Microsoft revamps search engine

Microsoft is revamping its search engine to counter the dominance of Google in the Web search and related advertising business, reports Reuters.

The world's largest software company, which is still in talks with Yahoo over a potential partnership, has long been determined to play a major role in the lucrative Web search market after watching upstart Google take a stranglehold.

Microsoft, which has been testing the search engine internally under the name Kumo for several months, plans to introduce the new service, re-christened Bing, over the next few days, with a full launch next Wednesday. The service will be available at www.bing.com.

Around seven million people in the UK are involved in illegal downloads, costing the economy tens of billions of pounds, government advisors say, reports BBC News.

Researchers found 1.3 million people using one file-sharing network on one weekday and estimated that over a year they had free access to material worth £120 billion.

The Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property warned it may be hard to change attitudes.

The famous Internet brand, Google, could soon be seen on the painted carbon bodywork of a Formula One car, according to F1-Live.com.

The company's co-founder, Larry Page, one of the world's richest billionaires, was a guest of McLaren title sponsor Vodafone at last weekend's Monaco Grand Prix.

Interestingly, the 36-year-old American is a friend of Sir Richard Branson, the British billionaire who has been considering ramping up his Virgin backing of the dominant Brawn team.

President Barack Obama is expected to announce today the creation of the position of cyber czar, a person who will coordinate the nation's efforts to protect government and private computer systems from hackers, criminal gangs, terrorists and spies, say people familiar with the plan.

According to CNN, the czar will report to both the national security adviser and the head of the National Economic Council, the sources said.

Obama will not name anyone to the post today because the selection process is ongoing, they said.