Google Introduces Search Globe (3D visualization of searches with Search Globe)

  Google has launched a new experimental search tool. Called Search Globe, it will visualize people’s curiosity with pinpoints related to the volume of searches grouped by languages.

The Google Data Arts Team, who created Google Body, harnessed the modern browser’s ability to generate fast 3D imaging with WebGL to display a colorful globe that represents the day-to-day searches by people all over the world.

“The Search Globe visualizes searches from one day, and shows the language of the majority of queries in an area in different colors. You’ll see a bright landscape of queries across Europe, and parts of Asia for instance, but unfortunately we see many fewer searches from parts of the world lacking Internet access—and often electricity as well—like Africa,” explained Valdean Klump of the Google Data Arts Team in a blog post.

Search Globe is open source, and can be used here. Note that you will need a WebGL browser, such as the latest build of Chrome or Firefox 4, to use the tool properly. The 3D tool that navigates the human body is here.

As a side note, if you have problems getting the Search Globe to work, you may need to update your video drivers. This seems to be a common issue for some users.