I didn't even know they were doing this, but Microsoft in a move of pure desparation it seems has been paying users to search (and buy) from their Bing. The payments take the form of cashback when making purchases from certain retailers advertising on Bing. Cashback which can then be redeemed for hard cash via paypal. Bing kill cash back system

Rumour has it that Yahoo is getting ready for a major campaign, of round about $80 million, and although they don't mention Google by name in any of the ads, its clear  Google is the enemy. Yahoo's tagline is "Your favourite stuff all in one place, Make Yahoo your home page." Also, "Your home page isnt blank or anonymous. It doenst hustle you out the door. It's a place that gets to know you, a place that finds things for you, a place you want to stay." (Personally, although there's nothing wrong with Yahoo's home page - you have a little bit of everything on there - I still prefer Google's minimalist approach when it comes to searching my stuff for me.)

If, like me, you are for change, freedom, voice and innovation, you'd have noticed the public spat between Apple and HTC. To give you a short and narrower version, Apple sued HTC because HTC violated some of Apple's iPhone patents. The word violated correlates with wrong doing, illegal obsession, and forced action. I'm not going into the lawsuit but rather I'll focus on my unimpressed feelings towards Apple!

Pinpoint patents to its originator.

The wheel, the round thing that allows something on it to move from one point to another, cannot be pinpointed to a definitive creator! Can the liquid display technology be pinpointed to a definitive creator? Can the button be pinpointed to a definitive creator? More still, can the speaker into which one speaks be pinpointed to a definitive creator? Apple listed tons of patents that it believes HTC have used in their phones that is a direct copy of iPhone's patented products. For more info on this read here.

I understand patented law, but the shape of the iPhone has been replicated by many other phone manufacturers. The touch screen ability was the iPhone's baby, or not! We can argue that it’s never been used in a phone… yes, but what about the early, very early Palms? I have to say as much as I hate to admit it, Apple is right here, they have patented a product, and this means no one else can use it without Apple's consent. If something looks like an iPhone, one has to start asking questions... HTC and Google are partners with their Nexus1 looming as Apple iPhone's biggest competitor yet...the plot thickens!

HTC and the people.

The people of Google love innovation. HTC prides itself of 13 years worth of HTC specific innovation, like smart phones even way before every 7th grade child had the inkling know how of Tweeting on a touch screen phone that does everything, which is essentially a smart phone. Since their partnership, Apple's Steve Jobs has been rambling about Google and Apple having their own territories, their own agendas. Basically he wants them to stay where they are, and allow Apple to stay where it is...

Apple's under carpet move.

If two businesses that have never been seen as competitors exist in a market where their buyers use the same product scope, there can only be harmony! People use Google more than Bing, or MSN or whatever other search engine you would suggest to them. Now, they can use said Google on a phone, even better, an iPhone! To me business sense comes into play where you figure out ways to expand and delve into markets you are not known to show an interest in. The bookies could not predict this. But the Nexus1 will be built by HTC...what collaboration! Google and HTC gunning for the top stop, which so happens to be held by non other than Apple's iPhone.