Google tunes search for iPhone display
The new Google search page on the iPhone packages content better.
(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET News)Google has customized its search results for the iPhone's display, getting around some awkward presentation issues.
"Results are formatted to be neatly displayed on the mobile screen, so there's no need to scroll side to side. Local search results now include easier-to-press 'Get Directions' and click-to-call links. Maps are shown by default in the case of a single listing or accessible by the 'Show map"' link for multiple listings," said Google mobile team programmers Steve Kanefsky and Rob Stacey in a blog post Tuesday night.
The older look can be retrieved by scrolling to the bottom of the search results page and clicking the "Classic" link, but I much prefer the new look.
The new packaging, however, isn't integrated with the iPhone itself, which has a built-in Google search option accessible via the magnifying glass icon at the top of each Web page. Those results are formatted for a much larger screen, at least on my iPhone. To get the fancy search results, you first must point the browser to www.google.com.
The images below show at left, the older iPhone search interface from a www.google.com search, and at right, the search results from using the Safari built-in search feature.
The older 'classic' look for a search from www.google.com on the iPhone.
(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET News)
Using the built-in search icon in iPhone's Safari browser doesn't take advantage of the better formatting.
(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET News)
Stephen Shankland writes about a wide range of technology and products, but has a particular focus on browsers and digital photography. He joined CNET News in 1998 and since then also has covered Google, Yahoo, servers, supercomputing, Linux and open-source software, and science. E-mail Stephen, or follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/stshank. 
