This week, we're taking a look at Amazon's new search engine A9.

In the news: Google hires Microsoft employees, a Google browser seems to be on the way and there's much to say about Ask Jeeves.

Table of contents:

• Facts of the week
• Search engine news of the week
• Articles of the week
• Recommended resources
• Previous articles

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What is special about A9?

The A9 search engine tries to provide a new search experience. A9 offers search results from different information sources, which are presented through selectable and adjustable columns (web and image search, book text search, movie information search, dictionary search, etc.)

A9.com is "a search engine with a memory" as it returns results from the user's information, so with every search, users will see results from their own history, bookmarks, and diary.

A9 also offers new features to manage online search. For example, a search history is stored and displayed to users anytime they are signed-in either from home or from work.

A9 offers a diary that allows users to record, save and reference notes about any web page they visit. In addition, A9 offers a bookmark manager.

Privacy concerns

If you have an Amazon account, A9 will automatically recognize you. A9 also remembers what you searched in the past. A user's A9 activity can be tied to a user's history on Amazon.com.

The A9 privacy policy says it very clearly:

"Please note that A9.com is a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon.com Inc. If you have an account on Amazon.com and an Amazon.com cookie, information gathered by A9.com, as described in this privacy notice, may be correlated with any personally identifiable information that Amazon.com has and used by A9.com and Amazon.com to improve the services we offer."

If you use all A9 features and buy at Amazon, then Amazon knows who you are, your complete address, which web sites you visit, which products you purchase, etc.

A9 is also available in a generic version that doesn't collect personal information. However, the generic version doesn't offer all features of the full version.

What does this mean to you?

Although A9 currently uses Google index it might become a Google rival in the near future. A9's chief executive officer Udi Manber was the chief scientist at Yahoo before joining Amazon.

A9's personalization features will probably be copied by other search engines soon. This might be the overture to a shift in the search engines market. The first other major search engine with personalization features is Ask Jeeves (see news below).

Ask Jeeves hoping to outshine Google

"Hoping to emerge from the shadow of its more popular rivals, Ask Jeeves Inc. is adding new tools for visitors to save and organize links to Web pages they find through the company's online search engine. [...]

Users of the new MyJeeves features will be able to save Web pages by clicking on a clearly marked button next to every link turned up in a search request. The saved links then can be placed in individual folders sorted by topic, such as 'maps', 'weather' and 'shopping'. Personal notes can be added."

Red Cross, Ask Jeeves launch hurricane relief site

"Ask Jeeves [...] announced that the Company has teamed with the American Red Cross to aid victims of the recent hurricanes and other disasters. [...] Ask Jeeves will donate 100 percent of the profits generated from searches conducted on this site with a minimum donation of $50,000 and a maximum donation of $1 million."

Google picks Gates' brains

"Google [...] is spending its money poaching the brightest minds from arch-rival Microsoft and other tech giants.

Based on the half-dozen hires in recent weeks, Google appears to be planning to launch its own Web browser and other software products to challenge Microsoft.

Google has wooed Joshua Bloch, one of the main developers of the Internet programming language Java, from Sun Microsystems. The company also hired four people who worked on Microsoft's Web browser, Internet Explorer, and later founded their own company."

Google registered the domain name Gbrowser.com

Google registered the domain name Gbrowser.com. Another hint that Google might be working on a Google browser.

Yahoo's Overture ad unit to open five international offices

"Overture Services [...] said it plans to enter five new international markets in the coming months as the Internet media company continues to broaden its global reach.

Beginning in the fourth quarter, Overture will open in Brazil, Canada, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan."

Reed and Google in talks to share revenue

"Reed Elsevier is in discussion with internet search engine Google about a possible revenue-sharing agreement.

Executives from the publishing group have had several meetings with Google and are trialling the concept, which would see Reed receive a small payment for each user directed to one of its websites."

Dogpile fetches new name

"The meta search engine Dogpile has changed its name to www.webfetch.com in the UK and Europe. Clearly the name 'dogpile' conjures a different image in Britain and Europe than it does in the States."

Search engine newslets

• GuruNet releases a new toolbar that makes it easy to look up a quick fact while browsing.
• Here's a nice Ask Jeeves parody site.
• Watch the Ask Jeeves butler on its trip around the world.
• Ask Jeeves allows you to personalize the butler.

Paid-search market 'far from mature' - Yahoo CFO

"Yahoo Inc. Chief Financial Officer Susan Decker on Monday said the $5 billion Web-search advertising market was still 'far from mature' and that competition would intensify as Microsoft Corp. and others enter the market."

Google making its mark worldwide Firm will have to play catch-up in some key nations

"Google is pronounced in a variety of ways abroad, reflecting its international popularity. In France, the search engine is 'GooGEL' while Japanese say 'GOOgaru.'

Already, Google's international business accounts for nearly 30 percent of its revenue. That total is expected to increase as the company matures."

Google shares hit another high note

"While analysts cite a variety of reasons for Google's rise - it's up more than 41% from its initial public offering price and more than 17% since Sept. 9 - the stock's bubble-era-volatility is clearly a factor."

Google must love A9 as a safe test case for getting consumer behavior data

"Now, the real Holy Grail in Internet-based marketing has to be conquered: Personalization. Not just some mock-up feature, we're talking heavy, deep personalization. [...]

Imagine that Google would change its ways and from tomorrow would start to track all web pages that you and I visit. I mean all web pages, independent of whether we came to these pages through Google or not. Imagine how high the economic value of that knowledge would be."

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