Google shaves seconds from searches

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 8 (UPI) -- U.S. Internet giant Google said Wednesday it was launching a faster approach to searching the World Wide Web, saving users seconds per search.

Google said the new system, Google Instant, directs its search engine to offer options to users with a minimum of keystrokes.

Typing in one letter in the search box will cause a drop down menu to appear that offers a variety of possible responses to the search. With each additional letter type, the responses become more focused on what the user is looking for.

When the appropriate option appears in the drop down menu, users can quit typing and click on the option of their choice.

The system shaves two to five seconds off of the average search, The Wall Street Journal reported.

That's not a shabby advancement for the digital world, where searches are measured in milliseconds, and the seconds saved around the world can add up, Google said.

Google said the average search includes nine seconds of typing, 400 milliseconds for the server to receive the message, 300 milliseconds for the results to appear and 15 seconds for searchers to chose an option among the choices the server serves up.

Google Instant, the company said, could save users 3.5 billion seconds a day.