Axis Safari

Axis provides a bit of Microsoft-powered functionality to those who use Apple’s Safari web browser to surf the web. This is a plug-in that puts a search box in the bottom left hand corner of Safari’s interface; from that search box you can enter a query, get search results based on that query in real time, and get visual previews for the search results. The search functionality is powered by Microsoft (based on an agreement Yahoo! and Microsoft signed in 2009), the interface is Yahoo!’s, and the browser is Apple’s.

You can install Axis on Safari just like you would install any other plug-in. The simple process will take but a moment of your time, and that is a good thing. A “Welcome to Axis! Here’s a quick tour :)” webpage will launch after the installation completes; the webpage provides a quick look at the functionality you can expect to get from Yahoo! Axis.

Before we focus on the functionality, let’s focus on the interface. The nice thing about Axis is that it has a dark theme. A black search box sits in the bottom left hand corner as you surf the web with Safari. Click it to expand the interface – if you don’t type in any query, you will see a list of trending searches and a list of previews for each trending topic in the list. Click the home button to be presented with a dark homepage – by default it displays some Yahoo! sites in the My Favorites and Read Later panes.

The functionality Axis has to offer can be succinctly described like this: it’s a search engine. Type in a query and Axis will look it up (using Microsoft’s technology, because Yahoo! Search is powered by Microsoft and Bing). As you type along, results start showing up; for each result, Axis presents a preview.

A bit of bookmarking functionality is added on top of this. Sign into your Yahoo! account and you will be able to bookmark webpages and keep them in sync with Axis on another browser (the plug-in is available for Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer as well) or with Axis on an iOS-powered device (a standalone Axis app is available for download). You can add webpages to the Read Later or My Favorites folders that are displayed on Axis’ interface. You can also create a new folder and save your bookmarks in it.

Add Axis to your Safari browser to experience Yahoo!’s new, fast and smart search functionality. Get it for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch to enjoy the same experience on your mobile device.