Google's New Dog, New Trick

When Google releases something from the lab into the wild, it's usually a whole new breed...

Capatalizing on information in the information age has always been the Googliath's game plan.
In the past year, a new contender has entered the ring named Kid Wolfram (Read: Wolfram Alpha).

The job of Wolfram's invention has always been to quantify data in a way that streamlines the way it's presented to the user.

The website is working pretty well so far, but I don't typically count on it for web search results - more or less it's a tool to reinforce theories I have about social trends.

Enter the new Google tool: The Public Data Explorer.
This new system takes information and superimposes them on maps or graphs. The tool then creates a short animation that shows these trends changing over time.
The tool also lets you embed your research in a more interesting way.

Behold, US Unemployment from 1990 to December 2009.


And this...