Microsoft and Google Return to Basics

Microsoft and Google have lot in common than the dominance of their respective markets. Both have utilized their cash flows to pursue many side projects in order to move into wider segments.And neither of them have had much success.The recession has had a severe impact on their efforts. Google,just cancelled its print advertisement ambitions,and Microsoft have managed to sell its long-held stake in the cable operator Comcast.

Microsoft’s main expertise still in software – its operating system and other programs. These hold around 82 percent of its revenue and nearly all of its operating income. The company has used a lot of those profits to diversify into products like video games and online search,though they haven’t obtained much profit from these areas.

Microsoft’s Xbox game console just had had its first profit last year after being for nearly 7 years on the market.Microsoft’s online search effort has also not been very successful. Its MSN portal has a dismal 8.5 percent share of American search market, and the unit which holds it lost around $480 million last quarter.

Google makes virtually all its revenue from advertising related to Internet searches. Still, that has not stopped it from pouring money – and employee time – into online video, cloud computing and lobbying for renewable energy projects. Analysts say the video site Youtube remains barely profitable.The same goes for Google’s free online software initiative, in which it has invested a huge amount.

Source: Google news

Google in third position on top 10 list of spam enablers

Google still needs to stop the increasing number of spammers from abusing Google Docs, its Web-based collaboration and spreadsheet application,according to junk mail watchdog Spamhaus.Lately, Google changed the position from fourth to third in a list of spammy ISPs (Internet service providers) and other Web services providers updated daily by Spamhaus. Similar to Microsoft and Yahoo,Google’s free e-mail accounts are often utilized to send spam.Antispam filtering software is unlikely to block messages coming from the domains of those companies due to their wide use, although spam can be stopped through more sophisticated analysis of an e-mail.

But the greatest problem is how spammers are manipulating Google Docs. The application has a feature where users are able to share a document which is assigned a URL (uniform resource locator).If opened, those documents contain a “redirect” command that pushes them to spammer Web sites, which often sell pharmaceuticals.Spamhaus has had problems in obtaining complete attention from Google about the problem.That’s in contrast to Microsoft, which took methods recently to stop spammers from putting redirects on free Web pages and sending out the links as spam.

Performance of Cuil search

In July,the new search engine ‘Cuil’ was launched with great hype,but was followed by a sequence of bad publicity.Six months since it has been launched and the performance of this search engine has not been good.

Techcrunch reveals the traffic of the search engine in the alexa chart which was updated in another site.A seen from the chart the levels of reach experienced by the search engine has been dropping extravagantly since launch.The site witnessed a large amount of launch traffic,mostly by bloggers checking to see if it was really as bad as reported, before a huge drop off occurred.

Cuil was launched by ex-Google employees and should have performed much better than it has so far. It’s also been funded to the tune of $33 million, which also is not a very investment at this stage of the game,considering that Google has established itself in the area of web search.

Release of MSN Messenger 8.5

An wholesome new look included with new features makes Windows Live Messenger into a real competitor for Yahoo!Messenger.As usual,one can send instant messages,call a computer, dial a phone number, post a mobile message or send an e-mail. Editing of status display and starting a video chat with friends is possible. Skins and emoticons are some of the new features included in Windows Live Messenger. During installation , users are also prompted to install the Rhapsody Music Service which enables one to play and share music from the Rhapsody catalog.

The main features include that we can create custom emoticons by choosing an image on our computer which will be automatically resized. Additional best features of Microsoft Live Messenger are the Whiteboard, Remote Assistance and Application Sharing.

A major drawback is ,when we receive a file,it will be saved in the default directory instead of prompting to the user to choose the location yourself.The Web Calling service is available for long distance calls for selected countries.The important offline messages feature is not working at all.

Magazines included in Google Book Search

Google has added magazines to its list of books in their site books.google.com.The magazines include a wide variety ranging from Popoular Science to Bulletin of Atomic Scientists.The best part of this addition is that we get to read the latest issues of every magazine.

Let us focus on the various features magazine addition. One can browse different covers of a magazine or move into a particular issue and turn the scanned pages.Searching within an issue is done easily. It is also possible to subscribe to these magazines.An interesting concept added is this…When we glance at the page with the covers,the places which occur in various issues of Google is mentioned in the Google maps.And the location in the map is linked to the actual location.

MySpace supports Google’s Friend Connect service

Google and MySpace are combining to combat FaceBook Connect.This is made possible by combining MySpace ID with Google Friend Connect.Though MySpaceId is still in development,Google Friend Connect has been released. With Google and FaceBook releasing their web services and data portability being the trend on the web,this was a much predictable move.Also with Myspace’s huge collection of user base and Google’s popularity and excellent services,this combination turns out to be interesting.

My Space has been facing heavy competition from FaceBook for a long duration.The best option they had was to combine with Google and to compete with FaceBook.We need to wait and see to view the outcome of this deal.

Second Beta Version of Firefox 3.1 to be released soon

Ben Turner, the programmer of Mozilla has informed that the second Beta version of firefox 3.1 would be released soon.The biggest change is the inclusion of “Web Workers”, which allows the browser to process tasks in the background.This is a great leap as it gives multicore computers to utilize their processors abilities. The release also includes performance and stability fixes.

As published in a blog,here is one illustration of Web workers…Running a JavaScript program that emulates a decades-old processor design, the 8080. One thread emulates the processor in the background while another handles user interaction such as checking for typing on the keyboard.

Microsoft warns customers against counterfeit goods

Microsoft filed lawsuits against online auctioneers in 12 countries who sold pirated copies of MS software on sites including its own MSN shopping network.Nearly 63 lawsuits have been filed until now including countries like US,Gemany,France,Japan,Mexico,Argentina,UK etc.The most targeted software is the product windows XP.

In a blog, Microsoft ass. general counsel David Finn in a statement said “Dishonest auctioneers are too often using these online auction sites to sell counterfeit and illegal copies of Microsoft software, taking advantage of unsuspecting customers around the world.”

Microsoft announces MSN Java Deal

Users who download or upgrade Java for Internet Explorer will be prompted to install a MSN search bar that will set Microsoft’s search engine as the predefined one.The deal announced by Microsoft for US surfers only, will enable several users to shift from Google in a couple of days.

Those who are installing the Java Runtime Environment for the first time will get a prompt to download and install the MSN and to make Microsoft the default choice for their browsers; those users who have previously installed Java on their personal computers will instead get the same prompts from the Java update interface.

The deal between Sun Microsystems and Microsoft is one of their very first on the the consumer side. However, there are some who suspect that the deal may not have such a big impact,as most users would still revert back to the very old Google.

Microsoft Backs New Yahoo Search Team

Microsoft Corp is taking up a new management team to take control of Yahoo Inc.’s Internet search business and sign a partnership deal following its failed takeover attempt.

Microsoft will put up $5 billion to back Jonathan Miller, the former chief executive officer of AOL, and Ross Levinsohn, a former president of Fox Interactive Media.

Microsoft is seeking ways to revive its online advertising business as the global recession stifles spending and Google Inc. wins more search users. For Sunnyvale, California-based Yahoo, which spurned Microsoft’s bids of as much as $47.5 billion this year, a deal may help shore up revenue after losing out on a partnership with Google.

The terms would give Microsoft a 10-year operating agreement to manage Yahoo’s search business, plus a two-year option to buy it for $20 billion. Senior directors of the companies have agreed to the outline of the deal, the newspaper said, without citing anyone.

However Levinsohn denied the report, according to a blog post by the Wall Street Journal’s All Things Digital.

Source:Google News