Industry News

MSN challenges users to football search quiz
MSN is launching an interactive quiz encouraging users to employ its search engine to find answers to a set of football-related questions as fast as possible. [Netimperative]

Microsoft most likely suitor for AOL
Software giant Microsoft is the currently the front-runner in the bidding race for AOL, according to press reports. [Netimperative]

Google and IBM team up for enterprise search
IBM is working with search engine Google to integrate the search giant's Desktop for Enterprise tool with its own search technology, to let users retrieve a greater range of information on their desktops. [Computing]

Google's Stumble
Uncharacteristically, Google has stumbled. [Forbes]

Google defends Print and privacy
A senior Google figure has defended the search engine's indexing, privacy and copyright policies. [BBC News]

Search will boost ad spend in 2006
Search will boost ad spend in 2006: search engine marketing will boost advertising revenue in 2006, and reinvent itself as a lead-generation channel, while podcasting, blogging and mobile applications will become more attractive to advertisers. [ENN]

Net wars divide EU and US
A row between Europe and the US over internet governance is set to overshadow the UN-sponsored World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Tunis on Monday.[eupolitix]

Google sets sights on Europe for growth
INTERNET giants Google and Yahoo are preparing to turn Europe into an online battleground for mastery of the web. In an interview with The Business, Google's European head, Nikesh Arora, outlined his ambitious invasion plan for Europe. [The Business]

Google offers web analytics for free
Google is to offer its hosted web analytics service for free. Businesses will be able to use the service to track the effectiveness of online marketing campaigns. [Techworld]

Amazon Gets Patents on Consumer Reviews
The online retailer was awarded three new patents, covering its purchase circles, search and consumer reviews; the review patent could put the kibosh on the social networking components of many search services. [internetnews.com]