Blinkx Plans Ad Model for Desktop/Web Search Tool
It appears that many companies feel the Holy Grail of desktop computing is search. I'm not sure I totally agree with them, but I can certainly see the powe in the Blinkz model where you could find information online related to your current document. My first thought is that it would be a boon for students. Imagine, it's late, you're trying to finish your report due tomorrow and you need just a little more background information…Blinkz offers you links to “Orgins of the Crimean War from the perspectives of Eurpean royalty”. You're made in the shade now.
Of course, the ad-sponsored nature of the app makes it a little disturbing. I think one very important setting will have to be setting the age of the current user. Beyond that I think we all have to recognize that ad-supported software is one way we as consumers can get high quality software for free.
Another interesting piece of software to watch.
Blinkx Plans Ad Model for Desktop/Web Search Tool: “Blinkx offers a desktop application that examines the document a user is looking at, then suggests similar Web pages, blog entries, news stories, video clips, even documents from the user's own hard drive.
Users can also type a search term into the application and receive results from all those sources. Though it's early in the game, Blinkx execs say they plan to make money by offering ad placements, along with sponsored versions of the software that would incorporate e-commerce search of the sponsor's site.”