A9 axes toolbar, maps and other features

Amazon.com has axed a number of features on its A9 search engine as part of a redesign of www.a9.com, an Amazon.com spokesman said on Monday.

Amazon.com has dropped support for the A9 toolbar, yellow pages, search history, diary and bookmarks tools, as well as its maps tools, including its street-level mapping feature.

Meanwhile, the new redesigned interface launched Friday offers new ways to search sources and a continuous scrolling feature that eliminates the need to hit "next" to see results on additional pages.

"A9 is shifting its priorities to areas where it can provide the greatest benefit for customers," Amazon.com spokesman Drew Herdener said in a statement.

The writing for A9 was on the wall when Google hired A9 Chief Executive Udi Manber in February.