Earlier, I wrote an article on BrainBoost , where you get answers instead of results whenever a question is searched for. Here’s another cool serch engine called Factbites , where search results are meaningful and relevant. Here’s a simple comparison of Factbites and Google.

Factbites

1. displays the title, 3 sentences describing the search term relevant to the website and the URL
2. all pages contain the keywords and has everything to do with the term
3. get rich, factual information on a search term without leaving the search page
4. have confidence when selecting a page
5. a low substance site, sometimes spam, will rank low and will not be included in the results
6. Factbites is still in beta testing. Stick to topics and avoid unusual combination of words

Google

1. displays the title, a brief introductory sentence about the website and the URL
2. all pages contain the keywords but may not have anything to do with the term
3. sometimes, a user has to visit each page until a relevant one is found
4. sometimes the brief introductory sentence isn’t meaningful enough
5. spam sites appears now and then depending on search terms

Factbites
Where results make sense

Get an answer to your search queries instead of results. Brainboost is the first answer engine that I’ve come across. It finds answers to my questions instead of directing me to pages containing the question. BrasinBoost actually uses its own AnswerRank system where it reads hundred of web pages derived from search results and extracts short, brief answers to the question, saving time. Here’s a simple comparison between Google and BrainBoost.

Google

1. Search : “Why are stars yellow?“
2. Pages containing “stars”, “yellow” are retrieved.
3. Results are sorted by link popularity.
4. Normally, first results are read in hope to find answer.
5. If an answer is not found, the process is repeated in the next search result, sometimes having only to find the answer after reading many web pages.

BrainBoost

1. Search : “Why are stars yellow?“
2. Query is translated into many other queries that will raise the probability to find the answer to the question.
3. Top several hundred pages of search engine results are retrieved.
4. Answers found are ranked based on BrainBoost’s AnswerRank system to determine which answer is most probably correct.
5. Answers are then displayed.

BrainBoost
Question everything

This website lists lots of cool search options provided by google. Perform calculations, currency conversions, find out the phone number of someone, get movie reviews, weather reports and lots more. The author of the website explains each function with a description and example.

Here are some examples that I’ve tried using.

altantuya location:malaysia
(Find Malaysian news articles on Altantuya.)

65 kg in pounds
(Conversion of my weight from kilograms into pounds.)

define:imagination
(defintions of the word imagination from the web)