I just came across Google Experiments–a kinda of pre-beta test drive of some new things they are working on. Great way to get user feedback. Overall, it doesn’t seem like Google has many secrets to hide from competitors. Are they even worried about competitors? Doesn’t feel like they are, and that’s probably a good thing.
The four experiements currently up for review all have a heavy UI component to them. The keyboard shortcuts don’t seem rich enough to be worthwhile. I’m also wondering if the shortcuts will present conflicts with other browser keys and devices. I like the alternative views for search. Let’s you switch strategies and see different facets of your search quickly.