twitter search

Twitter has made an old idea new again, unveiling a new system that lets actual human beings tell its data center how to make sense of trending hashtags and other topical searches.

But don't get too excited about this apparent triumph of man over machine. First, the actual work done by these people seems likely to be menial and poorly compensated, even if it does accomplish something that Twitter's mighty information systems appear unable to manage on their own.

Second, and more important, you shouldn't expect to see Twitter's service improve in any ways you might … Read more

Monday's top stories are about Windows, Twitter, iPhones, and flying pigs. You know, the usual tech talk:

Monday was said to be an "Internet Doomsday." Anyone infected with DNSChanger malware would lose access to the Internet. But turns out, it wasn't all that dramatic. Internet service providers like Comcast, AT&T and Verizon are stepping in and helping anyone still bit by the server-enslaving bug. If you have a friend that needs a fix, here's how to administer the cure.

Microsoft announced that Windows 8 will be available at the end of October. If … Read more

If you've ever done a real-time search on Twitter or Google News, you might have noticed that it takes some work to get to the details of a developing story or topic at large. Beyond headlines and short summaries, there can be chunks of information that don't surface without a full read. Factery Labs, which in November launched an API for pulling out such facts from all over the Web, has a new product that's trying to change that.

The new tool, which the company is calling a "real-time fact engine" gives users several tabs … Read more

New start-up Factery Labs is launching its first service on Tuesday, a technology called FactRank that can tear through Web pages and collect what it calls "facts." These are bits of information from each source page that Factery Labs' algorithm then organizes into an order of importance.

What this means for you is that developers will soon make use of the technology in third-party search engines or on Web pages to very quickly deliver reading summaries. This cuts out most (or all) of the parts you don't care about, while organizing the bits you might. It also … Read more

Updated 4:30 p.m. PDT with additional details from Google.

It was indeed a nonexclusive deal: Google is going to be indexing real-time Twitter messages in search results, in a deal announced just hours after Microsoft debuted integration of "tweets" into its own search engine, Bing.

A post on the official Google blog by Vice President of Search Marissa Mayer explained it: "We believe that our search results and user experience will greatly benefit from the inclusion of this up-to-the-minute data, and we look forward to having a product that showcases how tweets can make search … Read more

Microsoft executive Qi Lu will reportedly make a big announcement onstage at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco later on Wednesday morning: that its search engine, Bing, has inked deals with both Twitter and Facebook to bring real-time status updates and tweets into search results. That's something you can't find on Google.

According to AllThingsD's Kara Swisher, neither partnership will actually turn into a product for "weeks, if not months," and that both Twitter and Facebook have also been talking to Google about similar deals.

When asked about the deal announcement earlier on … Read more

Twitter might just seem like a social place to converse with friends, but it's actually much more. In fact, with the help of some Twitter services that help you either compare prices or the find the right product for any occasion, it has become an appealing shopping tool.

So, if you're looking to save some cash, you might want to check out these Twitter tools.

CheapTweet CheapTweet combs through Twitter to find the best deals, coupons, or sales, users are tweeting about. From there, it displays all those findings on its home page, allowing users to vote on the deals they like.

CheapTweet is the like the Digg of the cost-conscious Twitter world. The app lists deals on industries ranging from fashion and beauty to technology and entertainment. The most popular deals, as voted by users, are listed under the "Cheapest Tweets" option. If you're looking for new deals, CheapTweet lists those under "Newest Tweets." In either case, CheapTweet is a great way to find deals. But beware that because it has so few users, you won't find Digg-like voting tallies.

CouponTweet CouponTweet finds coupons from across the Web that Twitter users have tweeted about. Right from the site, you can claim your coupon.

After analyzing tweets, CouponTweet lists all the latest coupons on the site. Once you decide you want one, you can claim the coupon and be brought to the appropriate page to redeem it. The site lists deals on a variety of topics, including cell phones, travel, and tickets to sporting events and concerts. You can also search the site for deals you don't find on the home page.… Read more

Microsoft is trying to get a leg up in the real-time search wars by adding Twitter messages to search results.

Bing will now surface results for certain celebrities (leading to the odd pairing of search guru Danny Sullivan and American Idol host Ryan Seacrest in the same sentence) when users search on their names and "twitter," the company announced Wednesday afternoon. It's not indexing all of Twitter, instead picking "a few thousand people to start" and using Twitter's public API to display those results in a special box among the other search results, such … Read more

CNET News intern Mats Lewan checks in with editor Rafe Needleman, who recently tested out a whole bunch of tools for getting information in real time and came up with some favorites.

Plus, Carol Bartz's first shareholder meeting as Yahoo CEO, and other headlines of the day.

Today's stories:

Microsoft sets Windows 7 pricing, upgrade programs

MPAA says Real's patent attempt saps RealDVD argument

Showtime for Yahoo's Bartz

Yahoo shareholders content to wait and see

VC's automated Twitter feed spreads malware

Twitter search sites: The three best, and all the rest… Read more