Tools aim to improve web searches

Two new tools have launched that their makers claim will help people get better results from internet searches.

Webfetchpro works by using several different search sites at the same time while the aim of Trexy is to remember each step of the search, including any links in websites visited.

Webfetchpro, which has been set up as a web page, collates the results of search engines including Google, Ask.com and Yahoo!

The creators of the website found that during a search, different search engines tend to throw up different results. So if the same result appears in two or more of the four search engines it uses, this is flagged up first. A nice touch is that websites can be previewed without leaving the results page.

Trexy creates a trail for the internet user by recording all the stages of a search from the initial entry to the final destination. This means that if a repeat visit to the a site is wanted and the user hasn't bookmarked it, they do not have to go through the whole search process again. Because Trexy keeps a record, it also allows searchers to return to sites they may be interested in but which didn't meet their original information needs.

A representative for Trexy told us that no personal information is collected by the service, only the list of links followed. It also automatically stops recording if a secure site is accessed. The toolbar is available for Firefox and Internet Explorer.