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What's the matter with Google?

A few days ago, it seemed like the big predictions for '07 would almost inevitably include some brave start-up--or collaboration--stepping up to the plate and challenging the most juggernautish of the Internet's juggernauts: Google. The predictions were less adamant about whether or not said challenger would actually succeed; after all, Google has recently established itself as pretty darn ironclad. But in 2006's eleventh hour, a string of mishaps, criticisms, and embarrassments have left the Mountain View, Calif.-based company with some exposed vulnerabilities that may make it somewhat easier for an "anti-Google" to emerge this … Read more

Wikiasari, 'Venice Project'...Will 2007 be the year of the 'killer?'

It might be Christmas Eve, but the blogs are still abuzz--mostly with speculation about the big changes in the tech scene that we may or may not be seeing 2007. Over the past couple of days, momentum has been building on a number of stories that are starting to paint what might be one of the first concrete trends we see for '07. Will the coming year be the year of the "killer," the year when big and not-so-big companies join forces to try and topple the products that seem to have a stranglehold on certain niches of … Read more

Silly rabbit, Quintura is for kids

The value of a search engine often depends on who is using it and why. As vague as that might seem, it's important for developers to consider their audience when designing search interfaces. Search company Quintura has carved out a niche with a new search tool called Quintura for Kids. In a nutshell, it's an Internet search engine designed to be both friendly and functional for kids.

Typing in a search query brings up a list of results on the bottom of the page and a cloud of similar search terms up top. Mousing over any of these … Read more

When computers write obits

Ilya Yashin is very much alive, despite the best efforts of an AI program that wanted him dead.

Not that the software had malicious intentions, mind you. It was really all a big misunderstanding, you see.

The trouble started with a pun in a headline in a Russian newspaper, according to the blog VeryRussianTochkaNet. The linguistic trickery was misread by the artificial intelligence program used by Russian search engine Yandex to analyze news stories and then automatically generate profiles of politicians and other notable folks.

On November 23, Yashin and Maria Gaidar donned mountaineering gear to suspend a 33-foot banner … Read more

All search is local on AskCity

Ask.com has released a new way to find all things local. While that may not sound exciting, once you try out AskCity, you will be hooked on this quick and easy super-directory that requires no prior knowledge of what you seek.

AskCity allows users to search for things like restaurants and services within a chosen area. An intuitive and simple interface integrates maps, address information, directions and sharing features, while eliminating many annoying steps. Unlike other directories, AskCity does not require that you even remember the name of that town with the Thai place near that movie theater that … Read more

Let your peers pick your next camera

Are you one of those people who needs a new digital camera but who's a little insecure about where to plonk down a few hundred bucks? Perhaps you should let the wisdom of crowds chart your course.

Flickr, Yahoo's popular photo-sharing site, provides a Camera Finder site that details what cameras are most popular among its users and which produce the most photos on the site. The company bases its figures on camera data that's embedded in about two-thirds of photos.

The answer, if you're curious: The Canon Rebel XT, a digital SLR, wins hands down, … Read more

Google Answers? Don't ask

It's odd that Google gives away so many services for free--even 3D modeling and mapping software--but Google Answers charges $2.50 and more to pose questions to its experts. After four years of operation, Google Answers is cutting off new questions this week, although it will allow answers to stream in until the end of this year.

Since people have grown to expect free content on the Web, Google's fee felt like a fortune. That's partly why I didn't review Google Answers when looking at other similar but free services, such as Yahoo Answers, Answerbag, and … Read more

Google market share inches up

Google's share of search for the U.S. market inched up in October to 45.4 percent, from 45.1 percent in September, according to comScore. Yahoo has 28.2 percent, followed by Microsoft with 11.7 percent, the Ask network with 5.8 percent and Time Warner's AOL with 5.4 percent.

Meanwhile, Nielsen/NetRatings figures show Google with even greater market share -- 49.6 percent in the U.S. for October. Behind Google is Yahoo with 23.9 percent, Microsoft with 8.8 percent, AOL with 6.2 percent and 5.5 percent at Ask.… Read more

Google and Daum teaming up in Korea?

Daum Communications could partner with Google on search-related keyword advertising, putting Daum's deal with Yahoo Search Marketing, formerly Overture, at risk, according to ZDNet Korea.

A Daum official told ZDNet Korea that it had no comment. "When it's right, we will make the statement," Daum official Jaewoong Lee said.

"Overture also stated 'Presently, we are still in talks and have not reached agreement on extending a contract yet,' but we should know for sure by the end of this year when the contract expires," the article says.

Google spokeswoman Eileen Rodriquez said in an … Read more

Google hasn't gone all goofy after all

In a keynote speech this morning at the 12th annual Cyberposium at the Harvard School of Business, Marissa Mayer, Google's VP of search products and user experience, addressed various media headlines that suggest that the company's recent product announcements and purchases are all over the map. Not so, says Mayer. In the course of an hour, she laid out four areas that Google has deemed to be important--more content, easier computing, personalization, and better search--then demonstrated how various Google products currently fit into each bucket:

More content --includes Google Book Search, Blogger, YouTube, and Google Earth

Easier computing … Read more