I seem to remember not too long ago Microsoft claiming that the new MSN Search was going to mop the floors with Google. Whether or not I just imagined that, Microsoft is playing the same tune today. Reuters reports that Microsoft expects to "be more relevant in the U.S. market place than Google" in six months time with the launch of a new search engine. They claim the new search engine will do more than just fetch URLs, pulling relevant data from around the web like real estate and restaurant listings instead of just links. That sounds familiar. While Microsoft's dream of having Google beat in six months seem, to put it kindly, a little fanciful—a year or two and anything could happen, but six months?—I have no doubt that they're up to something interesting and that Google won't spend the intervening time resting on its laurels.

[Via Slashdot]