search

This is what happens after a series of bumbling owners fail to keep a once terrific product relevant in a dynamic market: You get a cold PR send-off that doesn't even fill the screen.

"Please visit Yahoo! Search for all of your searching needs."

That's all Yahoo wrote Friday afternoon as it lumped in the news that it was killing off AltaVista on July 8 with word that it will also ax 11 other products that no longer matter to the company.

Jay Rossiter, the vice president in charge of platforms, said the moves will free … Read more

Continuing to spruce up its offerings, Yahoo on Friday added Flickr integration into its e-mail service and notifications for Yahoo search results for images and video.

Adding Flickr, the popular photo-sharing service acquired by Yahoo, to e-mail means it will be easier for users to send individual photos and sets from their Flickr accounts, according to a blog post from Yahoo. Just click on the arrow next to the paperclip and choose "Share from Flickr," to access the feature.

For Yahoo search, users can now set up alerts for keywords for a Web, video, or image search. Yahoo … Read more

If the government's PRISM program has you looking over your shoulder, perhaps you'll find yourself a little less paranoid with DuckDuckGo Search & Stories on your phone. The app was released today for iPhone and for Android.

DuckDuckGo lets you search anonymously. Unlike other search engines, it does not collect or share your personal information. Thus, should the feds request user information from DuckDuckGo, it'll have nothing to turn over.

I tried out the iPhone app and was surprised to find it's more than a simple search app. It's a blend of search and news. … Read more

Google Now notifications are expanding from Android to Chrome, and now the service can show information on TV shows you're watching and sales offers you've signaled interest in.

Chrome and Chrome OS have had a flag that lets people enable Google Now for weeks, but it hasn't been connected to an actual Google server. But a notification now appears that asks, "Enable Google Now Cards -- Would you like to be shown Google Now cards?"

I got the prompt to enable Google Now for Chrome through a menu bar item on OS X 10.8 … Read more

In letters to Google, Yahoo, AOL, Microsoft's Bing, and several other search engines, the FTC updated its guidance from 2002 about the need to distinguish between advertisements and search results. Since that original letter in 2002, the FTC has seen a decline in compliance with its guidelines.

"The letters note that in recent years, paid search results have become less distinguishable as advertising, and the FTC is urging the search industry to make sure the … Read more

Bing may enroll at your local school by the end of the year.

Microsoft is developing a special edition of its Bing search engine geared specifically toward students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Known as Bing for Schools, the tailored version will remove all ads from search results, filter out adult content, beef up privacy protection, and add learning features to promote digital literacy, Microsoft said in a blog post Monday.

This new version will be free and entirely voluntary for any interested schools. No special software or unique Web address will be required to access the site.

To promote … Read more

Exactly when Apple's Retina version of the iPad Mini will appear isn't easy to predict. That's because display suppliers' plans change -- sometimes frustratingly often.

By all accounts, the Retina Display slated for a future version of iPad Mini is really hard to make. NPD DisplaySearch, IHS iSuppli, and Citi Research have all made this case.

NPD DisplaySearch was one of the first to proffer a timeframe for the 2,048x1,536 resolution 7.9-inch display. Production of the display was originally thought to begin in July. (And, remember, this is the display only not the tablet … Read more

Squrl, the app that surfaces video recommendations for users, rolled out its redesigned iOS app on Monday with promises of a smoother viewing and browsing experience, private messaging, and even better recommendations.

The updated app, which also works on Apple TV, features a new home screen with bigger text and larger icons to display Squrl's functions, which include creating video playlists and viewing channels that are organized by subject matter.

It's all about the content, said Squrl CEO Mark Gray. That content can range from full-length movies on Netflix to Internet clips on YouTube.

The new recommendations take … Read more