While I'm not yet convinced that Yahoo! (NAS: YHOO) shares are worth buying, for the first time in years, I'm intrigued by one of the company's products. The new Axis browser shows uncommon promise.
On the surface, the hype -- that it "redefines" what it means to search and browse the Web -- doesn't match the reality. Axis is a browser within a browser, plugging into Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer. Yahoo! has also created stand-alone versions for the iPhone and iPad.
Three features make Axis interesting:
Images. Click in a search box and enter a term and Axis instantly presents a horizontal bar of results with image previews for the pages where you'll find more information. Swiping left to right reveals more results. Not a breakthrough, I realize, but an interesting addition. At the very least, it makes hunting for information more aesthetically pleasing.
Trending searches. Much like Twitter or Google's (NAS: GOOG) Trends, Axis shows the most popular searches. Think of it as a portal without the news, organized by what's most popular at that moment.
Cross-device synchronicity. A "home" button in Axis takes you to a screen where you'll find designated favorites and pages marked for later reading. Most interesting, though, is a section marked "Continue From Device." Login using a Yahoo!, Google, or a Facebook (NYS: FB) ID, and your browsing history will follow you from desktop to iPhone to iPad and back again.