More Internet Search In Depth

Keep Your Website Off of Google's Naughty List

Google's principal engineer, Matt Cutts, dropped serious hints in March about an imminent change to Google's algorithm that will penalize websites for being "overly optimized". Unfortunately, he didn't specify exactly what "overly optimized" means, or when this big shift will come--but you'd be wise to prepare your website now.

Why Amazon can't win a tablet price war against Google

Google and Amazon are about to go to war for the future of non-iPad tablets, but Amazon's business model can't be sustained. Here's why, according to columnist Mike Elgan.

Mobile Search Face-Off: Bing vs. Google vs. Yahoo

Desktop search? That's so last decade. Today, we've gone mobile--and so have search leaders Bing, Google, and Yahoo. In this active age, we're just as likely to turn to our smartphone to find what we want as we are to boot up our PC. And though many people consider Google the king of desktop search, things are not so clear-cut when it comes to mobile search, in part because delivering relevant blue links is only one aspect of a great mobile search experience.

You are the product for The Google

As of March 1, if you hadn't erased your Google Web History and switched the feature off, you will have made a big mistake because Google has set itself on a course that will allow the company to find out way too much about you ... at least, way too much about you if you have any interest in maintaining your privacy.

Free and Affordable Software to Sync Your Work and Your Life

If you're like plenty of people these days, you have more than just one computer--and I don't mean just a traditional desktop or laptop PC, but also a smartphone or a tablet. A smartphone is little more than a computer wrapped around a cell phone; and a tablet, of course, is merely a computer in a convenient portable package.

Are Google and Apple really 'monopolies'?

Recent charges claiming that Google or Apple are monopolies, are monopolistic or wield monopoly power are simply false. And those who use the M word about these companies are misleading you, writes columnist Mike Elgan.

Make Your Web Site Popular

Spiderowych has a new web site up. He asked the Answer Line forum how he could make it popular.

Why Google+ will become Google's only product

Google will integrate its best products into a single super product, Google+, that marginalizes smaller rivals and clobbers Facebook with total superiority.

CloudMagic search tool

CloudMagic's lightning-fast search tool has impressed me since I reviewed a previous version over a year ago. I like its speed, I like its layout, and I like the feature added to its latest version: Twitter search.

Google will use Zagat's (so you don't have to)

Google will likely incorproate the Zagat rating service to its 'autonomous search' capabilities to eventually match what you like with what's available to you in your location, says columnist Mike Elgan.

QuickPoll: Are Yahoo's best days behind it?

Yahoo's board ousted Carol Bartz from her CEO chair this week, and with her out of the way analysts say Yahoo must refocus or it will die. Can the Web giant turn things around?

What Place Does Ethics Have in the Tech Industry?

Is Google's 'don't be evil' ethos the proper response to Chinese censorship, or is Microsoft correct that shareholder value trumps all?

Elgan: 10 things I hate about Google+

Columnist Mike Elgan has a love-hate relationship with the new social networking tool Google+. While Google is still fixing many of its flaws and limitations, here are some tips and workarounds to try.

The Perils of Enterprise Search

First and foremost, you have to make sure you don't compromise the rule of least privilege.

Elgan: What I lost on the Google+ Diet

On July 8, columnist Mike Elgan went on the Google+ Diet, using Google's new social network for all his online communication. He stopped using Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and several other services. Here's what he learned.

Image Gallery: Google+ lets you hang with a small (or large) circle of friends

Google+, the search giant's latest try at social networking, lets users limit who gets which message -- a strategy that could eventually challenge Facebook's "one list fits all" approach.

First look: Google+ lets you hang with a small (or large) circle of friends

Google+, the search giant's latest try at social networking, lets users limit who gets which message -- a strategy that could eventually challenge Facebook's "one list fits all" approach.

X1 Desktop Search

When was the last time you've used a search engine? If you are like most Internet users, it was probably less than an hour ago--possibly much less. But what about a local search engine for your own desktop, like X1 Desktop Search ($50, 14-day free trial)?

Microsoft deepens Bing's use of Facebook data

Microsoft has incorporated more Facebook data into its Bing search results, increasing the competition around social search with Google, whose level of access to Facebook data is not as deep.

On the Fly? Google is Bringing the News to You

Business travelers and other people on the fly will like Google's upgrade to the mobile version of its news site if they don't mind the omnipresent search engine knowing where they are.