Google has finally filled one of its search engine’s most glaring omissions with a new option that lets you filter results by time. (Did Microsoft have that lined up for Kumo? Anyhow, too late.)

Past hour, past day, past week and past year drill-down options are now available if you click a new Search Options link that appears top left in your results.

Where applicable, the new Search Options feature also lets you view results classed under Review, Forum or Video subcategories.

A histogram-like Timeline features can represent some results by year and month, while Wonder Wheel provides a graphical, interactive representation of searches related to your query.

Ego surfing, as every, your correspondent found the new time-specific search feature accurate, as it relates to himself.

The Wonder Wheel was a bust, however, presenting just a single circle with the author's name inside it, while the Timeline suggested that his output peaked in 2008 - a conclusion that regular readers of NBR's Technology section will suspect incorrect. But the year is still young.