Search Engine // Current

Search for a song by humming or singing!

I just discovered this mind-bendingly awesome app that can search for songs by you singing or humming part of it into a mic -... more

purplefox
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Yahoo Said to Deny Plans for Selling Search Business

Yahoo! Inc. isn't planning to sell its Internet search business to a group of investors backed by Microsoft Corp., people... more

j4ydh
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A Search Engine With a Real Eye for Videos | Katherine Boehret | The Mossberg Solution | AllThingsD

Web video has transformed the way the Internet is used, but finding the exact clip you want can be incredibly hard. And... more

shaiDeljo
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Ricerche Online, Semantica, Collaborazione Degli Utenti: True Knowledge

True Knowlege è un progetto per le ricerche online da condurre in linguaggio naturale, grazie a un proprio database... more

VictorGodot
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The Queen is 'Googled' as she prepares to visit internet giant's London HQ

As one of the most recognisable faces in the world, the Queen is perhaps used to being 'Googled' on a regular basis. Now... more

sunnyspeaks
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Google in 2001

In honor of Google's 10th anniversary, they brought back their oldest index for us to search through and laugh. Nothing on... more

Ryz0n
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Motori di Ricerca Semantici: il Nuovo Ask.com

La nuova versione del motore di ricerca Ask.com presenta nuove funzioni nel campo delle ricerche espresse in linguaggio naturale:... more

VictorGodot
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Taking On Google

Fancy a change of search engine?

graemesmith
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Google Chrome web browser released

Are Internet Explorer and Firefox ready to do battle with Chrome? Google announced Monday that it has been hard at work on an... more

Sons_Of_Liberty
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Rocky Debut For So Called Google Killer

On Day 1 yesterday of its attempt to dethrone Google Inc. as king of the Internet search engines, Cuil was shaping up to be a New... more

GrandKnow2
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Cuil - The World's Biggest Search Engine

A new search engine using different criteria besides popularity and offering more privacy.

Libertas
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Cuil Search Engine Out to Challenge Google

Ex-Google employees unveil a new search engine today out to challenge their former employer: Cuil, pronounced "cool,"... more

Sons_Of_Liberty
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New search engine '3x larger' than Google

Today, July 28th a new search engine called Cuil (pronounced COOL) got released. It claims to search 3x as many pages as Google... more

snverhallen
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Powerset: arriva la ricerca semantica

Nassce il primo motore di riceca semantico capace di restituire risultati molto più attendibili dei suoi predecessori.... more

estragon
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Culture Diary: The Filter

Peter Gabriel has backed this great site that makes music, video, tv and film recomendations based on your preference.. Really... more

dedemetal
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Let's plant a tree!

This Yahoo technology search engine helps reforesting trees and safeguard water resources in the Amazon in association with... more

Raulek
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Microsoft's Grand Plan: Pay People to Use its Search Engine

Microsoft unveiled its big plan for online search, and it reeks of desperation.

The company is rolling out a cashback search service, which lets users get rebates for purchases they make through Live.com. The payments will be based on a percentage of the product's price, and will be paid via check, direct deposit or PayPal.

Microsoft has been gunning hard for a piece of the search business, but its attempt to develop brand loyalty through bribery seems a little embarrassing when its former takeover target (Yahoo) and the far-and-away search leader (Google) don't find it necessary to tip their users.

Theoretically, the program would serve two functions for Microsoft: 1) It could help build traffic; and 2) It could help Microsoft forge financial relationships with its users, since they will provide billing details and some personal information in order to receive payments from Microsoft.

But it sure seems like an admission by Microsoft that it has given up on trying to win customers' hearts and minds and is unabashedly appealing to customers' wallets.

The model is also reminiscent of a spectacular disaster from the last bubble -- a web "portal" called iWon, which gave away $10,000 everyday and $1 million every month, in hopes of building a customer base. The site was revamped and relaunched last year by IAC as some sort of games site with prizes and giveaways.

While the plan sounds pretty cockeyed to us (do Microsoft execs really think they can steal customers from Google by buying them off for a few bucks?) the program is clearly something Microsoft sees as "disruptive."

"On Wednesday, we will be announcing a major new initiative that our search teams have been driving. We are getting better and better with our core algorithmic search, and at the same time, we are investing to differentiate in vertical experiences and to disrupt the current model," said Kevin Johnson, in an internal memo, published earlier this week.

After testing out the Live Search Cashback program this morning, we're not any more convinced of its potential for success: The selection of retail partners rots, and the user interface is bare bones and pretty lame. (Microsoft says it partnered with "more than 700 merchants," including 13 of the top 40 U.S. retailers.) While the savings are decent (between 15 percent and 25 percent), the list prices seem slightly inflated in the first place.

Plus, there is the attendant ickyness of the whole rebate concept -- why not just give me a discount at the point of sale? Why make us do anything but buy the damn thing to get the discount you are offering? Microsoft unveiled its big plan for online search, and it reeks of desperation. The company is rolling out a cashback search... more