Google Set to Add Microblog Search

$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»

(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»

Two insiders put price well above $250 million

(NEWSER) - Google is in the last stages of acquiring Twitter for a price well above the microblogging site's recent $250 million valuation, reports industry blog TechCrunch, citing anonymous sources. Twitter recently rejected a $500 million offer from Facebook—although much of that price was in stock that may be overvalued. A rep from Google refused to comment on "rumors and speculation." More»