Microsoft Cortana Update Draws Users to Bing
January 22, 2016
The article titled Microsoft Updates Windows 10 Cortana With New Search Tools for Better Results on IB Times heralds the first good news for Bing in ages. The updates Microsoft implemented provide tremendous search power to users and focused search through a selection of filters. Previously, Cortana would search in every direction, but the filters enable a more targeted search for, say, applications instead of web results. The article explains,
“It’s a small change, but one that shows Microsoft’s dedication to making the assistant as useful as possible. Cortana is powered by Bing, so any improvements to the Windows 10 assistant will encourage more consumers to use Microsoft’s search engine. Microsoft made a big bet when it chose to deeply integrate Bing into Windows 10, and there is signs that it’s paying off. After the June 2015 Windows 10 launch, Bing attained profitability for the first time in October 2015.”
That positive note for Bing is deeply hedged on the company’s ability to improve mobile search, which has continued to grow as a major search platform while desktop search actually peaked, according to research. Microsoft launched Cortana on Android and iOS, but it is yet to be seen whether this was sufficient action to keep up the Bing momentum.
Chelsea Kerwin, January 22, 2016
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, publisher of the CyberOSINT monograph
Yandex Faces the Reality of the Android Phone Trojan Horse
January 20, 2016
I noticed this statement in “Russia’s Google Could Be Poised for a Huge 2016”:
…Just two years ago Yandex had twice the search market share as Google, the company only owns 57% of the Russian search market today. Google, on the other hand, has increased its share from 25% to nearly 35%. But this is where the story gets interesting. Yandex contends that the reason Google has increased its market share is because Android phones — which account for 80% of the smartphone market in Russia, according to Yandex — are preloaded with the Google search app, while the same isn’t the case for Yandex’s app.
The Yandex system is pretty good. If you are looking for information in Russian, the system is excellent.
What Yandex lasts is a Trojan horse like Android to carry the search clicks to the mother ship.
Will litigation in Russia thwart the Alphabet Google thing? Nope.
Stephen E Arnold, January 20, 2016
Will 2016 Be the Year of the French Search Revolution?
January 19, 2016
I think about French search and content processing systems once a year. Okay, maybe less frequently. I check out what’s new with Antidot, KBCrawl, Exalead Dassault, Sinequa, CustomerMatrix (né Polyspot), and Pertimm Qwant plus a handful of other outfits.
Most of these firms are unknown to those who kibitz in Sillycon Valley. Each of the companies has a revolutionary technology, world class technology, and galactic confidence in their zeros and ones.
The concern I have for French information access companies in 2016 is a story in USA Today, the McPaper which is often a source of amusement for me.
The article is “French President Declares Economic Emergency.” Here’s the passage I noted:
French President Francois Holland pledged Monday to redefine France’s business model and declared what he called “a state of economic and social emergency,” unveiling a 2-billion-euro ($2.2 billion) plan to revive hiring and catch up with a fast-moving world economy.
Will a couple of billion filter down to impact the economic fortunes of the French search and retrieval vendors? That’s a good question.
But the answer is, “Non.”
Some of the systems are quite interesting. Most of the firms struggle to generate substantial organic revenue in the US. Once a search vendor announces that it will expand its US operations, the follow through is often modest.
France cranks out some good engineers. But 2016 is going to be as or more challenging for the French search engine vendors as any other year in recent memory.
Stephen E Arnold, January 19, 2016
Social Media Search: Will Informed People Respond?
January 19, 2016
I recall asking for directions recently. There were three young people standing outside a bookstore. I wanted to know where the closest ice cream shop was. The three looked at me, smiled, looked at one another, smiled, and one of them said: “No clue.”
I like the idea of asking a group of people for information, but the experiences I have suggest that one has to be careful. Ask a tough question and no one may know the answer. Ask a question in an unfamiliar way such as “shop” instead of Dairy Queen, and the group may not have the faintest idea what one is talking about.
These thoughts influenced my reading of “Social Media: The Next Best Search Engine.” The title seemed to suggest that I could rely on my old school tricks but I would be silly not to use Facebook and Twitter to get information. That’s okay, but I don’t use Facebook, and the Twitter tweet thing seems to be down.
Bummer.
The write up reports:
Many consumers skip right over Google or Yahoo when conducting a search, and instead type it into social media networks.
The approach may work for peak TV and Miley Cyrus news, but I find analysis of social media intercept data more helpful for some of my queries.
Here’s the trick, according to the article:
To make sure you are responding to this growing trend, be present on social media on the channels that best make sense for your company. …The best way to optimize your posts is through hashtags and the content itself. For Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Instagram, be sure to include relevant hashtags in your posts so that users can find your posts. For sites such as LinkedIn and Yelp which don’t utilize hashtags, make sure that you fill out your profiles as completely as possible.
Okay, indexing and details.
Search? I don’t think I will change my methods.
Stephen E Arnold, January 19, 2016
Semantic Machines: A Voice Search Revolution?
January 19, 2016
I read “Newton Startup Scoops Up Talent As It Works to Perfect Artificial Intelligence.” The write up takes an enthusiastic approach to the efforts of a smart software company in the Boston area. I like these types of articles. They remind me of the days when Route 128 was the cat’s pajamas.
I learned that when I talk to my phone, the system is not “smart enough.” I know. Background noise, speaking too quickly, or mumbling are issues with the voice to search thing. Then there is the output. Our test involves asking for the phone number of a person with a Russian name like Kolmogorov in a bus station or a convertible going 40 miles per hour.
The write up points out:
Semantic Machines is currently working on artificial intelligence technology that could do a better job than Siri or other platforms as they interact with users.
There is big money involved; for example, $20 million from the Bainies and other illuminati.
Here’s the angle:
…The idea behind the startup is to develop a “new paradigm” in a field known as conversational computing — essentially improving the way you interact with your phone or computer, whether via voice or text — “much, much closer to the conversational style in the way people talk…”
Worth noting.
Stephen E Arnold, January 19, 2016
Ah, Ha. Search May Be Dying
January 18, 2016
I did not know that. I am delighted to have wisdom available from a blog focusing on search engine optimization.
Dear, old search. Are you really dying? I thought you had pulled off one of the Carlos Castaneda transmogrifications into augmented intelligence, customer support services, analytics, and my favorite Big Data. If Vivisimo can pull this off at IBM, almost any company with information access capabilities can wake up as a metasearch company and go to bed as a Big Data champ with the four Vs dancing in one’s dreams.
The write up points out:
Recent years have revealed a worrisome trend (for Google anyway) — search engine use overall has declined from 90 percent in 2009 to 86 percent in 2014. This might not seem like much of a downward trend, but if you consider that overall global Internet use has increased by 67 percent in the same period, that’s a lot of Internet users who aren’t turning to search.
The article represents this wonderful Pew Research chart:
But the section which tickled my Alphabet Google fancy was this passage:
There’s no denying that Google is the most complex searchable database on the Internet. It offers billions of results and is constantly innovating new ways to determine your search needs. However it would seem that Google’s impressive scope is the very thing that is sending people to apps and other websites to find the information they need. People want results that are personalized for them, while Google is busy trying to be everything for everyone. There are simply too many relevant results in Google’s database to match the personalization capabilities of apps and websites. That’s why apps are increasingly being used as research channels, especially among teens, who are 30 percent more likely to use them for search.
The inescapable conclusion seems to be that search is a goner.
I don’t agree, but that’s not germane to the SEO mavens who stand ready to serve customers eager for clicks, app downloads, and lots of SEO goodness.
At least the Mirror comes at the Alphabet Google thing with a bit of creativity. See, for example, “Google Slammed over Refusal to Advertise Plus Size Fashion to Curvy Consumers.” Now that’s real hard hitting evidence for the argument that search is on a down ward trajectory.
Stephen E Arnold, January 18, 2016
Stephen E Arnold
Surprise. News Corp. Thinks Probe of Google Is Okay
January 18, 2016
I love it when outfits which are engaged in real journalism comment about the Alphabet Google thing. Newspapers never had a monopolistic thought in their history. The newspaper wars are a myth. Yellow journalism was a result of color blind folks misunderstanding “real” data gathering and dissemination.
To learn more about News Corp.’s view of a Google anti trust probe, navigate to “News Corp. CEO Says Antitrust Probe of Google Could Be Warranted.” Yep, woulda, coulda, shoulda.
I learned:
Citing a lack of competition in the search market, especially in Europe, News Corp. CEO Robert Thomson called Monday for closer scrutiny of Google’s business by regulators.
I wonder if the News Corp. digital wizards is aware of:
- Exalead Search at https://www.exalead.com/search/
- Gibiru at https://anonymous-gibiru.com/
- Qwant at https://www.qwant.com/
- Silobreaker at http://www.silobreaker.com/
- Unbubble at https://www.unbubble.eu/
- Yandex at https://www.yandex.com/
There are some other services as well, but from the point of view of New Corp., they are probably irrelevant.
I assume that alternatives are not important to executives representing a company with an interesting track record in management and information gathering.
I wonder why folks are using the Alphabet Google thing? Thoughts, gentle reader?
Stephen E Arnold, January 18, 2016
Newspaper Reveals Tricks for Google Search
January 15, 2016
I love it when newspapers get into the online research game. I think fondly about the newspaper in Nevada. Its reporters were not able to figure out who owned the newspaper. Hint: Casino owner.
I read “How to Use Search Like a Pro: 10 Tips and Tricks for Google and Beyond.” The word “beyond” is darned popular when it comes to search. I wonder who has been using the phrase “beyond search” for a decade or more? Hmm. No idea.
The write up includes some jaw droppers for the folks who are not familiar with SDC Orbit or the conventions of Lockheed Dialog; for example:
Use quotes to search for a bound phrase. Okay. What happens when Google does not locate an exact phrase match? What then, gentle Guardian? No comment? Okay.
Here’s another tip and trick:
Use the OR operator. Now that is helpful when one is looking for a really big result set. How does one narrow a Google result set when the GOOG says, “About 1,400,000 results. Thoughts? Nope. Okay.
And one more. For the other seven you will have to read the source write up:
Use the “Related” operator to find more sites like — wait for it — the guardian.com. Nothing like using a dead tree publication to flog some clicks from the punters.
I wish to point out that the GOOG is deeply concerned about the decline in boat anchor type searches. The effort is being directed at providing information before the user knows s/he needs it. This is called predictive search.
I am delighted that the newspaper is describing how to use a search system which is losing traction. But, hey, that’s what makes real journalists and dead tree publishers the type of outfit that Jeff Bezos and Sheldon Adelson hungry to buy these companies.
Stephen E Arnold, January 15, 2016
Google Has Some Supporters in China
January 14, 2016
Google, China wants you back. Well, more accurately, some folks in China what Google back. What is needed is unbiased search results.
According to “Chinese Citizens Are Boycotting Search Engine Baidu—and Praying for Google to Come Back”:
This week, though, tens of thousands of Chinese citizens pledged to boycott Baidu entirely, after they discovered the Beijing company has been earning profits by giving chronically ill users biased information through its chat rooms, known as “post bar” services.
The write up explains:
Launched in 2003, Baidu Post Bar, or Tieba, is a massive online community with about 19 million discussion groups that range from food to films to foreign affairs. Tieba’s numerous illness-related post bars serve as online support groups, where patients share experiences about their diseases and treatment.
Then there was a hint that Baidu was in the dark:
A Baidu spokesman told Quartz he couldn’t say what percentage of Baidu’s 19 million post bar groups were run by a commercial partner.
Yep, there’s is nothing like an objective, ad supported search system to deliver the results folks need, want, believe to be accurate.
The only hitch may be the Chinese authorities who are able to reflect on companies which tell China what to do.
Stephen E Arnold, January 14, 2016
The Duck Quacks 12 Million Queries
January 14, 2016
DuckDuckGo keeps waddling through its search queries and quacking that it will not track its users information. DuckDuckGo has remained a small search engine, but its privacy services are chipping away at Google and search engines’ user base. TechViral shares that “DuckDuckGo The Anti-Google Search Engine Just Reached A New Milestone” and it is reaching twelve million search queries in one day!
In 2015, DuckDuckGo received 3.25 billion search queries, showing a 74 percent increase compared to the 2014 data. While DuckDuckGo is a private oasis in a sea of tracking cookies, it still uses targeted ads. However, unlike Google DuckDuckGo only uses ads based on the immediate keywords used in a search query and doesn’t store user information. It wipes the search engine clean with each use.
DuckDuckGo’s increase of visitors has attracted partnerships with Mozilla and Apple. The private search engine is a for profit business, but it does have different goals than Google.
“Otherwise, it should be noted that although he refuses to have the same practices as Google, DuckDuckGo already making profits, yes that’s true. And the company’s CEO, Gabriel Weinberg, stop to think it is necessary to collect information about users to monetize a search engine: ‘You type car and you see an advertisement for a car, Google follows you on all these sites because it operates huge advertising networks and other properties. So they need these data for search engines to follow you.’ ”
DuckDuckGo offers a great service for privacy, while it is gaining more users it doesn’t offer the plethora of services Google does. DuckDuckGo, why not try private email, free office programs, and online data storage? Would you still be the same if you offered these services?
Whitney Grace, January 14, 2016
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, publisher of the CyberOSINT monograph
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