We’re thrilled to announce the release of v3.0.0! Just shy of two months since our last release, this new version offers some considerable enhancement and major new functionality:

• As reported by Anthony Ha at VentureBeat, we have “resurrected” our destination search engine, located at search.SurfCanyon.com. Not only are searchers now able to test the technology prior to downloading the application, controlling the top 10 results enables an unprecedented level of personalization for real-time re-ranking.
• We have significantly enhanced the SearchBar functionality. In addition to the dropdown Refinements, users will be presented with the top 3 search results to which they can navigate directly without having to visit the SERP. IE8 users will also have the pleasure of seeing image previews, as shown below.
• Craigslist image previews have been “decoupled” from recommendations enabling users to keep the former should they wish to disable the latter.
• Last but not least, www.SurfCanyon.com has received a complete makeover.

Anthony Ha went on to say:

“… suggestions are based on both the result you clicked on and on your behavior during the current search session, which makes it very different from Google’s Similar Pages function, which is based on links — it comes closer to giving you search results that you’re really looking for, rather than forcing you to enter multiple queries as you refine your search.”

With this release, we are recommending that our Firefox users check out BrandThunder’s Canvas Boom, which enables you to customize your Firefox browser using any picture from your computer or the internet. (See below) The download will include Yahoo! Search as the default search engine. Brand Thunder develops all sorts of themes and extensions for Firefox that you can explore in their Gallery. We hope that you enjoy it!

Update: Our good friend, Charles Knight at AltSearchEngines, re-posted the announcement.