Google revolutionized search when they first hit the scene over a decade ago. And while they’ve definitely made improvements to their results over the years, the standard search still functions the same way — you enter a query, it displays a list of pages that algorithmically match that query. Could it be time for a change? Vurb appears to think so.
The winner of the 2014 TechCrunch Disrupt Battlefield, Vurb is a contextual search engine for both web and mobile. Rather than present you with a long list of links, it presents you with “cards,” an organized layout of information that relates to the search term. Not only can you view a card, you can combine it with other cards to create even more context within a single, organized layout. The goal is, basically, to skip the links and focus on the vital information in those links, presenting them all as easily-actionable data in one page.
As of now, Vurb only has results for three verticals: Places, Movies, and Media. They are, of course, going to expand that down the line, tapping into the wealth of information in various websites and apps to present their comprehensive results cards. All cards, by the way, can be saved into your collection, either for later reference or sharing with other users, so you don’t have to go through the same motions to get the same results.
When you run a search on Vurb, you first have to choose one of the available verticals. Entering a specific movie, for instance, will bring up a card that shows the basic synopsis, various ratings (IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, and more), cast, and different tabs for relevant information (trailer, local showtimes, and more). We’re guessing it functions similar to Google Now, but with more comprehensive information and deeper user interaction.
Is Vurb the future of search? Only time will tell. You can learn more from the link below.