Matthew Hicks

Web search is cutting the computer cord as the major engines increasingly introduce new ways of retrieving search results through mobile phones and devices. Yahoo Inc. expanded its mobile search offerings Thursday with a local search feature for sending business-listing information to mobile phones. Meanwhile, Ask Jeeves Inc. has confirmed that it plans to offer […]

Sponsored links may be a mainstay alongside search results and on Web pages, but the advertising format is increasingly appearing in new places and taking on new forms. Faced with advertisers who want to place more ads and publishers who seek more revenue, sponsored-link providers such as Google Inc. and Kanoodle.com Inc. are trying out […]

Google Inc. appears ready to provide greater access to its search-based advertising technology to advertisers and search-engine marketers. Google plans to launch an API for its AdWords programs, a move that would give advertisers more control in managing their ads and allow vendors of bid-management tools to integrate with Googles system, according to search-engine marketers. […]

Google Inc. stepped into video search on Tuesday but with an initial focus on indexing the content of broadcast and satellite television. The Mountain View, Calif., search company launched a test of video search through the Google Labs site, where it highlights new tools. The service draws results through an index of programming information and […]

Google Inc. has hired the lead engineer behind the Mozilla Firefox Web browser, who is splitting his time between the search company and the open-source project. Ben Goodger, who helped shepherd the Firefox 1.0 release that has dug into Microsoft Corp.s browser dominance, joined Google as a full-time employee earlier this month. While Goodger is […]

Yahoo Inc. is opening its video search service to a wider audience and expanding its sources of multimedia content. Late on Monday, Yahoo will make the video search engine that it began testing last month available from its home page and from the main Yahoo Search site, a Yahoo spokesman said. Video will join other […]

WebEx Communications Inc, best-known for its online meeting service, is moving more aggressively into online services for the small business and consumer markets. Its first target will be remote access for Windows PCs. On Monday, the San Jose, Calif., company will announce a service called MyWebExPC that lets users access a remote computers desktop through […]

Microsoft Corp. on Thursday is announcing a new service for MSN Hotmail users wanting to use Outlook to access and manage messages, contacts and calendar items. Called Microsoft Office Outlook Live, the service is Microsofts first subscription offering for an Office application, the company said. For an annual subscription, users can download a special version […]

Internet Explorer is continuing to lose share to the open-source Firefox Web browser. In the past month, use of Microsoft Corp.s dominant browser fell another 1.5 percentage points to 90.3 percent. Meanwhile, the Mozilla Foundations Firefox browser rose 0.9 percentage points to reach 5 percent, Web analytics provider WebSideStory Inc. confirmed Thursday. The numbers reflect […]

In refreshing its search features and partnerships, America Online Inc. is trying to grab a greater share of Web search traffic and expand its sources of search-based ad revenue. But whether it can snag a bigger search presence in a market dominated by Google Inc, Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft Corp.s MSN division remains in doubt, […]