Among many new-coming experiments coming out of Google’s Area 120, the web and Android app Keen seems very similar to Pinterest. It encourages users to make a “Keen”, which is fundamentally a Pinterest board, about any subject or theme they might like. Links can be added along with photographs and other resources by the users who can also invite friends to collaborate and follow any “Keens” they find interesting. Google will use its machine learning algorithms with Keen to suggest related content for different users.
Area 120 is an experimental program within Google where small teams can rapidly build new products in an entrepreneurial environment. The products are built, tested, and launched (within testing) with many variations so that the product is fully explored to its potential. It looks for concepts with the potential to become necessities such as Google Maps, Gmail, and Google Search engine. The managing director, Alex Gawley, says that they are looking for daily problem-solving products that the people can use as a necessity over time.
Machine learning is an application of Artificial Intelligence (an idea to produce intelligent machines that can imitate human-like thinking capability and behavior) which allows systems to automatically learn and improve without being explicitly programmed to do so. A system achieves this by recognizing patterns and changes in its recordings and performs calculations in real-time to make decisions. This is utilized in the Keen app in the form of Google’s machine learning through which it can suggest user-specified related content based on that user’s search pattern and already saved content.
Co-founder CJ Adams wrote in a blog post that Keen lets the user curate the content they love. They can share their various collections with others and find new content based on what they have previously saved.
The app is meant to help people spend more time learning about what might interest them or assist them in discovering new hobbies and topics they never looked into but find them interesting, which is a better alternative to just scrolling thoughtlessly through the device they are using. Keen’s resemblance to Pinterest is very prominent, but it is not very surprising because a new approach to Pinterest comes along often. For example, we learned yesterday that Facebook is testing new ways to make Collections easier to share and collaborate on. Meanwhile, earlier this year, Google also introduced its shareable Collections and Instagram, like many social platforms, has Collections as well. Keen has a unique name but it may be the only differentiating feature when compared to the aforementioned examples provided.
Read next: Google Maps Introduced New ‘Promoted’ Pins To Boost The Visibility Of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses
Area 120 is an experimental program within Google where small teams can rapidly build new products in an entrepreneurial environment. The products are built, tested, and launched (within testing) with many variations so that the product is fully explored to its potential. It looks for concepts with the potential to become necessities such as Google Maps, Gmail, and Google Search engine. The managing director, Alex Gawley, says that they are looking for daily problem-solving products that the people can use as a necessity over time.
Machine learning is an application of Artificial Intelligence (an idea to produce intelligent machines that can imitate human-like thinking capability and behavior) which allows systems to automatically learn and improve without being explicitly programmed to do so. A system achieves this by recognizing patterns and changes in its recordings and performs calculations in real-time to make decisions. This is utilized in the Keen app in the form of Google’s machine learning through which it can suggest user-specified related content based on that user’s search pattern and already saved content.
Co-founder CJ Adams wrote in a blog post that Keen lets the user curate the content they love. They can share their various collections with others and find new content based on what they have previously saved.
The app is meant to help people spend more time learning about what might interest them or assist them in discovering new hobbies and topics they never looked into but find them interesting, which is a better alternative to just scrolling thoughtlessly through the device they are using. Keen’s resemblance to Pinterest is very prominent, but it is not very surprising because a new approach to Pinterest comes along often. For example, we learned yesterday that Facebook is testing new ways to make Collections easier to share and collaborate on. Meanwhile, earlier this year, Google also introduced its shareable Collections and Instagram, like many social platforms, has Collections as well. Keen has a unique name but it may be the only differentiating feature when compared to the aforementioned examples provided.
Read next: Google Maps Introduced New ‘Promoted’ Pins To Boost The Visibility Of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses
