powerset

Live Search gets a Powerset boost

It will take some time for Microsoft to fully make use of the technology it got by acquiring natural-language search company Powerset. However, Microsoft said on Wednesday that the earliest fruits of the deal are now evident in its Live Search product.

Specifically, the company said in a blog posting that it has added three things from Powerset: a set of direct answers using Freebase, improved captions for Wikipedia results, and new related searches using the Factz engine. Microsoft closed its deal to buy Powerset last month.

"Since Wikipedia articles show up in a large percentage of Live Search … Read more

Microsoft sees Powerset-powered search ad revolution

SAN JOSE, Calif.--Microsoft bought search start-up Powerset with the expectation that its natural-language processing technology would give a better understanding of search queries and the content of Web pages. But wait--there's more.

The company also believes Powerset's technology could help advertisers find placement on Web search results, said Scott Prevost, Powerset's general manager and product director, in a meeting here with reporters in conjunction with the Search Engine Strategies conference.

Today, advertisers bid to have their ads shown on search results pages depending on specific keywords that users type into search engines. That can be … Read more

Microsoft closes Powerset deal

Microsoft has now officially acquired Powerset, a natural language search firm, completing the deal it announced last month.

In a blog posting on Monday, Powerset's Mark Johnson said that integration efforts are already well under way. "This Thursday and Friday, there will be a bunch of folks down from Redmond for a symposium to share details about our respective technologies," Johnson said. "We're excited to learn about everything now available to Powerset in the Live Search stack. We're also excited to share the cool things we've cooked up here at Powerset and start … Read more

Radar Networks readies new release of Twine

In March, Radar Networks launched Twine, an application that organizes information and connects people, places, companies, products, Web pages, videos, and photos. Along with Metaweb's Freebase, Powerset (sold to Microsoft), Hakia, Reuters' Calias, AdaptiveBlue and a few other start-ups, Radar Networks is trying to crack the code on building a piece of the semantic Web.

In a Times Online article, Web creator Tim Berners-Lee gave an example of how the semantic Web would work:

"Imagine if two completely separate things--your bank statements and your calendar--spoke the same language and could share information with one another. You could drag … Read more

EIC Squared: Indexing Flash; Powerset; and Viacom vs. Google

On this week's EIC Squared podcast, ZDNet's Larry Dignan and I discuss this week's big stories. It was a busy week on the search front. Adobe is providing Google and Yahoo with Flash Player technology that allows their search engine crawlers to find and index SWF content, including Flash "gadgets" such as buttons or menus and self-contained Flash Web sites. It's good to make more information accessible via search engines. However, Microsoft has been silent on whether Live Search would index Flash content.

In addition, Microsoft bought Powerset for about $100 million to enhance … Read more

Microsoft to buy Powerset

Updated 1:15 p.m., with comments from Powerset co-founder and Microsoft executive.

Well, first it was a rumor, then an unconfirmed report, and now it's a deal. Microsoft is buying Powerset.

Microsoft confirmed the acquisition Tuesday on its Live Search blog.

"We're excited to announce that we've reached an agreement to acquire Powerset, a San Francisco-based search and natural language company," the company said in the blog posting. Powerset workers will join Microsoft's core search relevance team and remain based in San Francisco. The company said that Powerset's technology will complement existing … Read more

It's official: Microsoft acquires Powerset

As expected (see previous reports), Microsoft scooped up Powerset to buttress its search efforts.

It's not a replacement for increasing market share by acquiring Yahoo Search, but it gives Microsoft some differentiated search technology and top engineers for less than $100 million. Ramez Naam, group program manager of Live Search, said the Powersoft negotiations happened in parallel with the Yahoo talks over the last few months. Google and Yahoo may also have been interested in Powerset, but no one is talking.

Whether Microsoft can leapfrog Google over the long term with this semantic engine remains to be seen.

Powerset … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 755: Issues of men and womthem

Thorny gender issues arise on Facebook, Bill Gates takes his leave, Sony announces movie downloads without any movies but their own, and anyone in North Carolina who's offended by their own, inadvertently rude "WTF" license plate can get it replaced at no cost. But we say: drive it with pride! Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 755

For Bill Gates, the next phase begins http://news.cnet.com/For-Bill-Gates%2C-the-next-phase-begins/2009-1014_3-6242476.html

Sony yet to sign PSN movie download deals http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=11133&Itemid=2… Read more

Report: Microsoft to buy Powerset

Microsoft is close to buying search engine Powerset for $100 million or more, according to technology Web site VentureBeat.

VentureBeat said the deal for the Silicon Valley company, which specializes in semantic, or natural-language search, is due to be announced next month.

Microsoft and Powerset both declined to comment on the report.

The deal could help Microsoft in the wake of its failed Yahoo bid, although sources say Microsoft is also mulling over whether to offer a new bid for Yahoo's search engine, amid urging from Yahoo shareholders.

Rumors that Microsoft was interested in Powerset have been swirling for … Read more