'Kumo'? It sounds like something you'd find in a garbage dump. I think I'll wait until it beats 'google', then I'll have a look at it.

Based on your 'leaked' email, the Kumo search results are obviously geared to make Microsoft money, not help people find what they want.

Comparing Google to Kumo...

Google

Special result. Images of A8
1. Official Audi UK site for A8
2. Another page from official site with more detail
3. Wikipedia

Kumo

Special result. MSN Autos.
1. Wikipedia
2. Audi USA
3. Audi UK

I see they still like to push their lame sites above everything else. Also they cannot tell where a searcher came from, why would anyone want Audi USA AND Audi UK?

To me, the results from Live search seem better than the Kumo results.

Live

1. Audi UK Home
2. Audi UK A8 Page
3. Wikipedia.
4. Audi South Africa (WTF?)

'kumo' is the Japanese word for spider.

"Microsoft's brash, bold attempt to capture more search share..."

brash? bold? Based on what analysis?

I love the new UX, it seems really useful though it reminds me of some other search UX not Google or Yahoo but some really old Search Engines had something similar.

The new UX seems very contextual and a bit personalized as well, though it will be good to know how will they integrate this with Live Services.

About time Live & MSFT.

When you ask someone to search it what will you say Kumo it, Yahoo it and Google it works but Kumo it does not at all.

My theory is that they bought a job-lot of cheap 4-letter domains from a squatter. live.com must have cost them a fortune and never made back the cost of buying it, so now they are going for cheap < 100K domains just in case they fail.

Didn't they make a movie a while ago called Steve and Kumo go to White Castle?

@those discussing the name, please note that in his email, Nadella specifically says

"Kumo is the codename we have chosen for the internal test."

It remains to be seen if there will be a rebranding, but these might indicate there will not be (at least, not to Kumo).

@psteier, I claim no knowledge of japanese, but I had read that Kumo was japanese for "Cloud"?

I claim no knowledge of the Japanese either but the internet is a great resource.

http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/755866

It means both apparently.

Mary Joe Foley says that her contact says that the 3 names up for choice were Kumo, Bing and Hook. kumo.com is the only domain that is actually registered to Microsoft. They also trademarked Kumo.

hook.com is owned by a squatter and bing.com redirects with a 'please change your bookmark' page (rather than an HTTP redirect) to bingmail.au.com now.

There is a possibility that it will be called bing.com and they have just not transferred the domain yet, but the most likely looks like Kumo.

The logo in the screenshots looks very dodgy so it doesn't look like it will be the final branding.

Bing is worse than Kumo. Live is probably their most memorable and brandable domain but for some reason they think it is tarnished.

Open source vs. Microsoft: Automotive battlefield
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-10185259-48.html

The competition between Microsoft and open-source software reaches into the automotive space with the announcement of a new alliance among automakers and technology providers called Genivi. The goal of the alliance is to build a Linux stack that will provide a common architecture for automotive infotainment systems.

At the same time, Microsoft announces version 4.0 of its own automotive platform, on which Ford's Sync and Fiat's Blue & Me systems are based. The new Microsoft platform now supports Intel chip architecture and includes what Microsoft calls "common head unit functionality," meaning that the platform comes with standard modules for integrating CD playback and ripping, along with other applications.

The Genivi alliance includes BMW, Delphi, GM, Intel, Magneti Marelli, PSA Peugeot Citroen, Visteon, and Wind River, a pretty formidable set of major names in the automotive world. Microsoft developed its Automotive Platform on its own, but it counts Ford, Fiat, and now Hyundai as clients. Further, Microsoft is instituting a training program to help developers understand how to build applications to work with its platform.

Microsoft Automotive product manager Velle Kolde pointed out that Microsoft had not been invited to join the Genivi alliance, saying, "If (Genivi is) picking and choosing technology partners, it isn't really an open architecture."
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"it isn't really an open architecture."

Interesting viewpoint,
MS:I can do it alone without anyone, BUT if you do it without me you are wrong. (something like; wife to husband: Dear you know, my money is mine.... but your money is our money!)

Re: "MS:I can do it alone without anyone, BUT if you do it without me you are wrong. (something like; wife to husband: Dear you know, my money is mine.... but your money is our money!)"

Absolutely brilliant analogy!

Marco, I think that only 0.00000002% of the people in this industry have even the faintest clue of what you are talking about (including in that small percentage you, me, billybob, and a small handful of others I apologize to for failing to mention). The rest of the world wonders why you would say such negative things about the Lord Gates, His Prophet Ballmer, and the Holy Church of Microsoft which is ordained to have the only functioning brains and valid desires in all of mankind.

And that low percentage (I may be off by perhaps one or two orders of magnitude, but certainly no more than that) is one of the reasons this world is in such dire economic condition right now.

And, thank you for all the links you post. I've certainly learned quite a lot from them.

Thanks Philosopher
But, about: 'even the faintest clue...' I believe you are somewhat mistaken. I believe that a huge quantity of people maybe don't think about it but rather feel it in their guts. They feels something is wrong with Ms. Thus I think opinions like yours, mine or others that post here are important 'to clarify that feeling' and that's why it's important to post them (here and another Blogs). Why do I refer to some having a gut-feeling? because some time ago, I was one of them...

--------

I forgot to mention that I enjoy a lot that historical quotations that usually you make reference.

Sorry, couldn't resist adding this analogy to the mix. Seemed appropriate.

"The Matrix is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy. But when you're inside, you look around, what do you see? Businessmen, teachers, lawyers, carpenters. The very minds of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these people are still a part of that system and that makes them our enemy. You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inured, so hopelessly dependent on the system, that they will fight to protect it."

- Morpheus (The Matrix)

@billybob

then why not Bingo for it?

Bull-Mars could buy Bingo.com with his lunch-money, and still have change for a mac, fries & a coke.

I thought Kumo was the dog, until I remembered it's Kujo that's the dog - http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=kujo.

Bingo is probably better than bing but I expect bingo.com is actually making money and is not prepared to sell. The domain name is probably responsible for most of their revenue so selling it would mean selling their business.

I suppose it depends on how much lunch money he gets. Judging by his size, it is a lot.

New Windows virus attacks PHP, HTML, and ASP scripts
Virut gets around

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/02/12/new_virut_strain/

"Researchers have identified a new strain of malware that can spread rapidly from machine to machine using a variety of infection techniques, including the poisoning of webservers, which then go on to contaminate visitors.

The malware is a variation of a rapidly mutating virus alternately known as Virut and Virux. It has long proved adept at injecting itself into executable files, which are then able to attack uninfected machines through network drives and USB sticks.

The variant, which Microsoft is calling Virus:Win32/Virus.BM, is also able to infect web scripts based on languages such as PHP, ASP, and HTML. Servers that become infected include an iframe in webpages that attempt to spread malware to visitors.

"This catapults the possibility of spreading even farther," Trend Micro researchers warn. "If the script files happen to be uploaded to a publicly accessible website, any visitor to the affected sites will be led to the URL embedded in the iframe code."

Android to take Linux mainstream?
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10186853-92.html
Quote:
Calvin Huang, an analyst at Daiwa Securities, told ZDNet Asia in an interview, Android is poised to "kill Microsoft" on several fronts: a big vendor-backed OS will likely provide better hardware support, and open source Android's license is free.

The current economic downturn will also likely play a part in pushing manufacturers to Android, Huang added. "The license fee really matters and manufacturers don't like to be taxed by Microsoft. An Android Netbook will definitely cost less than a Windows Netbook."

But there is still the issue of user acceptance.

However, Huang thinks it is a matter of time for Android. "Users need to get used to a non-Windows OS. Microsoft should be fine for the next two to three years. (After that) Google will change Microsoft's dominance," said Huang.

Another factor likely to help push user acceptance is Android's release to customers on mobile phones, providing an inroad to penetrating this market.
---------------------

"couldn't resist adding this analogy"
Really good analogy, Will.

Can WinTel Survive?
http://by124w.bay124.mail.live.com/mail/InboxLight.aspx?FolderID=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001&InboxSortAscending=False&InboxSortBy=Date&n=313447074
Quote:
There's a battle of epic proportions brewing, a foamy, bitter concoction that could dramatically change the mobile computing landscape over the next few years. Most PC users have grown accustomed to the WinTel duopoly, since pretty much all PCs today use an x86 processor by Intel (or AMD), and our main OS is Windows. This combination has driven the PC market since 1981, and to date it powers the majority of the 275 million to 300 million PCs sold each year worldwide. But can WinTel last?

Any Windows OS will come at a cost to the manufacturer and the consumer, of course. Although Microsoft has not announced OEM pricing for the inclusion of Windows 7 on netbooks, analysts say the cost is likely to range from $10 to $15, so a netbook with Windows will cost $30 to $45 more than one with Linux or Android. And for Android to gain ground in netbooks, it will need apps that can be used both locally and when connected, as well as a store to distribute them easily. It will also need more support to drive larger screens. But I'd be surprised if this isn't in the works from Google. Watch for a version of Android spanning cell phones, MIDs, and netbooks within the next 12 months.

WinTel isn't going to be giving up this mobile space without a fight, and Atom, Windows 7, and the Windows Mobile operating system will be worthy competitors. But unlike in the PC and laptop market, the netbook, MID, and smartphone manufacturers have many other OSs and energy-efficient chips at their disposal—and it's clear that these vendors are looking hard at these options.

Keep a close eye on Android as an OS for more than smartphones. And watch how the ARM crowd pushes its processors as x86 alternatives for these mobile devices. If my hunch is right, these developments could set up quite a battle in the coming years, one that challenges WinTel's ability to replicate its success in the PC market. What then?

Over on the Linux Outlaws podcast, they made a really good (and quite humorous) name for an opensource search engine:
-
"GNUgle"
-
In my opinion shows far more originality than any marketing idea dreamt up at Redmond.