Bing Passes Yahoo in Search
Microsoft eclipses Yahoo in US search for 1st time
January 11, 2012 6:24 PM ET
By MICHAEL LIEDTKE
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Microsoft Corp. has finally reached a long sought and expensive goal — its Bing search engine now ranks second behind Google in the Internet’s most lucrative market.
Bing and Microsoft’s other websites fielded 2.75 billion search requests in the U.S. during December, catapulting in front of Yahoo Inc. for the first time in the jockeying for runner up to Google Inc., according to statistics released Wednesday by comScore Inc.
Bing’s December volume translated into a 15.1 percent share of the U.S. search traffic, comScore said. Yahoo processed 2.65 billion search requests, representing 14.5 percent of the U.S. market.
Google remained Internet’s go-to place for information, with 12 billion U.S. requests in December. That works out to a 65.9 percent market share.
Other research firms track the Internet search market. But comScore’s numbers matter the most to industry analysts and the companies trying to attract queries so they can make more money from the ads that appear alongside the results. Google’s dominance of online search is the main reason it has established itself as the Internet’s most profitable company.
Analysts have expected Microsoft and Yahoo to flip-flop their positions in Internet search since they announced a partnership in July 2009. The 10-year agreement has enabled Yahoo to save money by relying on Microsoft to provide the bulk of its search technology.
Microsoft wanted the deal so it would have billions more search requests to analyze each year, giving it a better chance to learn about people’s tendencies and preferences.
Pursuing Google has come at a huge cost for Microsoft, which still makes most of its money from the Windows operating software and other software it sells for personal computers. Microsoft’s online division, which is anchored by Bing, has suffered operating losses of about $7 billion since June 2008.
Even though it leans heavily on Microsoft’s technology, Yahoo hasn’t totally abandoned search. It still offers some unique features within its results in hopes of persuading more people to search on its website instead of going directly to Bing. The main reason: Yahoo still gets 88 percent of the ad revenue from searches conducted on its website and receives nothing from queries entered on Bing.
The efforts haven’t been enough to prevent a steady slide in searches at Yahoo. The company’s share of the U.S. search market stood at about 19 percent when it joined forces with Microsoft, according to comScore. Meanwhile, Microsoft’s market share has climbed from roughly 9 percent.
Yahoo’s eroding search share is one of the reasons that its revenue has been falling during the past three years.
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February 2011 Search Engine Rankings U.S.
comScore Releases February 2011 U.S. Search Engine Rankings
RESTON, VA, March 11, 2011 – comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released its monthly comScore qSearch analysis of the U.S. search marketplace. Google Sites led the explicit core search market in February with 65.4 percent of searches conducted.
U.S. Explicit Core Search
Google Sites led the U.S. explicit core search market in February with 65.4 percent market share, followed by Yahoo! Sites with 16.1 percent and Microsoft sites with 13.6 percent (up 0.5 percentage points). Ask Network accounted for 3.2 percent of explicit core searches, followed by AOL, Inc. with 1.7 percent.
*“Explicit Core Search” excludes contextually driven searches that do not reflect specific user intent to interact with the search results.
More than 15.4 billion explicit core searches were conducted in February. Google Sites ranked first with 10.1 billion searches, followed by Yahoo! Sites with 2.5 billion, Microsoft Sites with 2.1 billion, Ask Network with 491 million and AOL, Inc. with 267 million.
U.S. Total Core Search
Google Sites accounted for 64.9 percent of total core search queries conducted (up 0.3 percentage points), followed by Yahoo! Sites with 17.3 percent and Microsoft Sites with 13.4 percent (up 0.6 percentage points). Ask Network comprised 2.9 percent of total search queries, followed by AOL, Inc. with 1.6 percent.
* “Total Core Search” is based on the five major search engines, including partner searches, cross-channel searches and contextual searches. Searches for mapping, local directory, and user-generated video sites that are not on the
core domain of the five search engines are not included in these numbers.
Americans conducted nearly 17.0 billion total core search queries in February. Google Sites ranked first with 11.0 billion searches, followed by Yahoo! Sites with 2.9 billion and Microsoft Sites with 2.3 billion.
“Powered By” Reporting
In order to accurately represent the continued evolution of the search landscape, comScore is providing insight into the share of algorithmic explicit searches that are powered by Google and Bing, and branded as such to the consumer. Google’s “powered by” share is composed of searches conducted at Google entities, as well as branded searches at AOL and Ask. Bing’s “powered by” share is composed of searches conducted at Microsoft entities as well as branded Yahoo! entities.
In February, 68.0 percent of searches carried organic search results from Google, while 26.2 percent of searches were powered by Bing organic results.
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Apple to announce iPad 2 today
What to watch for at today’s Apple iPad event
By Mark Milian, CNN
March 2, 2011 10:40 a.m. EST
San Francisco (CNN) — Apple got a huge head start in the touch screen tablet race with its iPad, but in recent months its rivals have begun catching up.
Now Apple is hoping to widen its lead again.
Apple appears poised to announce an upgraded version of its iPad tablet computer on Wednesday in San Francisco. CNN will be reporting live from the event, which starts at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET). Look for live updates on our @cnntech Twitter feed and on CNN.com/tech.
The Cupertino, California, company sent out invitations last week featuring a calendar page with a “2″ on it, peeling back to reveal a glimpse of an iPad-shaped device underneath.
So what, exactly, will happen at Apple’s much-awaited event? It’s hard to say for sure. But based on reports, here’s what many observers expect:
• The new version of the device, which some are calling the iPad 2, will likely be slightly thinner and lighter than its predecessor, which weighs 1.5 pounds.
What to expect from the new iPad Debut of iPad2
- It will have at least one camera designed for video chatting, a faster processor and a revised hardware design.
- Some pundits predict the iPad 2 will have a higher-resolution screen — like the iPhone 4 — although others say such technology would be too expensive to keep the device’s base price near its current $500 level.
- Most observers expect a new operating system that may include wireless hot spot support for AT&T iPhones.
- There are even rumors that the new iPad will also come in white. (Of course, we heard that about the iPhone 4, too, and we’re still waiting.)
- And finally, there’s the question of which Apple exec will introduce the new iPad onstage.
The obvious contenders are Apple COO Tim Cook, filling in for CEO Steve Jobs, who is on medical leave; or marketing chief Phil Schiller, who pinch-hit for an ailing Jobs in 2009 to unveil the iPhone 3GS.
But Jobs, the iconic company leader who has been facing renewed speculation about his health, is reportedly considering making an appearance at the iPad announcement, according to All Things Digital, a Wall Street Journal sister website that broke the news about Wednesday’s event.
The launch of a next-generation iPad comes as a new wave of competing gadgets threatens Apple’s dominance in the tablet market. Motorola Mobility’s Xoom went on sale last month and was greeted with rave reviews for its fast, feature-rich hardware and attractive Android software from Google.
Samsung unveiled its Galaxy Tab late last year, and BlackBerry is expected to launch a tablet, the Playbook, this spring. One consulting firm counts a whopping 102 tablets that are either on sale or in progress from 64 different manufacturers.
The first iPad was introduced in January 2010 and debuted in April, with Wi-Fi models that cost as little as $499. (The 3G-enabled Xoom costs $600 and requires a two-year contract with Verizon Wireless.)
Apple’s tablet surprised some analysts by becoming a runaway hit. The company sold 14.8 million iPads worldwide in the first nine months the device was available. Analysts forecast Apple will sell about 30 million tablets this year.
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Mubarak Facebooked
There is a Joke in Egypt about past leaders losing their Presidency and Mubarak today. Nasser, Sadat, Mubarak meet in the heavens and Nasser says “I resigned the Presidency of Egypt because of the Six Day War.” Sadat says “I lost the Presidency because I was assassinated.” They both ask Mubarak how he lost the Presidency. Mubarak replies “I was Facebooked.”
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Facebook Launches Redesign
Facebook launches pages redesign
By Ben Parr, Mashable
February 11, 2011 9:59 a.m. EST | Filed under: Social Media
(Mashable) — Facebook has begun rolling out a full redesign of Facebook Pages. The changes will make the Pages look and operate more like user profiles.
The new Pages redesign was first seen in December, when Facebook accidentally launched it and quickly took it down. The update not only removed tabs, but it gave page admins the ability to post and comment on other Facebook Pages through a “Login as Page” feature.
Those prototype features have made the cut for today’s launch. As Facebook’s Rohit Dhawan, the lead product manager for Facebook Pages, explained to me earlier today, the company has wanted to redesign Facebook Pages ever since it launched the profile redesign.
“We strongly believe you should have consistent experiences when possible,” Dhawan said.
The big difference everyone will notice will be the new layout. The left-hand menu for editing pages has been removed in favor of a new navigation menu that replaces the old tabbing system.
And like the Facebook Profiles redesign, the left-hand “Information” box is also gone. However, page admins can now add info about their brand at the top of the page under the main title.
The right-hand menu has also been tweaked. There is now a section that features the page’s admins (if you so choose) as well as a section that shows users how many of their friends have also “liked” that particular page.
Finally, just like profiles, a page can now feature relevant photos at the top. This could lead to some very creative uses for Facebook Pages.
There are some other notable differences between the new Facebook Pages and the old version, especially for page admins.
The “Login as Page” feature gives admins the ability to interact with the rest of Facebook as a page, not an individual. For example, I could log in as Mashable and start commenting and “liking” things on Facebook Pages that have “liked” Mashable.
Admins will also see a different News Feed if they are logged in as their page; It will display the most important news from the pages you’ve “liked.”
“A page can now use Facebook as if they were an individual with the ability to interact with other pages,” Dhawan said. “It provides interesting content when people are visiting the page. ”
Pages can’t do everything a user can, though. Most importantly, they cannot post on a user’s wall or comment on his or her status. The lone exception is for a user who has opted for the “everybody” privacy setting; Pages can comment on status updates for those individuals.
The other update Facebook is adding is an “Everyone” filter that brings the most interesting and engaging posts from a page’s community to the top of the page. This makes it easier for users and admins to easily find the most “liked” and commented-on conversations on a particular page.
The new Facebook Pages are also smart enough to filter out posts that are not in a language you speak.
The new design launches today as a preview for Facebook Page admins. Before switching, they can check to see what their page will look like and tweak elements of the design before launch.
The company is also releasing a Page Tour and a manual to explain the new design. Admins will have until March 10 to switch over though, before Facebook automatically updates every page to the new design.
© 2010 MASHABLE.com. All rights reserved.
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Yellow Page Ban Proposed
Yellow Pages Ban Proposed In San Francisco
The Huffington Post
Joanna Zelman
02/ 8/11 05:51 PM
The Yellow Pages phone book. It’s been used as packaging material, a dangerous booster seat, fire kindling, and perhaps a box for illicit items if holed-out. But in an increasingly digital age, just how often is the phone book actually used to make phone calls? San Francisco believes it’s not often enough to warrant general distribution.
According to GreenBiz.com, San Francisco has proposed a law banning the distribution of unsolicited phone books. If the law goes into effect, phone companies and Yellow Pages publishers will be prohibited from leaving phone books on doorsteps and lobbies without advanced permission — fines could be up to $500 per violation.
The companies could still contact consumers to ask if they want a delivery, and the books would still be available for pick-up at distribution centers. But the new rules could cut down on a huge amount of waste generated per year.
According to the Sierra Club, AT&T distributes nearly 1 million phone books per year to San Francisco alone — that’s over 5 million pounds of paper for that one area of California.
Statistics suggest that approximately 70% of U.S. adults rarely or never use the phone book. Even the National Yellow Pages Association and the Association of Directory Publishers has recognized this statistic, and recently launched YellowPagesOptOut, a website where customers can easily cancel their home delivery service.
But a simple opt-out website is much different from a ban on mass distribution, and not everyone is happy with San Francisco’s new proposal. According to The San Francisco Chronicle, Amy Healy, a top representative of the Yellow Pages Association claims that the law “would be an infringement of our constitutional rights – the right to distribute speech.” Healy also argues that the law targets just one industry, without addressing other forms of solicitation. She also states that the Yellow Pages book is far from obsolete, citing the industry statistic of 12 billion lookups per year.
But with an estimated $54 million spent per year by local governments to dispose of unwanted phone books, something has to change. If banning unsolicited materials does indeed infringe upon the Yellow Page’s “right to distribute speech,” could taxpayers argue that by receiving and having to dispose of these unsolicited materials, their rights are then infringed upon? As San Francisco Board of Supervisors president David Chiu proclaims, “If we’re serious about the environment, it’s time we recognize that phone books are a 20th century tool that doesn’t meet the business or environmental needs of the 21st century.”
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What the ‘Like’ button means for web traffic
What the ‘Like’ button means for web traffic
By Jolie O’Dell, Mashable
September 30, 2010 10:06 a.m. EDT | Filed under: Web
Since the button launched, many publishers are reporting large increases in traffic specifically due to this kind of social plugin.
Facebook like button is now present on roughly 2 million sites around the web
User who “likes” your content has more than double the friends than a typical user
Button bringing Facebook closer to competing with Twitter in the area of referral traffic
(Mashable) — The new-this-year-yet-somehow-already-ubiquitous Facebook Like button has been around just long enough to generate some interesting numbers relating to Facebook users and web traffic.
The button, which launched in April at f8, Facebook’s developer conference, is now present on roughly 2 million sites around the web, from sports sites to news organizations and many other kinds of publishers.
A media analytics lead on Facebook’s Developer Network Insights team crunched some numbers and found that Facebook Likes not only generate interesting data about the “likers” (a.k.a. Facebook users who are also active on your website) themselves; this data also speaks volumes about clickthrough rates, time on-site and other engagement metrics.
Read entire story at http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/web/09/30/like.button.web.traffic.mashable/index.html?hpt=C2
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Facebook to offer voice calls via Skype?
The company is reportedly working with Skype to allow members to call and video chat with each other.
Posted by Kim Peterson on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 3:47 PM
The battle between Google (GOOG) and Skype just ratcheted up a notch with Facebook’s entry into the fray.
Recall that Google recently launched voice calling from Gmail, allowing (through the end of the year, at least) people to make free calls from their Gmail page. I’ve been using that feature daily to make free long-distance calls from my computer.
Some thought the new service was the death knell for online calling service Skype. But Skype showed Wednesday that it’s very much in the game with an alliance with Facebook (also known as Google enemy No. 1).
The Wall Street Journal has news of a nascent partnership that will allow people to access Skype through their Facebook Connect accounts. If the plan goes through as reported, users will eventually be able to call and video chat with friends on the Facebook page, using Skype.
The new Facebook abilities are expected to be included in Skype’s newest version, due out in the next few weeks, the Journal reported. Post continues after video:
“The partnership will more tightly link Skype’s 560 million registered users — 124 million of whom use it at least once a month — with Facebook’s 500 million members,” writes Scott Morrison.
The move shows that Facebook wants to be exactly where Google is in the future, particularly as Google starts expanding to become more of a social media and communications hub. And the news is good for Skype as well, which is looking for a $100 million IPO at some point.
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WordCamp Boulder 2010
WordCamp Boulder 2010 was my first WordCamp event. As a web designer, SEO, and online strategy consultant, I found the sessions and opportunity to meet others in the industry to share ideas and information very useful. Even though you know much of the material already because you’re in the biz, there are always things you pick up at events like these, and they provide the opportunity to learn something completely new.
WordCamp Boulder @ Boulder Theater
Attended the “Creating a Blog Community”, “Blogging for your Business”, “BuddyPress 101″, and “What’s Next for WordPress”. Of course the Social Hour was fun. Look forward to seeing the videos on WordPress.tv so I can tune into the sessions I couldn’t attend such as “WordPress Development” and the “Design Panel”.
The most important thing I learned was in “What’s Next for WordPress” session by Jane Wells of WordPress and Automatic – that was to make sure you use a capital “P” in WordPress!
Maybe I’ll head out to WordCamp New Zealand August 7-8.
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Facebook Security Concerns
Some quitting Facebook as privacy concerns escalate
By John D. Sutter, CNN
May 13, 2010 1:56 p.m. EDT
(CNN) — Concerns over Facebook’s new privacy policy and the online social network’s recent efforts to spread its information across the Web have led some of the site’s faithful to delete their accounts — or at least try to.
On Wednesday’s episode of a podcast called This Week in Technology, host Leo Laporte, a well-known tech pundit, said he had to search wikiHow, a how-to site, to figure out how to delete his Facebook account permanently.
After finding the delete button, which he said is hidden deep within the site’s menus, Laporte proceeded to delete his account during the online broadcast.
“That’s it. It’s gone,” he said during the show. “And I think that’s the right thing to do.”
Read entire article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/05/13/facebook.delete.privacy/index.html?hpt=T2
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