Ask.com

Branded search toolbars are nothing new in the software world, a significant source of revenue for many software publishers, but the Ask.com-branded toolbar that German free antivirus maker Avira launched last week is definitely new to that product. Available in Avira Antivir Personal, AntiVir Premium, and AntiVir Premium Security Suite, Avira's AntiVir Service Pack 2 includes the toolbar and numerous security improvements.

AntiVir SP2 comes as part of the program for new users, while existing users in the United States and Germany should have already received SP2 from the program's update mechanism. People in other countries will … Read more

OAKLAND, Calif.--It's fairly rare in 2010 to walk into a technology company where the first thing presented to visitors is a whiteboard covered in multicolor Post-It notes.

But that's exactly what lies just beyond the receptionist's desk at Ask.com, the venerable yet beleaguered Internet company in the middle of yet another strategy shift. The sticky notes are actually part of the company's product-development workflow, giving everyone a visual representation of the number of balls in the air at any given time, not just those logged into the project management software.

Doug Leeds, president of … Read more

Links from Wednesday's episode of Loaded:

Windows Phone 7 launches and so do the new Windows Phone apps

Google announces Instant Preview, a feature that lets you preview Web sites before clicking n them

Ask.com shuts down its search efforts to focus on Q&A services

Apple has reportedly purchased Wi-Gear, a wireless headphone maker

Android users can control YouTube videos on their GoogleTV with the new app

AT&T users with non-Apple smartphones can get apps from GetJar

RIM claims that the BlackBerry PlayBook will cost less than $500

A court in Connecticut is set … Read more

Add another name to the list of technology departments destroyed by Google.

IAC, the parent company of storied search engine Ask.com, has decided to cut 130 engineering jobs and halt all work on developing an algorithmic search competitor to Google, according to a report from Bloomberg. Ask.com will still operate as a questions-and-answers site, but plans to use search technology from another company--not named in the report--to power search on its site.

An Ask.com representative confirmed the news and issued a statement.

"Today's move is a reflection of our shift in strategy to focus on … Read more

You know how Microsoft's Bing Cashback program rewards you for using the Bing search engine to buy stuff? Two problems: You have to buy stuff, and you have to use Bing. I'm a Google man.

Swag Bucks rewards you for using a combined Ask.com/Google engine. That's it. Just search the Web like you normally do, earn "Swag Bucks" along the way, and then redeem them for merchandise, gift cards, and other goodies.

Confession: I just signed up for the service yesterday, so I'm not yet in a position to say whether it'… Read more

Ask.com is currently the fifth most popular search engine on the Web. It lets users search the Web for links, images, videos, driving directions, and news, along with local city listings and shopping links for products.

In a space so heavily dominated by Google, Ask.com does one thing that no other search engine does: display results from other search types on the same page. This lets you see a wide gamut of results, all at once. It also differs from other search engines in allowing users to customize and skin various elements of the engine from a large … Read more

Ask.com could be on the block, judging by the comments of the CEO of its parent company.

Reuters reported on IAC's third-quarter earnings conference call Tuesday, where CEO Barry Diller all but opened the bidding for the struggling search engine. Despite a novel promotional deal with Nascar, Ask.com has failed to make much headway against the great powers of search in Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft.

"We've been asked a lot whether we're open to consolidating transactions in the area of search. The answer is yes," Diller was quoted by Reuters as saying. "… Read more

Ask isn't giving up on efforts to expand its niche in the search market, this time hoping that coupon clippers will make it their search destination of choice.

Ask Deals is expected to launch Tuesday, blending links to coupons from a plethora of online coupon aggregation sites alongside search results for certain types of queries, such as "cheap jeans" or "plasma TV deals," said Scott Garell, president of Ask Networks. There will also be a link to a Deals page off the Ask.com home page, which will have a "deal of the day&… Read more

Microsoft's new Bing search service is the fastest-growing U.S. search engine among the top 10, according to a Nielsen report released Monday.

The total amount of searches on Bing rang in at 1.1 billion for the month of August, a leap of 22.1 percent over July, winning Microsoft a 10.7 percent share of the search engine market.

Google remained in the top spot with a commanding 64.6 percent share, accounting for 7 billion searches in August, a gain of 2.6 percent over July. Yahoo saw its search results drop 4.2 percent for … Read more