifications
In a recent agreement, Reddit and Google have partnered to allow the search engine giant access to the social network’s data. Huffman stated that the company intends to grant licenses to other companies for the use of their data. This has been a significant matter, often generating controversy, as users may express reluctance towards their data being utilized for purposes such as AI training or other prevalent applications. Huffman emphasized that the company is being discerning and careful in its partner selection process.

The current focus of the company is to expand its infrastructure in order to generate more revenue. Although Gold and another blockchain-based currency called community points were discontinued last year, Reddit is considering reintroducing virtual currency on its platform. This move is seen as an opportunity for Reddit to expand and diversify its business model. During the earnings call, the company announced its intention to introduce an upgraded Gold product, featuring new programs that allow users to both spend and earn money on the platform.