Yahoo may be sliding down the search engine totem pole, but the company is doing its best to climb back up, with a new space dedicated to apps. This week, Yahoo added a new "Apps" tab to its search page, giving users a new portal into both the Android Market and iTunes App Store. Results can be filtered by both price and category, with iOS and Android apps aligned in separate tabs. Once you select an app, you can download it by scanning a QR code, sending a download link to your handset, or by simply clicking through to iTunes or the Android Market. There's also a "trending now" interface, as well as a full list of Yahoo user reviews, displayed directly within the page. Check it out for yourself, at the source link below.

Yahoo unveils app search page for Android and iOS, because we need it originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It very nearly caught up to Yahoo in the last round of ComScore figures, and Microsoft has now finally done it -- it can officially claim to be the number two search engine in the US. According to the research firm, Microsoft's Bing search engine and other websites fielded a total of 2.75 billion search requests in December of 2011, compared to 2.65 billion search requests handled by Yahoo -- translating to a market share of 15.1 percent and 14.5 percent, respectively. As you'd expect, that still leaves Microsoft far behind Google, which processed a whopping 12 billion search requests during the month, representing a still-dominant market share of 65.9 percent. Hit the source link below for all the numbers.

Microsoft tops Yahoo in US search results for first time, according to ComScore originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As Google presses forward with its social network initiative, it only makes sense that the company famed for comprehensive search results would naturally bring Google+ along for the ride. That day is now upon us, as the juggernaut from Mountain View has officially unveiled Your World -- an addition to its search results that prioritizes content generated by you and those in your circles. Now, the company hopes it'll be much easier to find relevant photos, blog posts and contacts from the Google search bar, which includes content both public and private. In effort to keep security in check, all searches will be performed by default over SSL. Additionally, skeptics may opt-out of Your World at any time. For those looking for the best of both worlds, a toggle at the top-right of the page allows users to choose on-the-fly whether to include personalized results. It all looks quite slick -- in fact, we wouldn't be too surprised if another social networking company just threw up a little.

Gallery: Google introduces Your World results

Google brings search to Your World, complete with results close to your heart originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bing already claimed its title as the world's second favorite search engine, but in the US it has continued to lag in third place behind Yahoo!. The gap is closing rapidly, however, with ComScore's latest stats revealing a 15.0 percent share for Redmond versus Yahoo!'s 15.1 percent. What's more, those figures don't reflect mobile search, which must surely be a growth area for Bing as Windows Phone gathers American followers. Meanwhile, Ask Network remains static in fourth place and AOL (Engadget's parent company) comes a distant fifth -- although it did show a little growth spurt between October and November, taking 1.6 percent of the 17.8 billion recorded searches and pretending not to notice Google way up there on top. Full ranking after the break.

Continue reading Bing almost catches up with Yahoo! in latest ComScore US figures

Bing almost catches up with Yahoo! in latest ComScore US figures originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well, Google's gone an done it, turning the Internet into one giant graphing calculator. The software behemoth has brought graphing capabilities to search, letting users input a mathematical function into the engine -- or multiple functions, separated by commas. And, this being Google, users can explore the graphs more closely by zooming in and out and panning across. According to the company, it "covers an extensive range of single variable functions including trigonometric, exponential, logarithmic and their compositions." If you know what all of that means, we're guessing you're pretty psyched about this news.

Google brings graphing calculator functionality to search, still can't play 'Snake' originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A new Y Combinator funded startup called GraffitiGeo has just launched with a fresh spin on user-generated reviews. The mobile application is somewhat like a mashup of review site Yelp, mobile social network Foursquare, and social news site Digg. The Digg-like element of the application is the easiest piece to use: like that restaurant? Vote it up. You can also leave more detailed comments to go along with your vote, if you so choose. To encourage people to participate in the “game” aspect to the app, GraffitiGeo also introduces a point system whose concept is borrowed from mobile app Foursquare…but is a bit more confusing.

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What’s more interesting than the mobile application launching now is the second GraffitiGeo app which is right around the corner. The next app will be an augmented reality application for the iPhone which takes the above elements and layers them over your iPhone’s viewfinder.

Yelp + Digg + Foursquare = GraffitiGeo

GraffitiGeo’s first mobile application will initially suffer from all the usual problems of sites and services that rely on user-generated reviews. Until enough people start using the service, there won’t be much value to it. While the concept behind the mobile review app is solid, its focus primarily on restaurants at the moment means it’s not likely to attract a large user base right off the bat. There are already a large number of mobile restaurant applications out there, not to mention there’s Yelp, which does restaurant reviews and a lot more.

The GraffitiGeo team acknowledges they have competition in this area, but are quick to point out the others’ shortcomings. For example, Yelp reviews are too long – especially in “the day and age of Twitter,” they write on their blog. They also incorporate the Digg-like voting element for fast rankings (which Yelp does not), offer Facebook Connect integration for easy sign in, introduce nifty heatmaps to highlight the hotspots, and let you leave a comment with only 2 taps (Yelp takes 5-6). In short, they feel they’ve designed an application specifically for the mobile platform where Yelp just ported their successful website to mobile instead.

The Digg-like voting aspect is probably the app’s killer feature. Instead of star ratings or lengthy reviews, you can simply vote “thumbs up” in order to rate a restaurant positively or a “thumbs down” if you’re not so pleased. This ease-of-use makes the barrier to entry that much lower and could encourage more participation from casual users.

Another element to GraffitiGeo is the game aspect. This may or may not be a plus, in our opinion. With inspiration obviously borrowed from mobile social network/game Foursquare, GraffitiGeo awards points for any activity, whether that’s a vote, a comment, or anything else. After reaching 100 points (aka “street cred”), you can start or join a “mob.” Not a violent mob, of course, just a “mob.” Mobs can claim territories which, in turn, unlocks more features in the application. There are also badges which can be earned. The entire setup is explained here. It’s a bit complex and frankly, we’re not sure if this is the sort of app that needs a gameplay element. If you’re trying to find out if a restaurant is worth trying out, you’re probably more interested in reading reviews and checking ratings than you are in playing with a bunch of online friends.

Even Better: An Augmented Reality Version

The real trick up GraffitiGeo’s sleeve, however, is the app that’s yet to come. Basically, the next app from GraffitiGeo is an augmented reality version of what’s described above. That sounds much more appealing, to be honest. With the iPhone’s viewfinder, you scan the restaurant in question and GraffitiGeo comments will float across your screen. What’s really cool about the AR app, though, is that you don’t necessarily have to have a restaurant in the viewfinder to see these ratings. Because the app is location-based, it knows what’s nearby. In the demo, they aim the app down the street from where they’re standing and GraffitiGeo displays the ratings for all the restaurants on that block. If you’re ever just wandering around looking for a place to eat, this could be a real timesaver. We imagine you’ll then be able to interact with the app in other ways, too, but that’s hard to tell from the YouTube video demo.

GraffitiGeo’s first effort may or may not be worth your time, especially considering its already robust competition, but the AR app definitely looks worth the wait.

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GraffitiGeo: Mobile Review App is like "Digg for the Real World"

So far in this What The Internet of Things Means For You series we’ve looked at how the Internet of Things (when everyday objects are connected to the Web) will affect marketers and accountants. Some of the comments on those posts have requested that we look at the effect on consumers – i.e. all of us. Normally when discussing this topic in relation to consumers, two big issues rear their heads: privacy and security. So we’ll focus specifically on those two issues here.

One of the key aspects of the Internet of Things is the sheer volume of data it will introduce into the Web – and not just any data, but often very personal data.

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Let’s use the oft-quoted example of RFID in grocery stores. When this particular dream (or nightmare, depending on your point of view) becomes a reality, you will be able to do your groceries with the aid of RFID tags on the food items and RFID readers in your mobile phone or credit card. On the plus side, this will make the shopping process more efficient and transparent. For example you can do comparative analysis of food items on the fly. Plus there’ll be no need for check-out, as everything will be automatically recorded against your mobile phone or credit card as you put it in your shopping cart.

The potential ‘dark side’ of this scenario is that at least two players in the retail chain will gather a lot of data about your precise shopping habits: the grocery store and the mobile phone and/or credit card company. Who knows what they will do with that data, right? Also who knows how secure it will be. Our own Dana Oshiro described the RFID chip as "the internet underground’s bubonic plague" in her post about the demise of consumer RFID company Violet this week.

A recent Wired UK article (hat-tip John Simpson for the link) summarized the dangers of this type of scenario:

"How naked will your personal preferences be to advertisers when your entire digital-TV remote-control clickstream is merged with your web-browsing history, your storecard and email data, records of all your movements via face-recognition cameras and radio frequency identification tags, and maps of your mobile phone’s signals? Even if you are determined to resist such data-led manipulation of your deepest desires, how do you know that this vast pool of information will not leak out or be used against your own interests, perhaps by a health insurer or a future employer?"

One person who is actively campaigning against RFID in supermarkets is Katherine Albrecht, who runs a site called CASPIAN (Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering). It describes itself as "a national grass-roots consumer group dedicated to fighting supermarket "loyalty" or frequent shopper cards," but RFID is also on its radar.

Albrecht wrote an article in 2002 that warned against the dangers of RFID, which she termed "the worst thing that ever happened to consumer privacy." As is typical with RFID predictions, many of the timelines mentioned in Albrecht’s article have failed to pan out ("these tiny tags, predicted by some to cost less than 1 cent each by 2004…" Yeah right). However the warnings are still relevant, if a little scare-mongering:

"Though many RFID proponents appear focused on inventory and supply chain efficiency, others are developing financial and consumer applications that, if adopted, will have chilling effects on consumers’ ability to escape the oppressive surveillance of manufacturers, retailers, and marketers. Of course, government and law enforcement will be quick to use the technology to keep tabs on citizens, as well."

There’s no evidence to suggest that the effects will be "chilling" or that marketers will be "oppressive," however it’s certainly a good idea for us consumers to be wary about privacy and security issues. You can also read Katherine Albrecht on the spychips website (hat-tip to ReadWriteWeb reader Gene Becker for pointing out Albrecht’s work).

Personally I believe that RFID, and Internet of Things in general (RFID is just an enabling technology), will bring more good than bad. The work of Albrecht and others will help to police retailers and governments, to ensure appropriate privacy and security rules are put in place. But these technologies are coming, whether we like them or not, because they are simply more efficient and offer much more functionality – for consumers, marketers, retailers alike. Let us know your opinion in the comments.

Flickr photo credits: cbmd; Manuel Monroy Correa; Touchatag

See also: Consumer Electronics 2.0: MIT’s Henry Holtzman on The Internet of Things

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Should Consumers Fear The Internet of Things?

Following February’s slew of complaints regarding Facebook’s Terms of Use amendment, founder Mark Zuckerberg launched an “Open Governance” model and wrote, “If [Facebook] were a country, it would be the sixth most populated country in the world. Our terms aren’t just a document that protect our rights; it’s the governing document for how the service is used by everyone across the world.” Today Facebook redrafted its Statement of Rights and Responsibilities and while users / citizens have until August 18th to comment, we can’t help thinking the system is a bogus democracy.

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After a week of acquiring Friendfeed and launching a real time search engine, the blue nation appears to be growing at an alarming rate. In order to address the growth and new promotional ecosystem, notable changes to the Bill of Rights incorporate bans on citizen marketing abuse. Facebook hopes to stop spammers from overrunning the site and as pointed out by Inside Facebook, prohibit companies like Magpie, Twittad and Sponsored Tweets from starting profile sponsoring programs. Other marketing-related points included the phrases, “You will not engage in unlawful multi-level marketing, such as a pyramid scheme” and “You will not offer any contest, giveaway, or sweepstakes (“promotion”) on Facebook without our prior written consent.”

As citizens of this vast country, it’s nice that we can smite the spammers and illegal pyramid schemers that plague our great nation. And then I remember, this isn’t ACTUALLY a country. It’s a company. If it were really a nation, we would know where we’re supposed to offer our comments pre-August 18th and each of the “Rights” would have been spelled out separately as amendments to a pre-existing document. In fact, by now all of this info should have arrived in our mailboxes as a poorly designed pamphlet full of cheesy stock photography.

While Facebook’s “Open Governance” redraft is an admirable attempt to encourage crowd sourced decision-making, it lacks the feedback mechanism to make it a success. Critics will argue that this is intentional, but it feels more like the system (or lack thereof) was rushed to the public after the TOS uproar in February. While this amendment to the Facebook Bill of Rights is a fairly tame one, consider joining the Bill of Rights group for future updates and leaving a comment. At this rate, if Facebook acquires anymore companies or services, you might find your entire online identity living in one social networking landscape. It’s not like the administration is going to change, let’s just hope a loud majority can usher in a better system.

Photo credit: David Drexler

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The rest is here: 
De-Mock-cracy In Action: Facebook’s Open Governance

YouTube has announced that it has re-jigged its mobile website, providing better access to the video-sharing site on smartphones.

Users have been able to access a rudimentary version of YouTube via mobile phone since 2007, but the advent of smartphones mean better browsing capabilities.

In a blog post, Dwipal Desai, YouTube Product Manager, said about the news site: “As more and more people are using the browser on their smartphones for checking email, visiting websites, and even accessing YouTube, we want to make sure that we provide the best possible YouTube experience on your mobile browser.

“Today we released a new mobile website specifically designed to access YouTube on smartphones with capable browsers; phones like the iPhone, G1 and Palm Pre.”

Specially designed

He continues: “Just visit youtube.com from your mobile phone, and you’ll be taken to a new website specially designed for your device.

“You can log into your account, view your favourites, and discover and share new videos quickly and easily with whoever you choose. It’s part of our mission to create the best possible YouTube experience for you, whether you use the site on your computer, in your living room, or on the go.”

While the site has been sorted out for the more popular smartphones, not all portable devices are catered for, with comments on the blog suggesting that PSP users still can’t get decent access to the site.

Read more here:
YouTube now even more smartphone friendly

The UK will finally be granted online access to their NHS medical records, if the Conservative Party triumphs at the next general election.

The Tories have proposed to give people access to look at their data, with suggestions that an IT giant like Microsoft or Google hosts the information.

There is also talk that patients will be able to make their own notes or suggestions – perhaps bringing the slightly worrying concept of user generated content in healthcare.

Patient-centred

Shadow Health Minister Stephen O’Brien will set out the proposals, and he insisted that the current government were clinging onto the past with personal data.

“Giving patients greater control over their health records is crucial if we are to make the NHS more patient-centred,” said O’Brien.

“Labour’s attitude to our personal data is misguided. They seem to think they own it and, all too often, they have been appallingly careless in looking after it.

“The Government’s monolithic and costly IT system doesn’t involve patients at all. Yet in patients’ hands, health records could do so much more.

“We would have a clearer picture of our health and our care and we would be able to add information to help doctors treat us better.

“This could make a huge difference in helping us understand how to live healthier lifestyles.”

Concerns

Although the likes of the US already have health information access online, the security of that information and who holds it are always going to raise concerns.

Both Microsoft and Google are trusted IT companies, but that doesn’t mean that the public will be happy with a third party hosting their most personal information.

See the rest here:
Tory party: We’ll put UK Health records online