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Filed under: Internet, Microsoft, Search

Microsoft Live Search gets a slight facelift




Granted, this update is less dramatic than the overhaul the service received back in September, but then, how many of us really remember that update anyway?

The biggest change is that the blue toolbar that accompanies the top of each page has been replaced with something much smaller (though still blue), which gives the overall results a cleaner look. The search button has also been replaced with a small magnifying glass icon. Check out some before and after pictures after the jump.


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Filed under: Business, Google, Microsoft, Search

Microsoft Search nowhere to be found

Live SearchThe year of 2007 is coming to an end, and so, it seems, is Microsoft's attempt to regain some ground in the hotly contested search market.

According to the data, Microsoft has two main troubles: getting people to use Live Search, and converting people to using Live Search as their main search portal. Translation: they ain't doing so good.

The latest statistics published by Nielsen Online give Live Search and MSN a share of just 12.0% of all the searches on the U.S. market in November, compared to 13.8% in October. Those numbers pale when put next to Google, who recorded less queries in November but still increased its market share to 57.7%.

So why the disparity? Simple: the name. You can easily tell someone in a casual conversation to "Google" it, but telling someone to "Live Search" it is just so not cool (okay, okay, it's not the name; we simply didn't want to elucidate on the myriad factors behind the philosophy and practice of web searches, and were looking to save some time).

Filed under: Microsoft, Search, web 2.0

Microsoft Tafiti: Silverlight is pretty but doesn't really help you search

tafiti
Microsoft's new Tafiti web site isn't exactly a new search engine. It's powered by Microsoft's search, so you'll get exactly the same results from Tafiti, MSN.com or Live.com. So what's the point of Tafiti? It's pretty.

When you first visit the site, you're prompted to install Silverlight if you haven't already. Then you're presented with a lot of empty space and a search box. When you enter your search term, you're subjected to a little flurry of activity. On the lower left side of the screen, a bunch of icons pop up. Click on them to see images representing your search results, RSS feeds that match your search terms, or a newspaper-like view.

You can also drag search results into slots on the right of the screen for saving, e-mailing, or blogging on Windows Live Spaces. If you're interested in all the bells and whistles, Tafiti is great. If you just want quick search results, you're probably better off with Live Search, Yahoo! or Google.

[via TechCrunch]

Filed under: Windows Mobile

Microsoft testing voice search for Windows Mobile

Live SearchMicrosoft is internally testing a new version of Windows Live Search that enables voice as well as written queries. But the installer file seems to have found its way out of Redmond.

You can either speak into your Windows Mobile microphone or if you've got a model with a bluetooth audio stack, you should be able to speak into a bluetooth headset.

Pretty much any field in the experimental version that allows text entry will also accept voice commands. This is beta software, so it's still pretty buggy. It will only run on devices running Windows Mobile 5.0 or later.

When you start the application, you might get a message that there's a newer version available, but that version does not include Voice Search, so you'll want to say no.

[via Tech[dot]Blog]

Filed under: Business, Design, Developer, Internet, Web services, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo!

Microsoft is planning on taking over the digital landscape

microsofts ads

On Monday Microsoft launched Digital Advertising Solutions, a new ad network that ties all of Microsoft's networks together and pushes ads across Windows Live, Xbox, Office, Live Search, smart phones, and handheld computers. Microsoft realizes that people are spending more and more time with all of their devices connected online, and is stepping up to Google and Yahoo to try to gain a larger market share. So in this heavy move to inundate Microsoft network users with ads, how do you feel about the influx of advertising in the digital space? Taking it to smart phones and Xbox gaming systems seems a little too far for me.

Filed under: Video, Web services, Microsoft

Windows Live Search for video launched

Windows Live.com Video Search

Yesterday Microsoft announced the addition of video search to Windows Live.com Search, the currently-in-beta successor to MSN Search. The results are clean and uncluttered and the index seems to be pretty robust. Each result shows a thumbnail image and the video's title, length, and a short description where available. It pulls results from many sites, including big-media sites like ABC and Comedy Central as well as the new generation of social sites like YouTube and Grouper. Beyond that, there's little to report, but it does serve as a nice complement to Live.com's existing web and image search offerings.

[Via Don Dodge]

Featured Time Waster

Forumwarz - a potentially offensive time waster

I pwn UAfter spending the better part of an hour on Forumwarz I still can't decide if it's just sick or if it's kind of fun. It's a bit like a car wreck on the highway. I know I shouldn't be looking but I can't quite turn away.

It's sick, it's twisted, it's the internet on it's worst level and darn it, it's kind of fun. At least for a little while.

Forumwarz is a parody role-playing game that takes place on the internet - or at least the Forumwarz version of it. Your goal is to complete missions that are given to you through a mock up of GoogleTalk called Sentrillion.

Your first "friend" is ShallowEsophagus who begins giving you missions to pwn various forums by being a troll. Depending on the character type you are assigned at start up, you have tools like drooling on the keyboard or bashing your head on the keyboard that you can use to destroy forum threads and eventually, pwn a forum.

Future missions involve buying illegal software from the Russians, pwning more difficult forums and other internet oddness.

Completing missions gives you cash, called Flezz in game, and items that you can pawn or use in other missions. The game is NOT for those easily offended. It's crass, coarse and there are frequent f-bombs in the fake chat sessions.

This is also a game for a more mature audience as it requires you to shop at the Drugs R Fun store to get various concoctions to improve your playing, engage in certain cyber activities to get more Flezz and just generally use a more adult perspective.

If you can get past that, here are the more enjoyable and time-wasting aspects.

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