Google has introduced a feature called the Plus Box in an attempt to provide surfers with more information about search results. A small icon of a blue plus sign in a box now appears next to selected Google search results and when you click on it additional data is accessible.

"With Plus Box, you'll get a visual snapshot of related information, so it is faster and easier to find exactly what you're looking for," according to Google's Ardan Arac.

For the moment, Plus Box information is limited to stock prices and maps for businesses with known addresses, though Google says it will be expanding the variety of data on offer in the future.

Google also recently updated the Google Desktop application to improve the search experience for people attempting to find files and folders on their PC.

The company also announced last week that data retained by Google relating to individuals' searches will be made anonymous to protect privacy.

Google currently stores information including the IP addresses searches were made from, meaning they can be related to individual computers, but its new data retention policies will see these deleted after 18-24 months.

"Unless we're legally required to retain log data for longer, we will anonymise our server logs after a limited period of time," said Peter Fleischer and Nicole Wong on the company's blog.

www.webuser.co.uk