Search Tools Tailored to You

Helpful features make Microsoft's search engine more than a Google copy

(NEWSER) - It's easy to mock Bing as Microsoft's latest attempt to rip off a competitor. Bloggers, in fact, have christened the search engine "But It's Not Google." That’s actually true, writes David Pogue in the New York Times. "In many ways, Bing is better." Here's how:

• When you hover your mouse over a search result, Bing opens a pop-up window that displays the first few paragraphs. Saves time clicking on dead ends.

(NEWSER) - China darkened Google for 2 hours today over the site’s continued practice of returning results linking to foreign websites and “pornographic” content, the Financial Times reports. The Chinese government is unhappy that Google’s domestic website, Google.cn, allows users to search the entirety of the Internet. The outage affected only Google.com, the only way to access Gmail in China and a prime target for advertisers. More»

Move likely to cost firm more than $1B

(NEWSER) - Google has given all its employees a little holiday surprise: a $1,000 bonus and a 10% raise starting next year, reports Henry Blodget at Business Insider . And, citing employee feedback, Google will convert a portion of their bonuses to their salary—though merit-based bonuses will still be awarded separately. And just to be swell, Google’s paying the taxes on the $1,000. More»

Forget the open WWW—it's all about apps now

(NEWSER) - As the World Wide Web turns 18, Wired declares it dead—even as the Internet continues to rule. Chris Anderson takes us through a typical user's day: email checked and Facebook browsed on an iPad; podcasts and Pandora listened to; Skype and IM conversations held. "You’ve spent the day on the Internet—but not on the Web," he writes, and it's because we now want closed platforms, like apps, that "work better or fit better" in our lives. "For the sake of the optimized experience on mobile devices, users forgo the general-purpose browser. Fast beats flexible." More»

New features coming fast and furious

(NEWSER) - Google has been adding features lately—like its new side navigation, revamped image search, and customizable background image—that look an awful lot like ideas nabbed from Bing, the New York Times observes. Though Bing still has a mere 12.7% of the search market, compared to Google’s 62.6%, it appears to be pushing its bigger competitor to innovate. “There is a cold war going on,” says one analyst. “Bing’s competition is forcing Google to try and catch up.” More»