Google have released a beta of their SSL-enabled search page. An interesting concept in that while it protects the end user while performing searches, any ssl protection is lost when the searcher clicks on a link and goes directly to the desired page.

An important point is: "...Google will still maintain search data to improve your search quality and to provide better service. Searching over SSL doesn’t reduce the data sent to Google — it only hides that data from third parties who seek it."

Personally i'd prefer a version of their search engine that didn't maintain my search data, but given some of Google's other recent actions and CEO Eric Schmidt's views on privacy, I'm guessing it isn't coming soon....

On the other hand they are making the recent awesome interactive 'pac man' google logo a permanent feature! (although not everyone thinks it was a good idea...)