If you want to see something pretty cool, go to Loki.com and download Skyhook Wireless’ new Local Search toolbar. It’s the first toolbar built around Local and it’s got a bunch of really useful features:

• It can automatically locate your position so you don’t need to enter it when doing a search (you can change locations too)
• It’s got lots of local content "channels" (bookmarks) to quickly navigate to local news, shopping, mapping, restaurants, movies, Wi-Fi hotspots, traffic, etc. And those content channels can be personalized and expanded by users
• You can set a preferred mapping provider so any lookups send you to either Yahoo!, Google, Ask or A9 maps.
• Through an e-mail button you can share your location with others

Loki offers a kind of metasearch for local. I haven’t fully explored all its capabilities, but it’s the first new toolbar in a long while that justifies its existence. Certain of the features are "power user" tools, but that doesn’t deprive it of being valuable to consumers generally.

Approximately 12% of Web search (according to comScore) happens through a toolbar. Everyone expects that number to grow over time.