Skip to main content

Google shows off with What Do You Love

what-do-you-love
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Google has quietly launched a new service called What Do You Love that lets users instantly explore the wide variety of services the search giant provides.

Similar to a search query from Google’s homepage, WDYL users simply type in a certain topic, presumably one that they love, and click the heart button. Rather than delivering the endless list of search results that a Google.com search displays, a WDYL search puts each search into it own nifty little widget. The page includes 21 different widgets for everything from Google Translate and Trrends to Books, YouTube, and even Google’s SketchUp 3D image maker.

It’s not exactly clear what the purpose of WDYL is, at least not yet. But that may be because Google hadn’t intended the new search feature to go live. WDYL was first reported by TechCrunch, who learned about it from a tipster. But if you type in “wdyl.com” into your browser, you come up with a 404 error page, saying that the URL doesn’t exist. Add “www” to the front of the ULR, however, and you’re on your way to a world of near-meaningless searching.

While WDYL is reminiscent of iGoogle’s layout, it still seems peculiar to us that Google would allow its employees spend time create something that’s so surprisingly unhelpful. But perhaps that’s not its purpose. In fact, the only reason we can think that WDYL exists, really, is to showcase the many ways Google allows you to find the particular kind of information you’re looking for.

In other words, What Do You Love is simply an advertisement for Google. And it’s entirely possible that the company plans to make “What Do You Love” the slogan for a new ad campaign, or something similar.

Regardless of its reason for existing, WDYL seems to have piqued a lot of curiosity. And that may very well have been the point.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Andrew Couts
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Features Editor for Digital Trends, Andrew Couts covers a wide swath of consumer technology topics, with particular focus on…
15 Years of YouTube: How a failed dating site became the king of online video
how youtube has changed the world in 15 years yt15thbirthday onsite 200422

YouTube turns 15 | How YouTube changed the world forever

It started with a wardrobe malfunction. Fifteen years later, YouTube has changed the world, and it's more relevant and influential today than ever before. 

Read more
Google starts showing virtual doctor options in Search and Maps
Google Logo

As part of efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus, some medical facilities are currently discouraging visits in person. But pandemic or no pandemic, many ailments won't simply disappear and so sometimes we need to get help.

In such a scenario, Google wants to assist. The web giant recently announced it will begin highlighting health facilities that offer consultations over a video connection, enabling you to avoid a potentially busy waiting room thereby reducing person-to-person contact.

Read more
Google Maps data shows whether people in your area are staying at home
Google Community Mobility Report

Google has published an early look at its COVID-19 Community Mobility Reports, a set of reports for use by health officials showing the effect of the pandemic coronavirus, officially called COVID-19, on people's mobility. Google has used anonymized location data to track the degree to which people are complying with social distancing advice and staying home rather than attending public places like restaurants, parks, and transit stations. The reports also indicate how many people are still required to travel to work, as opposed to working from home.

"In Google Maps, we use aggregated, anonymized data showing how busy certain types of places are -- helping identify when a local business tends to be the most crowded," Jen Fitzpatrick, SVP of Geo and Karen DeSalvo, Chief Health Officer at Google Health, wrote in a blog post. "We have heard from public health officials that this same type of aggregated, anonymized data could be helpful as they make critical decisions to combat COVID-19."

Read more