Yahoo launches Axis search browser

Yahoo launches Axis search browser for desktop, mobile platforms

In its continued effort to supply us with head-scratching headlines, Yahoo has unveiled a pseudo-Web browser. Dubbed "Axis," the HTML5-based software will be a standalone browser for mobile platforms including iOS and Android, while the desktop version installs as a plug-in that works with your existing browser, be it IE9, Chrome or Firefox. Both versions have the same goal of improving your browsing experience.

Yahoo says there's a problem with how you currently browse: you enter a query, you sift through text links, then you click what's most relevant. Axis aims to eliminate -- or at least enhance -- that second step. Instead of text links, you see visual previews of content behind said links (basically a snapshot of the site). This occurs as you're typing, so you see results instantly -- just as you would with Google's Instant service enabled.