The folks over at The Next Web have brought a new Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) search feature to our attention. The world’s most popular search engine will now allow users to search for Animated Gifs in its image search. Gifs are undergoing something of a renaissance lately, and Google is sure to boost search numbers with this feature.
The feature is incredibly easy to use. After searching for a term under images, users can click search options to bring up the toolbar. There is a new “any type” search option, which allows users to choose the option of “animated”. This will allow a search that will return GIFs, and GIFs only.
One of the best features of the service is the ability to look at the Gifs right on the search page. This may cut down on hours and hours spend skimming Reddit for the perfect Gif. The feature is unlikely to be used for anything truly productive, as there is a dearth of Gif based business models. Perhaps this Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) innovation will lead to the first such businesses beginning operation.
In a Google+ post welcoming the new era of Gif search, the company references some of the world’s most famous Gifs including Slow Loris and Grumpy Cat. The blog post also traces the history of the Gif back a surprising 134 years, though that number may be slightly inflated.
The zoopraxiscope, which produced some of the world’s first moving images, was invented by Eadweard J. Muybridge in 1879. The system used to make a series of still images give the illusion of motion is similar to the way Gifs achieve the same. The actual birth of the Gif, according to the G+ post, was 1987.
Other features added by Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) included the ability to search for images with transparent backgrounds. This will make it much easier for users looking for a picture to add to a presentation or a project, dispensing with the need to use Photoshop for any length of time.
Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) is the leader when it comes to search, and whether its improving its algorithm to reduce plagiarism, or allowing Grumpy cat to be viewed several times at once, the firm is still the biggest innovator in the sphere.
