search engine - SlashGear

Bing Pong is Microsoft’s own search engine game

Brittany A. Roston | Jul 2, 2015

At some point Google thought it would be fun to turn its logo into a game, and since then we’ve seen different browser-based games that can be played directly on the search engine’s website. Microsoft has decided to do something similar with its own search engine, but it is starting small: with Pong, which involves just two paddles and a square ball bouncing between them. It is the same as the classic game, and can be found simply by searching for it.

Study says Google degrades search results to prefer its own

JC Torres | Jun 30, 2015

It probably doesn't come as a surprise that Google's promotion of search results would promote those coming from its own services, like Google+. The search giant has always justified its manipulation of results to give users a better experience, but that excuse might no longer fly if a recent study is to believed. Yelp commissioned a research headed by Tim Wu, credited for coining the term "Net Neutrality", and their conclusion minces no words. Google, they claim, is intentionally degrading search results in order to push content from its services, inevitably harming users along the way.

Microsoft strikes deal with AOL over its ad business

Brittany A. Roston | Jun 29, 2015

Microsoft is narrowing its focus, and as such has been pushing some of its extraneous efforts toward others. Earlier today word surfaced that Microsoft has struck a deal with Uber that will see workers and assets being transferred, and now it is being followed up with another announcement: AOL is getting the brunt of Microsoft’s advertising operations, as is advertising tech company AppNexus. The AOL deal in particular is said to involve a 10 year partnership, and under it AOL is going to be carrying search results from Bing instead of from Google.

Yahoo teams up with Oracle to one up Google

JC Torres | Jun 26, 2015

When a former search giant trails well behind even something like Microsoft's Bing, you know that it is in a world of trouble. That might be the situation that Yahoo has continually found itself in, and CEO Marissa Mayer is not shy about taking drastic, even unpopular, steps to change that image. In a shareholder meeting, Mayer revealed that the company struck a deal with Oracle to rope in more users to use its search services. How? By asking users if they want to change their browser's default search engine whenever they install or update Java.

Yahoo revamps its mobile searching within mobile browsers

Lindsey Caldwell | Jun 26, 2015

Yahoo has made some new changes to its mobile browsing experience. What this means for users is that if you want to search for a restaurant, you'll be able to get all kinds of information particular to the restaurant on one screen. Instead of having to click through link after link, you'll be able to find reviews, directions and make a reservations from a single query. Yahoo's new approach is to make the most of a small screen by surfacing relevant information and grouping all together for easier touch access. The new layout is currently only available in the United States, but it could roll out to other regions, eventually.

Bing gives its video search a makeover

Lindsey Caldwell | Jun 22, 2015

Microsoft's underdog search engine, Bing, wants to be your destination for video searching on the Internet, especially music videos. This isn't the 90s when music videos were relegated to television. Music videos are consumed online at a pace that rivals actual songs. Thanks to some new improvements, Bing can help you find the video you're looking for faster, with less junk in the way. Now, Bing's video search results feature larger thumbnails, making the results easier to scan at a glance.

France pressures Google to make ‘right to be forgotten’ delistings global

Adam Westlake | Jun 12, 2015

As Google has been slowly following orders from European courts in honoring "right to be forgotten" requests, France has found the search engine giant may not be doing all it can to remove unwanted links. French privacy watchdog CNIL says that when Google does delist a requested link, they are only removing it from search results within Europe. The regulator has ordered Google to make the delistings apply globally within 15 days, or sanctions will be imposed.

Lycos aims for a comeback with password storing ring and fitness band

Lindsey Caldwell | Jun 5, 2015

Lycos, one of the many search engines that didn't make it past the early boom years of the Internet is coming out with some wearable tech devices. The company's current embodiment isn't the same as when it rivaled other mid-1990's search engines like Alta Vista. It was bought by Ybrant Digital in 2010. Lycos' new, wearable Lycos Life devices The Band and The Ring want to be your "personal security manager," storing passwords and personal data in lackluster packaging.

Need info on Marvel comics? There’s a search tool for that

JC Torres | May 27, 2015

Thanks to a handful of hit films and TV series, both from Marvel and DC, the comics industry is experiencing a boom period. But for those who are new to the scene, or even those returning from a hiatus, taking it all in can be a bit daunting. And searching on Google spews out results that are just as overwhelming, discouraging, and even confusing. Fortunately, at least for the Marvel camp, there is a new third-party tool that can help sift through it all, with information coming straight from the horse's mouth.

NASA has big plans for DARPA’s scary “Deep Web”

Chris Davies | May 24, 2015

NASA is weighing in on the Memex "Deep Web" search project, hoping to harness DARPA's at-times ominous index to crunch vast quantities of space data. A team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is working with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to add a contextual layer to search, not only allowing the system to view webpages more like humans might, but even capable of drawing links between images and individual frames of videos. If it succeeds, it could be a much-needed blast of positive PR for a project that has become mired in controversy.

Google’s mobile search results now show real-time tweets

Brittany A. Roston | May 19, 2015

Many things we search for online are things many other people are also interested in…and talking about. That talking more often than not takes place on Twitter, though, and so you’re forced to split your searching efforts with a little bit of Google here, a little bit of Twitter there. That comes to an end today, as Google has announced the two worlds have collided and its search results will include real-time tweets relevant to whatever you’re browsing, whether it’s a recent season finale or some popular segment of news.

Bing to revamp its search algorithm, favoring mobile-friendly sites

Lindsey Caldwell | May 14, 2015

Mobile internet searches are surpassing desktop searches, leading search engines to adapt their results to the smaller screens of mobile users. Last month, Google announced that it reworked its search algorithm to favor mobile-friendly sites. This left website owners scrambling to make their sites mobile-friendly by the April 21st deadline, lest they get buried behind competitors in search results. Not to be left out, Bing announced that it is revamping its algorithm too, giving mobile-friendly sites a boost in search results.