Speculative search result on a not-yet-submitted search query

A device for searching, comprising:

• a user input device;
• a display device;
• and
• a processor, communicatively coupled to the user input device and the display device, the processor to:
• display a search box on the display device;
• detect each character entered into the search box;
• after each character has been entered into the search box, determine whether one or more of the characters entered into the search box satisfy a criterion to initiate a speculative search;
• when one or more of the characters entered into the search box satisfy the criterion to initiate a speculative search, and prior to a user instructing the client device to return search results, transmit the characters entered into the search box onto a network as a search query to a search engine;
• receive one or more speculative search results in response to the search query;
• and
• display the one or more speculative search results on the screen of the client device along with the search box and the characters entered into the search box.

A computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage device and comprising instructions that when executed by a processor perform a method for initiating a speculative search, the method comprising:

• displaying a search box at a client device;
• detecting, at the client device, each character entered into the search box;
• after each character has been entered into the search box, determining, at the client device, whether one or more of the characters entered into the search box satisfy a criterion to initiate a speculative search;
• when one or more of the characters entered into the search box satisfy the criterion to initiate a speculative search, and prior to a user instructing the client device to return search results, transmitting the characters entered into the search box onto a network as a search query to a search engine;
• receiving, at the client device, one or more speculative search results in response to the search query;
• and
• display the one or more speculative search results on the screen of the client device along with the search box and the characters entered into the search box.