SearchEngines
Latest
Yale Study: You're not as clever as your Googling suggests
Having all of human knowledge readily available on the internet has convinced people that they know a lot more than they actually do, according to a recent Yale study. For their recently published report in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, a pair of psychologists conducted multiple 1000-participant experiments. They found that participants who used the internet to research a subject were more likely to think that they also knew about a second, unrelated topic. Basically, if you look up subject A with the internet, you're more likely than offline researchers to think you also know about subject B -- even if you haven't actually looked anything up. In general, internet users believed themselves to be brighter and more clever than the other participants in the study.
Google mobile search highlights the freshest news stories
If you've performed a search with the Google box on your mobile device today, you might've noticed something a bit different in the results. When you make a query for a topic, now it'll populate results with a rotating carousel of the "freshest and most relevant content" from a single source according to Google's blog. In practice, it looks exactly like the GIF above. This'll even work for individual websites, too. For example, doing a search for "Engadget" brings up our recent stories, with a link to watch our JXE stream of Life is Strange in a YouTube section just below it.
Bing now recommends best-sellers for you to read
If you need recommendations for your one-person book club, because you'd rather not join an actual one (even if it was founded by a social media mogul), hit up Bing. Microsoft's search engine now displays a carousel of book titles and cover pages (which looks just like Google's ticker, as you can see above) when you trigger specific key phrases. To be precise, it takes data from The New York Times weekly and monthly best-seller lists and displays them in a more visually appealing way within the search results page. Clicking on a title displays its synopsis, ratings and links where you can buy a copy, of course, otherwise it's just a pretty ticker filled with cover art. You can try it out yourself by searching "best-selling fiction," "nonfiction best-sellers," "best-selling kids' books" or "current times best business books," though the feature might (unfortunately) not work if you're outside the US.
Bing and Yahoo went down but hackers weren't to blame
Notice that Bing and Yahoo searches were down earlier today? Or maybe Siri and Cortana? No, it wasn't the result of a hack -- it was something less nefarious according to Reuters' sources. Apparently Microsoft issued a bad code update and then couldn't hit CRTL+Z fast enough once it went live. This caused a bit of a domino effect, it'd seem: Because Redmond's roll-back didn't work, it had to turn off groups of linked servers to get back to the point where things were working as they did pre-crash. Since Bing powers Yahoo searches, that caused things on Yahoo's end to go on the fritz because of the backlog of search requests that populated when the problem was resolved, Reuters notes.
Google expands definition of 'news,' adds Reddit to search results
Seen a few new sources showing up in the "news" section of a Google search lately? It isn't just you. Mountain View is pulling more websites into its news listings now including the likes of Reddit, as spotted by Search Engine Land. Google says that regardless of where it comes from, any content could show up under the "In the news" portion of a search -- even videos, press releases and social media posts. Brin and Co. note that this is an effort to expand the voices possible to give users the answer they're looking for online. Some examples Search Engine Land notes are the Yoast website-optimization blog popping up for "website maintenance" and the internet's front page appearing in searches for "TSA" and "Dunkin' Donuts." From what we can tell, however, that stops once you do an actual search under the Google News tab -- perfect if your definition of news is a bit stricter than Mountain View's. [Image credit: Shutterstock]
Bing shows lyrics in search results to help you avoid karaoke disasters
Bing can not only help you do math homework or write history papers; thanks to its latest update, it can also keep you from having a Phoebe moment (where you mishear a song verse). The Bing Team has just announced that the website now displays full lyrics right on the results page whenever you search for a copy. You don't even have to choose what link to click anymore -- you'll see the lyrics (a "good quality" one, the team promises) as a top result, along with a box that displays song and album details. So the next time a "friend" signs you up for a spot at an open mic or karaoke bar as a prank, you can easily check if Alicia Keys was really singing about concrete jungle wet dream tomatoes. [Image credit: Getty/Paul Bradbury]
Bing rolls out new music video search, complete with hover-over previews
Bing's just received a big revamp to make scouring the web for music videos a cinch. This is the latest in the website's string of updates, which include adding image collections, highlighting trending social topics and retaining Twitter posts in search results. Whenever you query an artist's name or song in the video tab, Microsoft's search engine now shows a collection of clips from YouTube, Vimeo, MTV and other sources. The most popular music video appears at the very top of the page, along with its info and a list of songs by its artist. What's particularly nifty, however, is the ability to preview videos when you hover over one to confirm you've found what you're looking for. As a bonus, clicking an album title on the right-hand menu will display all its tunes, because you should never listen to Alejandro before going through Bad Romance.
Bing searches on Internet Explorer 11 sped up with pre-rendered top result
Microsoft keeps adding features to sweeten the deal for its loyal search and browser users, with the latest addition bringing background-rendered pages to Bing when it's coupled with Internet Explorer 11. Much like how Google does this trick with Chrome, Redmond's browser starts downloading the top search result before you even click it, giving near-instant page loads. What's more, the software giant says this is done in a streamlined way so it doesn't eat up battery life on mobile devices. Shaving seconds off of search times should come as welcome news for ardent (and impatient) fans of Microsoft's browsing suite -- yes, even those on Windows 7. [Original image credit: Henry McLin/Flickr]
Bing updates iOS app with new shortcuts and redesigned menu
Now that Bing is integrated with Siri, iOS users can use it without a dedicated app, but those who stick with it can expect a few new benefits. While you won't see a complete overhaul, the search engine's homepage now comes with four new tiles that link to the weather report, image search, trending topics and a map with nearby businesses. The Bing team also redesigned the share button, as well as added new options on the menu, including the ability to browse saved photos and other Microsoft apps. Looking for other apps to go along with your new OS? Check out our list of apps that hopped aboard the iOS 7 train to find other potential downloads.
Microsoft details Bing's improved 'Page Zero' search results
Wondering how Bing's upgraded Page Zero search feature produces rich details and options before you've even finished typing? Microsoft has posted a deep dive that explains a lot of what's going on. Bing is taking better advantage of its entity relationship engine, Satori; as soon as the search tool finds a likely subject, it both displays an information tile and the most popular intentions associated with that subject. Look for the San Francisco Giants, for example, and Bing will offer search pages dedicated to scores or tickets. The technology is also clever enough to both expand and refine the list of intentions over time. The new Page Zero details won't necessarily get you to switch search providers, but they do show how Microsoft is responding to Google's constant refinements.
Bing intros robust product results for snappier impulse shopping
If you can't even remember when you've last used Bing, you'll find a deluge of new features next time you visit. The latest among these perks is a more elaborate result page for product searches, making the engine a potentially dark and dangerous place for chronic spenders. When you look up a product term such as "DSLR cameras" or "smartphones," you'll now see a list of the most popular models in that category. That's not the deepest end of the rabbit hole, however, as searching for a particular model rewards you with a summary of its specs, links to reviews and a list of alternative items. Microsoft will also equip the page's ads with product images in case none of the things in those lists wins you -- or your credit card -- over. Unfortunately, you'll need to rein in the call of your inner shopaholic for now -- the update's not yet available for everyone, but outgoing CEO Ballmer and Co. will roll it out in the coming months.
South Korea's FTC finds Google not guilty of antitrust measures
Google has been acquitted of the anti-competitive allegations brought to it more than two years ago by South Korean search operators NHN and Daum Communications, the Yonhap News reported today. Back in April 2011, the two firms accused the Mountain View company of having an unfair advantage by making its own search engine the default on the Android operating system. After a couple of raids and a lengthy review process, the local Fair Trade Commission has finally decided that Google doesn't hurt NHN's or Daum's competitive chances at all. FTC officials said that both companies presently enjoy a healthy chunk of the domestic search engine market -- NHN's portal maintains a good 70 percent share, for example -- and that users could easily download NHN and Daum apps onto their phones as alternatives. Chalk this one up as at least one victory in the search giant's seemingly never-ending battle with authorities.
Phlo for Mac is a quick and useful search utility
If you are like me, you do a lot of searching every day. Not just Google, but IMDb for movie info, Amazon, TED talks and even TUAW. To help out people like you and me, Cynapse Software has introduced a nifty utility called Phlo. It provides a pop-up search field that be assigned to a global hotkey and always ready to go. If you're looking to go beyond Google, there are dozens of combinations, and you can have multiple search engines selected. There's an extensive list of search portals buillt in, but you can add your own by simply providing a URL. In the open Phlo window, you can start to type the name of a search engine and it will pop up for one-time access. You never have to use your mouse, and multiple sites can be chosen with shift + return or shift + click if you want to use your mouse. Out of the box, Phlo is configured to pop up with option + spacebar, but you can define any key or combination. Apple Spotlight uses Command + Spacebar. The ESC key closes Phlo. After you've used Phlo for awhile, it becomes second nature. I found it to be a timesaver, because your searches begin with just a tap on the keyboard, and I find myself doing more searches because it is so easy to get them started. The only change I would make in this app is an ability to create groups of search engines for specific tasks, and have Phlo remember those groups. %Gallery-184786% Phlo is US$3.99 at the Apple app store, and requires OS X 10.8 or later and a 64-bit processor. I like Phlo, and have incorporated it into my daily routine.
Yandex passes Bing to become fourth largest search provider according to comScore
Bing, Microsoft's attempt to take on Google directly. When it first launched there was quite a bit of fanfare and its market share grew quickly. It didn't exactly hack away at Mountain View's dominance, but it certainly made a small dent. Since then, things have slowed down and other players have asserted themselves in the global search battlefield. While Baidu has been riding high for quite some time, Yandex is a relative new-comer to the leader board. And, somewhat surprisingly, has already surpassed Microsoft for global market share according to stats provided to us by comScore. Though the margin is small, the Russian company saw more searches performed through its site than Microsoft in both November and December of 2012. The difference is small enough that those positions could swap again but, where as Bing has seen its numbers plateau over the last six months, Yandex has continued to grow. Of course, neither is anywhere near challenging Google which accounts for roughly 65 percent of the search traffic according to comScore's numbers and both only see about half the traffic of the number three competitor, Yahoo. Microsoft can still claim one victory over Yandex in the number of unique searchers, though. If you're curious for more we've put the entire chart after the break.
Bing brings new social sidebar to the iPad, helps you see who's been looking for what
Bing's desktop version recently underwent a bit of a makeover and Microsoft has now added its search engine's new social sidebar for the iPad's Safari users. Upon performing a web search, folks will have access to a side pane displaying related results from the likes of Facebook, Foursquare, Klout and Twitter. Supporting both portrait and landscape formatting, the updated design is set to gradually roll out over the next few days. Just in time for you to check out who's going to see The Hobbit in 48fps this weekend when searching for showtimes and theaters.
Google Knowledge Graph explains related content, finds the six degrees with less Bacon
We had a bit of a laugh with Google's Kevin Bacon calculator. Not everyone needs to tie their searches to the star of Footloose, though, which is partly why Google is pushing out an update to its Knowledge Graph that explains how searches turn up related items. The effort is starting with actors, celebrities and their links to any movies and TV shows they've starred in. Looking for Orson Welles and mousing over Rita Hayworth's portrait reminds us that the two luminaries were married for years, for example. We won't know when the more intelligent searches will expand, but at least we won't be quite so confused if the animated Transformers movie appears next to Citizen Kane.
Google offers historical exhibitions, wields its search powers to tell untold stories (video)
Google has been taking advantage of its sheer domination of search to act as a custodian for human culture, whether it's famous artwork or wonders of the world. The most direct example of this archival impulse may have arrived today through the launch of historical exhibitions at the (virtual-only) Google Cultural Institute. Starting with 42 exhibitions, the project delves into major historical events with both a guided, mixed-media tour as well as the kind of free-form exploration you'd expect from Google, such as hunting down a specific person, place or time range. The focus helps Google tell both textbook-level history as well as private stories. Though small at present, the collection is taking further submissions that could lead to a much broader internet resource for learning -- an expansion that we can't help but embrace.
Apple's app search engine goes dark, Chomp joins Ping in obsolescence
Ping wasn't the only Apple service to go offline at the tail end of September. Chomp, an app search engine purchased by Cook and Co. earlier this year, also closed up shop. In the spring, the service discontinued support for Android apps, and now its entire website and iOS application have been shuttered. Folks who still have the app installed are greeted with the bad news upon launching it: "Chomp has been discontinued as of September 30. Thanks for being a loyal user." If you're mourning the loss, we hear Yahoo would be delighted to make your acquaintance.
Yahoo starts selling half of its Alibaba stake as promised, sends $3.65 billion to giddy shareholders
Anyone who's been holding on to Yahoo shares through thick and thin is about to reap the rewards of that patience. As the company promised, it's starting to sell back half its stake in Alibaba, closing the first stage of the deal with the equivalent of $7.6 billion in pure revenue. The struggling search and content firm 'only' pockets a net $4.3 billion after taxes and other overhead costs, but it won't even see that much in its bank account: it's purposefully sending $3.65 billion of that money to shareholders, both to inspire new confidence and (unofficially) to head off activist investors like Dan Loeb that might otherwise want a coup d'état. If share owners plan on using the second stage of the sale to fund a vacation to Maui, though, they'll need to wait. Yahoo's deal prevents it from selling half of its remaining 23 percent stake unless Alibaba files for an initial public offering, and there's no guarantee that investors will see another dime of the proceeds.
EU competition head gives Google a 'matter of weeks' to offer an antitrust fix
The European Union has been taking a leisurely pace investigating Google over possible antitrust abuses, but it's now accelerating to a full-on sprint. European Commission competition head Joaquin Almunia has given Google just a "matter of weeks" to propose how it would patch things up and soften fears that it was unfairly pushing its own web services over others. If Google makes the Commission happy, Almunia says, the whole investigation might wrap up and avoid fines. Google hasn't responded yet, but we wouldn't guarantee that it makes a deal: its execs have usually argued that there's nothing keeping users from going to another search site, and the company has been eager to emphasize that competition still exists. That said, Google only has to see what happened to Microsoft to know how expensive an EU antitrust fight can be.
