Google is unveiling a new type of image search they’re calling “Image Swirl.” It’s available as a limited preview in Google Labs. You can access the Image Swirl search here.
Here’s an example of what you’ll see when you do. I did a search for “golden retrievers” and the initial page of results looks like this:
Then, once you click on a result, you get this:
Click on an individual pic and you’ll, well, just get the thumbnail of that pic in a bubble:
The preview is limited to 200,000 queries, and that will seem like a lot until you search for a term that’s not included. While “golden retriever” is included, “comfort retriever” (a golden/spaniel mix) is not. My dog Ruby is totally offended.
But hey, that’s why it’s in Labs. It’s a nifty tool, good for refinement of image searches without having to type in a new query.