Real-Time Search vs. Google: Both Win

WolframAlpha analyzes existing data to answer questions

(NEWSER) - The search engine some are calling a “Google Killer” launched Friday, and tech critics see potential—though the science-heavy searcher is no replacement for Google, notes Mike Harvey in the Times of London.

• WolframAlpha “takes serious scientific data and produces answers that simply don't exist as easily or as accessibly elsewhere,” he writes. “It can do calculus, regression analysis, and gene coding. In short it is the best calculator on the web.”

$25M search deals with Microsoft, Google push it barely into black

(NEWSER) - Twitter will be marginally profitable this year thanks to deals with Google and Microsoft that open up the social networking site’s streams to those companies’ search engines. The agreement with Google is worth about $15 million, while the Microsoft partnership should net Twitter around $10 million. The short message site is thought to have operating expenses between $20 million and $25 million. More»

King of Pop tops yearly lists for Google, Yahoo, Bing

(NEWSER) - Michael Jackson commanded more global attention than any other person or thing this year: the deceased pop singer was the No. 1 search term for Google, Bing, and Yahoo. The lists of top 10 search terms also document Twitter's ascendancy in 2009—the micro-blogging service was the second most popular term on Bing and fourth on Google, InformationWeek reports. More»

It hopes to gain edge over Google in social networking

(AP) - Microsoft has picked up a new weapon in its Internet search duel with Google—full access to Twitter's communications hotbed. The partnership announced today represents a coup for Microsoft as it tries to spice up its Internet search engine, Bing, in its long-running attempts to lure traffic from Google. A test version of Bing's Twitter feature debuted today. More»

They troll mountains of online data seeking economic indicators

(NEWSER) - Web-based tools have become increasingly adept at measuring a critical economic indicator: the nation’s mood. Whereas old indicators were based on surveys, these applications sift through mountains of online data, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. TweetFeel, for example, looks for select words and emoticons on Twitter. Other systems do the same for blogs. Emotionr.com even has a running world happiness score—currently at 6.15 out of 10. More»