[UPDATE:] The announcement surrounded Google’s Instant Search, which displays results as the user types a query.

[END UPDATE]

It started yesterday with a Google doodle, the always changing and entertaining representations of the brand on their search page. I got a tip that the Google homepage featured a cool “physics-based doodle.” Odd, I thought, why would anyone send me a tip on the Google homepage? I checked it out and saw a series of colored circles–the kind you’ll see on the Big G’s Twitter page– that formed the logo, but would jump out in different directions when I hovered my cursor over them. Hmmm. I’ve never seen them do anything like that before.

Then came a tweet from Google: “Boisterous doodle today. Maybe it’s excited about the week ahead…”

Oh, so the unusual design stands for something…or represents some sort of event, probably the “search on” meeting today in SF.

Ten hours later, another tweet: “Our doodle is dressing up in its brightest colors for something exciting coming very soon…”

Oh, now that sounds exciting. But this morning, when I went to see what the doodle was up to, I find a simple, monochrom “Google”:



The Register is leaning towards AJAX action on Google’s search results pages, and one of their readers points out that these hints seem to be pointing to John Dalton, a man known for his research into color blindness. It’s really not that strange to look deeper for meaning here, as Google is known for imbuing their logo with significant imagery.

So I’m wondering, will this announcement have something to do with Google’s acquisition of Like.com? Visual search perhaps? I could be reaching here, and integration of Like technology this soon after purchase probably isn’t likely (pun intended). It looks like most other blogs are sticking with the AJAX idea, and I’m content to accept that analysis. Still it is fun to guess at the possibilities. We will know more later today, after Google event at…an art museum. I’d say that sounds like a good place for visual searches.