This week, the team behind the Arc browser for Mac and soon Windows launched the Arc Search iPhone app. The app is integrated with AI to browse the web for you, collecting information from various sources to create a web page that provides answers to your questions. This marks the beginning of Act 2 for Arc, with three additional major updates in the pipeline. The aim is to blur the lines between the browser, search engine, and websites, to enhance the effectiveness of internet browsing. The company’s promotional video features enthusiastic comments from members praising the browser’s abilities. One of the new features, Instant Links, allows users to press shift and enter to activate a search and automatically open the top results. Although not foolproof, it can prove useful in certain situations, such as quickly accessing a YouTube trailer by searching for “True Detective season 4”. Another feature, Live Folder, will track updates from selected websites, akin to an RSS feed, with a beta version anticipated on February 15th. Additionally, Arc Explore, which uses LLMs, is set to join browsers, search engines, and websites, offering a more advanced version of what the browser currently does. This ambitious feature aims to consolidate browsing, search, and website navigation, providing relevant information and direct links in a streamlined manner. An example of using Arc Explore showcased its efficacy in gathering detailed information about different types of soups, including ingredient lists, recipes, and related videos, effectively replacing the need to browse multiple websites. The company’s efforts to revolutionize browsing habits and craft a more seamless experience are commendable, although the long-standing browsing habits may present a challenge to overcome. The overarching philosophy driving Arc is to disrupt these habits and create a superior browsing experience, with the understanding that not all experiments may prove to be sustainable. Despite potential changes ahead, it will be intriguing to observe the evolution of these new features.
