Google Labs has just made available a new search option called Info View. This new feature lets you select a different way of obtaining details on your search query, including a map, measurements, dates, and images. This tool is similar to Yahoo Search Assistant.
So the regular search summary will be replaced by this other information provided, for each view you select. If you do a Google search with this alternative search option, you'll see a few views to choose from, which include the four I mentioned above: dates, measurements, locations and images. From there you'll see the selected information highlighted for each search result in your query. You can only choose one view at a time, which may be frustrating for some that are doing extensive research. If that's the case, a browser tool like Strata may be of use.
For regular people performing a search, the option to toggle between the views may be sufficient. Should this feature be rolled out as a regular option for all Google searches, it may get lost in the sea of Google search options that the typical end user is still unaware of. For the rest of us, it's a sign that Google is still looking to greatly improve the quality of each search. Yahoo and MSN Live have both rolled out new search results features in recent weeks.