desktop search

BlackBerry gets to dance with Google

Judi Hasson — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 19:26:21 -0400

The BlackBerry now has a number of new Google search enhancements that should make life easier for those out of the office and in quick need of information. Many of the changes copy the functionality of Google's current desktop search. "We have taken desktop elements that have tested well on mobile and further optimized them for the mobile use case," reads a post on the official Google Mobile blog. "Improving mobile search is a continuous process and we hope you find the releases this past month to move the needle on what we care most about: quality, speed and ease of use."

For more on BlackBerry's two-steps with Google:
- see this CIO.com article

For more tech stories from the FierceCIO network:
> New security holes found in Internet Explorer. Article
> Small startup sues Google for $1B. Article
> Brit telecom workers to go on mobile blackout. Article

"Spirit of Cooperation" prompts Redmond to revisit desktop search policy

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 20:01:39 -0400

While admitting no wrong-doing, Microsoft plans to change how desktop search works in its Vista operating systems by the end of the year. The move comes in response to an antitrust complaint by rival Google, which charged that Microsoft makes it difficult for end-users to select a desktop search option (the technology that makes it possible to search for items on a computer as quickly as search engines can search for items on the web). Microsoft's changes will allow end users and OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to select a default desktop search program in Vista that's not Windows Instant Search. "Microsoft believes that Google's complaint is without merit," lawyers for the Redmond company wrote in the status report, filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. "Nevertheless, Microsoft worked with the Plaintiffs in a spirit of cooperation to resolve any issues the complaint may raise." While encouraged by the move, Google is still not satisfied. "Microsoft's current approach to Vista desktop search clearly violates the consent decree and limits consumer choice," David Drummond, Google's senior vice president and chief legal officer, said in the statement. "These remedies are a step in the right direction, but they should be improved further to give consumers greater access to alternate desktop search providers."

For more:
- read this article from Infoworld

Choosing a search tool

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 20:01:38 -0400

There are so many enterprise search tools on the market--some free--that it can be hard to find the right one for your company. One option is the free, downloadable enterprise search software called OmniFind Yahoo Edition from IBM and Yahoo. Another is Google's Mini, which indexes up to 300,000 documents for $8,995. Yet another is Autonomy Corp. Plc's desktop search application. If the tool you settle on will cost the company, it's not too difficult to justify the expense. After all, simply getting to the right information can be difficult, and it's a key competitive and productivity factor. What's more, compliance requirements are making business and IT executives seek tools to find information quickly for regulatory filings, government investigations or discovery in legal cases. Whatever type you choose, don't adopt search in a piecemeal way. Instead, have a cohesive strategy. A cohesive search strategy doesn't mean that enterprises need to have a single search platform or a single content index--it's okay to have several implementations for different purposes and business units, but if you have multiple search technologies in place, make sure they are coordinated.

Learn more about choosing search tools:
- read the article at CIO

ALSO:
- read this choosing the right search engine
- and this on improving your search engine rankings

The dangers of desktop search programs

Mon, 17 Apr 2006 20:01:37 -0400

Desktop search is the latest tech rage. Every major vendor is pushing a free tool at PC users, who are eager to locate scattered data files on their systems. Unfortunately, these search engines also let the user gather information across corporate networks and PC farms, putting valuable data and security at risk. For some IT leaders the answer is simple--a complete lockdown thwarting users from downloading such applications. Others are taking the policy route and trying to educate users about the applications' potential danger. The biggest mistake, say experts, is for IT to do nothing about the growing problem.

For more on the danger of desktop search programs:
- read this article at NetworkWorld

ALSO NOTED: French banks hit by Russian hackers; DoD IT funding not increasing; and much more...

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 19:00:50 -0500

> French banks hit by Russian hackers. Article

> Defense department IT funding not increasing. Article

> Report: No search engine beats another. Article

> Google's new desktop search raises privacy concerns. Article

> Internet telephony vendor heads toward public offering. Article

> Big IT spend planned by China businesses. Article

> Feds offer up insight on domestic spying habits. Article

And Finally... An online tool to boost that special relationship. Article