Search Engine Debuts For 'Cranky' Tech-Savvy SeniorsSearch Engine Debuts For 'Cranky' Tech-Savvy Seniors

Eons, a media company for older people, said Tuesday that it will launch a search engine called Cranky.com that is targeted at boomers over age 50.

Eons and Compete Inc. developed the search after the firms analyzed the most popular Web sites visited by some 500,000 Web surfers over age 45. They reviewed the top 5,000 sites and have structured Cranky.com to produce results that are most relevant for older people.

"The philosophy behind Cranky.com is the polar opposite of most search engines in the market today that define their success around capturing the entire Web," said Jeff Taylor, Eons founder and CEO, in a statement. "It's easy to type 'China trip' in a popular search engine, but it can be overwhelming to navigate the 60 million results."

Cranky.com attempts to solve the embarrassment of riches that so often results from search queries by displaying the top four authoritative sites that match the term searched. Also members are encouraged to rate and review sites with the result that the authority and accuracy of searches will improve over time.

"Why the name Cranky?" Taylor asked. "Because I get 'cranky' when I get lost in the search quagmire. I know it's tongue-in-cheek, but you'll never forget the name."

Taylor, who founded online employment company Monster.com, said Cranky.com was founded with the idea of appealing to an older audience that embraces technology, even though the users may not have grown up with technology.