Microsoft details Bing’s improved ‘Page Zero’ search results

Microsoft details Bing's Page Zero search it's all about intents

Wondering how Bing's upgraded Page Zero search feature produces rich details and options before you've even finished typing? Microsoft has posted a deep dive that explains a lot of what's going on. Bing is taking better advantage of its entity relationship engine, Satori; as soon as the search tool finds a likely subject, it both displays an information tile and the most popular intentions associated with that subject. Look for the San Francisco Giants, for example, and Bing will offer search pages dedicated to scores or tickets. The technology is also clever enough to both expand and refine the list of intentions over time. The new Page Zero details won't necessarily get you to switch search providers, but they do show how Microsoft is responding to Google's constant refinements.

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Source: Bing Search Blog

Bing intros robust product results for snappier impulse shopping

DNP Bing product integration

If you can't even remember when you've last used Bing, you'll find a deluge of new features next time you visit. The latest among these perks is a more elaborate result page for product searches, making the engine a potentially dark and dangerous place for chronic spenders. When you look up a product term such as "DSLR cameras" or "smartphones," you'll now see a list of the most popular models in that category. That's not the deepest end of the rabbit hole, however, as searching for a particular model rewards you with a summary of its specs, links to reviews and a list of alternative items. Microsoft will also equip the page's ads with product images in case none of the things in those lists wins you -- or your credit card -- over. Unfortunately, you'll need to rein in the call of your inner shopaholic for now -- the update's not yet available for everyone, but outgoing CEO Ballmer and Co. will roll it out in the coming months.

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Via: The Next Web

Source: Bing

South Korea’s FTC finds Google not guilty of antitrust measures

South Korea's FTC finds Google not guilty of antitrust measures

Google has been acquitted of the anti-competitive allegations brought to it more than two years ago by South Korean search operators NHN and Daum Communications, the Yonhap News reported today. Back in April 2011, the two firms accused the Mountain View company of having an unfair advantage by making its own search engine the default on the Android operating system. After a couple of raids and a lengthy review process, the local Fair Trade Commission has finally decided that Google doesn't hurt NHN's or Daum's competitive chances at all. FTC officials said that both companies presently enjoy a healthy chunk of the domestic search engine market -- NHN's portal maintains a good 70 percent share, for example -- and that users could easily download NHN and Daum apps onto their phones as alternatives. Chalk this one up as at least one victory in the search giant's seemingly never-ending battle with authorities.

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Source: Yonhap

Yandex passes Bing to become fourth largest search provider according to comScore

Yandex passes Bing to become fourth largest search provider according to comScore

Bing, Microsoft's attempt to take on Google directly. When it first launched there was quite a bit of fanfare and its market share grew quickly. It didn't exactly hack away at Mountain View's dominance, but it certainly made a small dent. Since then, things have slowed down and other players have asserted themselves in the global search battlefield. While Baidu has been riding high for quite some time, Yandex is a relative new-comer to the leader board. And, somewhat surprisingly, has already surpassed Microsoft for global market share according to stats provided to us by comScore. Though the margin is small, the Russian company saw more searches performed through its site than Microsoft in both November and December of 2012. The difference is small enough that those positions could swap again but, where as Bing has seen its numbers plateau over the last six months, Yandex has continued to grow. Of course, neither is anywhere near challenging Google which accounts for roughly 65 percent of the search traffic according to comScore's numbers and both only see about half the traffic of the number three competitor, Yahoo. Microsoft can still claim one victory over Yandex in the number of unique searchers, though. If you're curious for more we've put the entire chart after the break.

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Via: DailyTech, Search Engine Watch

Bing brings new social sidebar to the iPad, helps you see who’s been looking for what

DNP Bing brings new social sidebar to iPad users

Bing's desktop version recently underwent a bit of a makeover and Microsoft has now added its search engine's new social sidebar for the iPad's Safari users. Upon performing a web search, folks will have access to a side pane displaying related results from the likes of Facebook, Foursquare, Klout and Twitter. Supporting both portrait and landscape formatting, the updated design is set to gradually roll out over the next few days. Just in time for you to check out who's going to see The Hobbit in 48fps this weekend when searching for showtimes and theaters.

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Via: Tech Crunch

Source: Bing

Google Knowledge Graph explains related content, finds the six degrees with less Bacon

Google Knowledge Graph adds explanations for related content, finds the six degrees with less Bacon

We had a bit of a laugh with Google's Kevin Bacon calculator. Not everyone needs to tie their searches to the star of Footloose, though, which is partly why Google is pushing out an update to its Knowledge Graph that explains how searches turn up related items. The effort is starting with actors, celebrities and their links to any movies and TV shows they've starred in. Looking for Orson Welles and mousing over Rita Hayworth's portrait reminds us that the two luminaries were married for years, for example. We won't know when the more intelligent searches will expand, but at least we won't be quite so confused if the animated Transformers movie appears next to Citizen Kane.

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Google Knowledge Graph explains related content, finds the six degrees with less Bacon originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Oct 2012 01:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink TechCrunch  |  sourceInside Search  | Email this | Comments

Google offers historical exhibitions, wields its search powers to tell untold stories (video)

Google offers historical exhibitions, wields its search powers to tell untold stories video

Google has been taking advantage of its sheer domination of search to act as a custodian for human culture, whether it's famous artwork or wonders of the world. The most direct example of this archival impulse may have arrived today through the launch of historical exhibitions at the (virtual-only) Google Cultural Institute. Starting with 42 exhibitions, the project delves into major historical events with both a guided, mixed-media tour as well as the kind of free-form exploration you'd expect from Google, such as hunting down a specific person, place or time range. The focus helps Google tell both textbook-level history as well as private stories. Though small at present, the collection is taking further submissions that could lead to a much broader internet resource for learning -- an expansion that we can't help but embrace.

Continue reading Google offers historical exhibitions, wields its search powers to tell untold stories (video)

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Google offers historical exhibitions, wields its search powers to tell untold stories (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 01:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Google Official Blog  |  sourceGoogle Cultural Institute  | Email this | Comments

Apple’s app search engine goes dark, Chomp joins Ping in obsolescence

Apple's app search engine goes dark, Chomp joins Ping in obsolescence

Ping wasn't the only Apple service to go offline at the tail end of September. Chomp, an app search engine purchased by Cook and Co. earlier this year, also closed up shop. In the spring, the service discontinued support for Android apps, and now its entire website and iOS application have been shuttered. Folks who still have the app installed are greeted with the bad news upon launching it: "Chomp has been discontinued as of September 30. Thanks for being a loyal user." If you're mourning the loss, we hear Yahoo would be delighted to make your acquaintance.

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Apple's app search engine goes dark, Chomp joins Ping in obsolescence originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 13:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CNET  |  sourceAllThingsD  | Email this | Comments

Yahoo starts selling half of its Alibaba stake as promised, sends $3.65 billion to giddy shareholders

Defunct Yahoo billboard

Anyone who's been holding on to Yahoo shares through thick and thin is about to reap the rewards of that patience. As the company promised, it's starting to sell back half its stake in Alibaba, closing the first stage of the deal with the equivalent of $7.6 billion in pure revenue. The struggling search and content firm 'only' pockets a net $4.3 billion after taxes and other overhead costs, but it won't even see that much in its bank account: it's purposefully sending $3.65 billion of that money to shareholders, both to inspire new confidence and (unofficially) to head off activist investors like Dan Loeb that might otherwise want a coup d'état. If share owners plan on using the second stage of the sale to fund a vacation to Maui, though, they'll need to wait. Yahoo's deal prevents it from selling half of its remaining 23 percent stake unless Alibaba files for an initial public offering, and there's no guarantee that investors will see another dime of the proceeds.

Continue reading Yahoo starts selling half of its Alibaba stake as promised, sends $3.65 billion to giddy shareholders

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Yahoo starts selling half of its Alibaba stake as promised, sends $3.65 billion to giddy shareholders originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 10:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceThe Huffington Post  | Email this | Comments

EU competition head gives Google a ‘matter of weeks’ to offer an antitrust fix

EU flag

The European Union has been taking a leisurely pace investigating Google over possible antitrust abuses, but it's now accelerating to a full-on sprint. European Commission competition head Joaquin Almunia has given Google just a "matter of weeks" to propose how it would patch things up and soften fears that it was unfairly pushing its own web services over others. If Google makes the Commission happy, Almunia says, the whole investigation might wrap up and avoid fines. Google hasn't responded yet, but we wouldn't guarantee that it makes a deal: its execs have usually argued that there's nothing keeping users from going to another search site, and the company has been eager to emphasize that competition still exists. That said, Google only has to see what happened to Microsoft to know how expensive an EU antitrust fight can be.

EU competition head gives Google a 'matter of weeks' to offer an antitrust fix originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 May 2012 09:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Reuters  |  sourceEuropean Commission  | Email this | Comments