Harry Shum, managing director of Microsoft Research Asia, was fairly forthcoming about Microsoft Research's thinking around search and advertising, when interviewed by eWEEK's Darryl K. Taft last month. Not surprisingly, Microsoft's adLab, a joint effort between MSN's adCenter and Microsoft Research, is based in Beijing. adLab has developed already 40 ad-related technology prototypes that "promise to change online advertising dramatically in areas such as paid search, behavioral targeting and contextual advertising," according to Microsoft.