Google is preparing to unveil a new search service that focuses on microblogging content such as that found on Twitter, it has been reported.
According to the unofficial Google Operating System blog, Google's localisation service now displays a description that makes reference to "QUERY", which "is the MicroBlogsearch Universal result group header text".
It says that Google's new service will differ from Twitter's own search offering by allowing users to sort results by relevancy rather than just by date and will cover a wide range of microblogging websites instead of just focusing on Twitter.
The blog highlights the fact that Google has previously expressed its admiration for Twitter's ability to reflect what is currently "interesting" on the internet.
It cites a quote from Marissa Mayer of Google published on the Los Angeles Times's technology blog in May, which sees the executive state that Twitter has similarities to the search engine's own Trends tool.
"People will often type what they're interested in into the search box and we can make some predictions off of that," she commented.
"So we are interested in being able to offer, for example, microblogging and micro-messaging in our search."
Doug Coleman of ReadWriteWeb notes that Firefox users can already take advantage of a Greasemonkey script called Realtime Twitter Search Results on Google that offers a similar function to the rumoured new Google service.
.jpg)
.gif){kind=small}
