Google's latest experiment will let you use apps you haven't downloaded

Google keeps making its mobile app more useful.

The company introduced a new feature to its Android app Wednesday that allows users to access and use apps from search results without downloading them first.

The feature, which Google is calling "app streaming," is rolling out now to Google's Android app and will work with a select group of third-party apps to start (Hotel Tonight, Chimani, Daily Horoscope, New York Subway and a handful of others.)

Google has allowed developers that have a mobile web version of their app to surface app results within searches for some time. (This is why you can search for, say a restaurant, and open the listing directly in Yelp.) App streaming is an extension of this: Instead of opening the app directly, it will open a streamed version of the service. The streamed version will look almost identical to the app itself, Rajan Patel, the lead engineer on the effort, says, even though the app isn't actually installed on your phone. Read more...