It would appear that Ask.com has evolved into Ask3D. With new search technology and a three-panel design, it"s supposed to give searchers what they need, faster, according to Ask CEO Jim Lazone: "Search engines have forced people to wade through endless lists of links, and refine query after query, to find the right information. Ask3D reduces the amount of hunting and pecking it takes for people to find what they need. We do this by delivering the right information, from the deepest range of content, all on one clean and simple page."
The query panel on the left-hand side features a search box with an auto-complete function. The results panel down the middle allows site previews and information, such as the number of pop-ups on a given site, whether a site is Flash-based, and the amount of time it will take a site to load on a 56K connection. The right-hand side content panel displays a variety of content, including images, news items, blogs, weather, time, videos and music clips. Ask code-named the new algorithmic content-matching and ranking technology as "Morph." Users familiar with AskX, a beta version of the search engine that debuted earlier this year, will find Ask3D familiar.