Microsoft's Internet division is set to launch an RSS aggregation service for MyMSN users, while its search engine experiments with syndication for saving queries.
Signs point to multimedia's growing importance in Web indexes as Yahoo tests a video search engine and startup Blinkx begins to make the contents of video searchable.
Enterprise search player Verity gives away an add-on to its search platform for finding Web results, but it also grabs a share of revenue from Yahoo's search ads.
Replacing Yahoo with its MSN search results won't be enough to tilt the search market in its favor. Analysts say MSN also must offer more search options and integrate its engine into other products.
The Google Video beta indexes content from television programs rather than from Web-based video. The search results are limited to images and text excerpts as Google works on adding playback.
Although some ISPs and legislators are crediting the year-old CAN-SPAM Act and better technology for recent gains in the war on spam, many in the industry say the advances are forcing spammers to employ new tactics, which are destabilizing the Internet's crucial DNS.
