'Google Killer' Search Site Clever, but Not Killer

(NEWSER) - Real-time search is all the rage these days. But which engine is best, and how does the flavor of the month stack up against plain ol’ Google? MG Siegler of TechCrunch set out to find out, searching a batch of engines for a recent occurrence: the damage the space shuttle suffered on its way into orbit. He typed “Space Shuttle” into each engine, figuring it was what most people would likely type. Here’s what he found: More»

Though not intended to dethrone the search king, Wolfram Alpha will compete for clicks

(NEWSER) - WolframAlpha, a powerful new Web service that can answer a vast array of questions, has already answered one: No, it is not intended to dethrone Google. The site’s creator, scientist and entrepreneur Stephen Wolfram, is “not keen on the hype,” but others believe WolframAlpha could be a game-changer, the New York Times reports. “There is a huge space of possible questions that Google doesn’t answer,” one search company exec said. More»

'Decision engine' gives users more control over results

(NEWSER) - Microsoft wants “Bing” to replace “Google” as your verb of choice for Internet search, PC World reports, with CEO Steve Ballmer unveiling the search engine today at a conference in California. Bing—already available for a test run—will be fully rolled out by Wednesday. The runner-up name was Kumo, Japanese for “cloud.” More»

(NEWSER) - Google won’t buy the New York Times, but the companies are discussing novel ways the search giant can help the newspaper stay afloat, the Business Insider reports. Sources say one idea is for Google to split advertising revenue it takes from sites hosting Times content with the paper. Another, more far-fetched scheme has Google helping the Times embed adverting content in text so it survives reproduction elsewhere. More»

(NEWSER) - A British math whiz plans to roll out a revolutionary search engine this year, but that doesn't mean Google is doomed, Saul Hansell writes in the New York Times. “Google is a company,” while the search engine "is a technology," Hansell writes, responding to a blog that trumpeted the innovation. The new engine would answer specific questions on the Web, rather than find sites that give answers. More»