Amazon's search engine, A9 has officially launched. I did try out the beta release a few months back and didn't find it all that compelling, and having to sign in to my Amazon account to get the advanced features didn't sit well with me. I just installed the A9 toolbar, though, and there are some useful functions, although you do still need to associate A9 with an Amazon account to save your information. Basically what A9 does is consolidate the features of Google and Alexa, mixed in with a healthy dose of Amazon pimping of course. The search is powered by Google, but you can get Alexa's site information (traffic rank, similar sites, site speed...etc) I just checked Amazon's site and the toolbar suggested BN, Borders, and Powell's Books. There's also a bookmarking function (useful for saving bookmarks online to access from multiple computers) and a diary that lets you jot notes about sites you've visited. You can also save your browsing history in your A9 account. While the search itself is literally no departure from Google, there are a host of useful features for heavy surfers who use more than a single computer.