Google real-time search adds Facebook status updates

Public status updates from Facebook Pages now in Google's real-time search. The new features will be rolling out in the next few days --this time is just available globally in English. "Relevance meets the real-time web," Google says.

The key thing to remember, however, is that Google has much more limited access to Facebook’s real-time data than its competitor, Bing. Microsoft has deeper ties to the social network, as an investor in Facebook and as a search provider for the site. Microsoft has the ability to index public status updates, while Google’s access is limited to updates from Pages, which are vehicles for marketing rather than personal content.

[via VentureBeat]

Will open source accept Microsoft leadership?

Microsoft will be a “platinum sponsor” at the Open Source Business Conference in San Francisco next month. Even one of its execs, Stuart McKee, will deliver a keynote at the event. Looks like "Microsoft is determined to be a leader of the open source movement," Dana Blankenhorn wrote.

ZDNet Poll: How do you feel about Microsoft leading open source?

Microsoft acquires RIM? It's a bad idea, says analyst

Kara Swisher wondering: Microsoft's new mobile phone software is coming and its Project Pink --the multimedia touchscreen device project-- is still undergoing, why should they buy RIM? "...in fact, many sources at Microsoft have told me that CEO Steve Ballmer has expressed interest in buying RIM many times."

But Kara is not alone. Mark McKechnie, an analyst with Broadpoint AmTech also says the same thing.

"We think RIMM would try and block a deal and that an acquisition would likely have to be hostile for it to occur." In addition, "RIMM's OS could be difficult to port over to a full Windows environment, thus proving a weaker 'end game' for Microsoft." A deal with RIM could also eclipse any previous Microsoft acquisition in terms of cost, which could prove prohibitive.

Both RIM and Microsoft saw their market share in the mobile arena decline by 1 point between September and December 2009, according to statistics watcher ComScore, leaving RIM with a 41.6 percent share and Microsoft with 18 percent. Meanwhile, both Google and Apple enjoyed incremental gains.

[Image credit]

Microsoft shows off tablet computer

Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer showed off a new tablet-style computer from Hewlett-Packard during his CES keynote recently. The HP Slate has multitouch capability and can do some gaming. "Tablet-style computers that run Windows have been available for a decade, but HP's machine is bound to draw extra attention, thanks to expectations that Apple will launch a similar device this month," NZ Herald News wrote. The slate --one-piece portable computer without a physical keyboard-- will be available "later this year."

[images via Gizmodo]

   

Bing is not that popular for Firefox

Seems Microsoft's Bing is not popular enough for Firefox users, according to a Mozilla exec. That's why an add-on is required to add Bing as a search option from within Firefox. Another home-work for Microsoft's search engine to fight against Google.
If you download a fresh copy of Firefox, you'll note that the default search engine is not whatever you already have picked in all your other browsers. Instead, Mozilla chooses Firefox's default search engine, and the list of search providers in the accompanying drop down menu, based on their popularity. Thus, Bing isn't one of the choices.