{jcomments on}"As Google has become an increasingly unavoidable behemoth (as this video points out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7yfV6RzE30), it is easy to overlook the number of smaller search engines that are offering some real changes.  Here are three of the broad types of threat that may emerge a long time in the future:

1Image Search: at the moment, we're still used to searching for pictures using text commands, so Google reigns supreme.  However, soon we will be able to search for images with other images.  Algorithms used by www.like.com allow users to dynamically search through product images based on the colour, shape or pattern of anything they've uploaded. 

2 'Reality Search': Following on from improvements in the above, eventually, functionality will increase enough that engines will be to recognise any photos you take of anything in the world around you.  GetFugu offers some 'augmented reality' functionality, offering bonus information.  Sites like FourSquare similarly work by searching for nearby friends - not just through their online profiles but their actual real life location, using GPS co-ordinates in their phone.  Being able to search geographic reality instead of 'flat' maps will offer a very different experience.

3. Voice Search: while voice-recognition technology is on the cards for all the major search companies, what's truly interesting is how this will impact mobile search.  Instead of having to read text (and see adverts), Virtual Personal Assistants (VPAs) will be able to search on your behalf.  Challengers like the app at www.Siri.com offer a real threat to Google's current monetisation strategy.

While Google possesses the resources to expand upon any of these technologies themselves, its basic search interface has remained unchanged for many years and even if they are willing to make such big changes, will users accept them?"