Facebook unveils new search tool.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled what he called "graphic search," which allows users to search for photos, people, places, and other content that has been shared with them.
MENLO PARK, USA, Jan 15 (Reuters) Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled on Tuesday a feature he said will help its more than one billion users search the social network, in the company's first major product launch event since its initial public offering in May.
Speaking to reporters at the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, Zuckerberg described what he called "graphic search," which allows users to search for photos, people, places, and other content that has been shared with them.
Critics have long considered the social network's current search capabilities inadequate.
Available as a "beta" version, or still in testing, the tool -- called "graphical search" because Facebook refers to its growing base of content, data and members as a "social graph" -- will initially allow members of the social network to search mainly involving photographs, people, places and user interests, he added.
"You need to be able to ask the question, like, who are my friends in San Francisco," Zuckerberg said.
The world's largest social network, Facebook, is taking steps to regain the trust of Wall Street after a tumultuous initial public offering (IPO) and concerns about its long-term revenue generation prospects.
Speculation has reached a frenzied level in recent weeks about what Facebook planned to reveal at its highest-profile press conference since its market debut. Guesses included a smartphone and a standalone web search product.
This anticipation, along with expectations of strong financial results in the fourth quarter, helped boost Facebook's stock. Its shares have risen by more than 15 percent since the beginning of the year.
On Tuesday afternoon, the stock was down 0,3 percent, at $30,84.
(Reporting by Alexei Oreskovic)