Pretty Cool New KM\Search Application: Watson

This is an app with HUGE potential. Watson is a background search app that monitors what you are typing in Word or PowerPoint (or browsing in IE) and does a background search across a wide variety of sources (Yahoo, NY Times, DogPile, etc). When it thinks it has info for you based on what you have been typing it lights up a Light Bulb on a button it adds to the title bar of these applications.
What it gives you is shown to the left. It is a page with several categories like Web, News, Blogs, Images, etc. Click on a category and see the things it found.

Also very cool is that it will integrate with X1 desktop search. (My example does not show it because at this time it only integrates with X1 v4. It will be supporting v 5 shortly according to the website.) It also says it supports Google Desktop Search as well.

This is pretty cool stuff. I still have some playing to do to see how accurate it is in figuring out what I’m really going to be interested in based on what it sees me typing but this has a ton of potential.

The only odd thing I saw was that seemed odd was that it integrated with Google Desktop Search but does not use Google as one of it’s sources. I'm not sure if this is the result of some partnership deal but it struck me as kind of strange.

Anyway, the tool has a 30 day trial for the regular version, which is $99 to buy. It also comes in an Enterprise edition that will let you add corporate intranets and portal sites to the list of sources.

I would love to see an SDK from these guys so that you could add your own personal favorite sites and sources to your ‘version’ of the software. I see this as being able to add things like document management systems, CRM systems, Windows Sharepoint sites and the list goes on. We will have to stay tuned to see where this app goes.

 

Comments

[Nicole]

I recently downloaded Watson and I'm pretty impressed. I can't believe that it's able to read and understand what I'm working on and then find the information that I need. It saves me tons of time that I used to spend surfing the internet, and the results are incredible. It works with online and offline information sources, so it can even search your own desktop for information! I'm using Watson Standard, but I hear there are two other versions called Watson Professional and Watson Enterprise that are for businesses. I see huge potential here. It's free to download and definitely worth it- http://www.intellext.com

[Brian Kennemer]

I spoke with the guys that make the search tool I wrote about above and they are aware of this tool from Karelia but their tool predates Karelia's Watson. Thanks for the heads up though.

[Ryan]

Interesting product. I'm definitely downloading the trial version. It's highly unlikely I'll buy it, though...$100 is a bit much.

[Steve Kirks]

What about some consideration for prior art here?

http://karelia.com/watson/

considering Sun's the owner, expect some issues to arise...