I think I've seen this before somewhere, can't remember where.

Google Maps were available as onebox (above Google search results) before:
http://blogoscoped.com/archive/2006-07-15-n27.html

I notice in the search bar http://www.google.com/search?hs=5xz....

When I did a search on "kai pradel" I got http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=kai+pradel&btnG=Google+Search

Sharp eyes. We're always running tests of different ways to improve search or the UI.

And how do these tests work (or help) ? Do you track user movements along the page and see how they react ?

It depends on the test, Sohil. You look to see how users respond to a feature. For example, if no one uses it, that's a bad sign. :) But if it gets a lot of regular people using that feature, that bodes well. So oftentimes we'll track the clicks and usage of the new feature.

Matt, have Google ever considered letting (at least some) users choose which interfaces / features they'd like to see? Surely that would give a good indication of which are preferred. (Or would scaling be a problem?)

Hey Matt
just a question too (not obliged to do a video to respond us!) : how the "testers" are selected? Really at random, or you select the users with their behavior? For example, someone who no ofen use Google Maps a lot will be selected for the test, or something like that?
thanks

PS : Yahoo, MSN and other never do tests, or it just because nobody talk about it (or they have no user enough ^^)

Tom, I think it's both or because they're ignorant.

Thanks for the reply Matt.