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Yahoo against all odds, went on to launch an innovative 'search browser' termed Yahoo Axis late Wednesday. Albeit, early review painted the browser in bad light in regards to security, given a discovery by an astute hacker, Nik Cubrilovic on his personal blog, (but, the security glitch is now fixed) the search browser add-on innovation simply means Yahoo is not yet giving-up on the search market.

Yahoo Axis, unlike conventional web browsers is not a replacement for the later on desktop, rather it serves as a browser add-on to enhance visualized search experience. It comes as a free plug-in for Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari web browsers on desktop computers and PCs.

Whilst, its application on mobile takes the form of a full-fledged mobile browser app, available for iPhone and iPad, with an Android version still in the works.

Installation of the plug-in on desktop comes really easy, and once installed, the add-on appears as a search bar at the bottom of the web browser. With users signed-in to Yahoo, Facebook and Google given the option to setup favorite websites and have Axis remember same for future reference.

Yahoo Axis uniqueness stems on the syncing ability across devices, with fast and simple user interface, presents an undeniable surfing pleasure especially on iOS platforms. Overall, the search visualization cum browser innovation may perhaps herald a new breakthrough for the dwindling Yahoo search service.

Yahoo Axis: Search Visualization Browser

Google has unveiled a new search innovation known as the Knowledge Graph, as an augmented large data scale, to tap into the collective intelligence of the web to enable discovery of information more quickly and easily. According to the official Google Search Blog, this latest innovation marks a critical first step towards building the next generation of internet search.

The Knowledge Graph is an attempt into machine learning search technology, making search engine think as human, an intelligent model that understands real-world entities and their relationships without strings.

Google's Knowledge Graph cuts-across popular landmarks, celebrities, places, events, movies, works of art, geographical regions and more, providing instant information that is relevant to search queries. It automatically culls-up relevant information on simple topics like: places, people or things, eliminating the conventional search mechanism whereby internet search involves several clicks through piles of websites to arrive at desired result.

The roll-out of the service has commenced with U.S English users, and also available on smartphones and Tablet devices.

Google hopes the added intelligence will enable users engage more into web services, as the task of information discovery becomes more less time consuming and easier by Google Search.

Semantic Search: Introducing The Knowledge Graph

Microsoft Bing's social search integration which has long been in the news went live today according to Bing Search Blog. It brings the integration of Facebook information stream into open search, with the possibility of bringing "social intelligence" in overall search experience.

The integration of people and search was made possible through a dedicated "social sidebar", bringing the social connections to bear in regular search patterns. it means tapping into the expertise of your networks to find relevant information through internet searches.

Bing suggest friends on Facebook who may have knowledge of your search terms through your social connections based on their "likes".

Unlike Google Plus Your World, which puts the social integration direct into regular search results, Bing's provision for a dedicated social sidebar is a plus. However, as to the actual tapping of social intelligence into the search experience, Bing does not yet get its act right. Albeit that the search innovation is perhaps too early for substantial reviewing.

The New Bing social search throws up people in your Facebook connections whom may be familiar to your search terms based on their likes instead of related pages or group information.

There is also the tool for building queries about topics common to the people in your connection you specifically selected as "Friends who might know" list. The actual application of this tool may be rather off-hand for some users, as the processes are mechanical.

In conclusion, the fact that internet search generally have come to acknowledge the need for personalized information really points to the next generation web. How the social web will impact accurate search and information retrieval through collective intelligence remains to be seen.

Live: Bing Social Integration

Webit Congress is a global annual event for the emerging digital and technology markets with special focus on EMEA regions. It's the place where the emerging markets meets the world's unparalleled networking technology drivers at the top.

Webit Congress gives startups the rare opportunity to showcase their projects in front of the largest number of potential investors/VCs from around the world.

Webit Startup Challenge 2012 is open to all startups from the EMEA regions. It presents startups the chance to pitch on the stage in front of the biggest investors for direct and exclusive feedback and get coverage from international media.

The application procedure is very simple, you apply online and be preselected by a jury of experts to win a chance to showcase at the expo and pitch on stage for potential investors. And there are no costs to apply to the Startup Challenge.

Total of 21 startups will be shortlisted and receive free stand at the expo ground in Istanbul, Turkey - the venue for this years conference. Along with 2 free tickets for Leaders of the Future 2-day conference program, with 5mins to present the project.

The overall winner will get international media coverage in most of the global and local media partners of the Webit Congress and maximum exposures to 6000+ visitors from 60+ countries. The entry deadline is 30th June, 2012. While, the shortlisted 21 startups will be announced 1st August. Click here to apply now.

Webit Congress 2012: Startup Challenge

The DNS malware, DNSChanger, is a Trojan disclosed about 5 years ago, which allowed cyber criminals to hijack computers and redirect traffic to specified hacker-crafted-websites. The malware provides hackers control over DNS servers, thereby making it possible to channel traffic to fraudulent websites and also making such computers vulnerable to other malicious software.

The rogue DNS servers controlled by the cyber criminals allowed them to manipulate users internet activities.

The FBI, late last year, brought down the hackers ring based in Estonia, with the Internet Systems Consortium (ISC) providing temporary surrogate servers for the rogue DNS servers that were shut down as a result of the operation.

And starting July 9, the surrogate DNS servers will be shut down and computers still infected with DNSChanger may lose connection to the internet.

The DNSChanger Working Group has made available a list of anti-virus software that can fix the malware issue. See the DNSChanger Check-up Website to check if your computer is infected.

DNSChanger: Surrogate DNS Servers Shutdown

Google on Tuesday announced its long rumored cloud storage service, Google Drive, to augment the ever growing cloud computing adoption.  Cloud computing as means of increasing capacity without investing in new infrastructure has become the 'Holy Grail' of modern enterprises, but given the substantial fear of data security and up-time services had posed stumbling blocks on the overall adoption.

Google Drive comes as a direct integration to Google Docs, allowing easy file sharing amongst users. Now, you can work with others in real time on spreadsheet, documents, and presentation. Google's long absence in the 'office collaboration tool' space championed by Microsoft has finally been covered by the new service. The sharing functionality has been brought over direct from Docs, and also integrated to its social network, Google+ with an option of public sharing.

The public file sharing feature also available on SkyDrive (Microsoft's Cloud Storage service), but lacking in Dropbox, seems most appealing. These alternative cloud services, however, invariably falls-short on the security offered on Google Drive.

Google Drive also recognizes text in scanned documents using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology, search by keyword and filter by file type. The image recognition allows you to drag and drop photos into Drive, and later search for the photo. Regardless to platform, blind users can access Drive with a screen reader.

Google Drive as an open platform affords developers the opportunity to contribute to the overall service.

The service comes with free 5GB space for users, whilst users have the option to upgrade to 25GB at $2.49/month, 100GB at $4.99/month, or 1TB at $49.99/month. Google promises an eventual integration of the service to Gmail, allowing users to attach items of media direct from their email to Drive.  

Can Google Drive Turn The Game?

Google debuted Fusion Tables in mid 2009 as a research tool to explore and visualize large data set. Data Visualization in concept, implies displaying important data in a graphical format for actionable group research  purposes or individual usage.

The art of data visualization is becoming somewhat popular nowadays, with the term Infographics (Information Graphics) as a case-in-point. But, how average internet users can utilize this latest trend in information storage and retrieval systems remains the overriding interest.

Infographics present complex information in a clear and concise format, such as maps, signs and graphs. And these information presentation mode is increasingly becoming the standard for modern Media, as it's commonly used to show weather reports, general maps, and graphs for statistical data. 

Google is also pushing to popularize the information system, as is evidence in its just concluded Technology and Journalism Conference, where it announced more enhancements to the Data Visualization search tool.

The new features include a checklist from which users can select subsets of the different data and see how their combination in a map or chart will be. Also included are tabs that can be used to compare the different results to see which is best. Fusion Tables also presents new format for displaying data, with a network graph for displaying relationships in a social network.

The Fusion Tables API affords developers the chance to test-run the search tool, with the capability that can return data in JSON (an acronym for JavaScript Object Notation), making it easier to manipulate with JavaScript, allowing tables, maps, and graphs to be modified using RESTful programing.

Fusion Tables: Data Visualization

MySQL is the database technology employed by Twitter in rendering its users data, which comprises: timeline, users tweets and interest graph. Twitter Engineering blog announced on Monday that the micro-blogging platform has now open-sourced its MySQL works on GitHub under the BSD license.

Albeit, MySQL is an open-source software, clients have the ability to tweak and change it. Twitter's numerous tweaks to the database technology is now open for the MySQL community to contribute to improve the overall service.

Jeremy Cole and Davi Arnaut, Twitters Developers, in the blog post stressed the points that the company 'believes in sharing knowledge and that open source facilitate innovations'.

And furthermore, mentioned sharing its work with upstream and downstream MySQL vendors, with a goal to improving the community.

Twitter plans to disclose more information on the MySQL project at the Percona Live MySQL Conference and Expo on April 12th, in Santa Clara, California.

Twitter MySQL Goes Open-Source

Mac OS X users have got something to worry about. Earlier in the week, a Russian Internet Security Company, Dr. Web announced some findings about a new Trojan BackDoor.Flashback, which is fast spreading on PCs running Mac OS X, contrary to claims by some experts that the OS is currently not under any security threats.

Flashback botnets, have already gulped about 300,000 machines in the U.S and Canada alone. And the spread statistics is alarming considering the mode of transmission via traffic distribution systems.

The BackDoor.Flashback Trojan has been confirmed by Kaspersky Lab, with the latest variant termed, Trojan-Dowloader.OSX.Flashfake.ab.

The confirmation report indicates that, "Flashfake is distributed through infected websites as Java Applet that disguises as an update for Adobe Flash Player, with the main component being a Trojan-Downloader that continuously connects to its command-and-control servers, while its awaits new components for execution".

Although, Apple's Mac had been the target of major malwares as a result of its growing popularity, this current attack is perhaps the largest so far.

Apple, however, has declined to comment on the latest findings, but hinted that a patch will follow in the upcoming version of the OS due this summer.

Also, the company revealed a future plan to tackle such security threats by a feature it called Gatekeeper, billed to be introduced in the next version. The tool will among other things ensure that developers register with Apple, and users have the option to keep their computers from installing software that has not been duly registered.

Flashback Botnet: Mac OS X Targeted

Microsoft Windows 7 marked a revolutionary point in the company's incursion into the mobile web cum Smartphones and Tablet markets. The iconic touch-screen technology introduced in the ace OS is what is still driving the wider adoption of the Windows mobile platform.

Now, Windows 7 success has even shifted to embracing the company's browser, Internet Explorer. According to a March Analytics report on browser performances by NetMarketShare, IE9 recorded a marginal increase in market share against Firefox and Chrome Browsers contrary to its declining trend.

Microsoft's IE9 market share for the month went from 52.84% up to 53.83%, which translated to a gain of 0.99% share.

The analytics report in terms of desktop usage, posted Google Chrome on 18.57% from 18.90% share, while Mozilla Firefox went from 20.92% down to 20.55% share.

The worldwide metrics gain for Microsoft, albeit, considering its heavily-pushed promotions, points to the Windows 7 successes. And perhaps, given the already spread hype on the next version of the OS, Windows 8, may carry-on in the coming months.

However, the intensity of upgrades and innovations across Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome browsers may present a more credible challenge. Microsoft indeed, has got a whole lot to prove in other to win back users trust, mostly on security considerations.

Browser Wars: IE9 Gains On Windows 7

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