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The Ask.Com search engine now offers users the ability to search without any records being collected. Anyone using the site can, with just two clicks, make sure details such as their IP address (which identifies the particular computer they are ... using) and the phrase they are searching for are not stored by the site. (Source: irconnect.com ) The service is titled AskEraser. Some critics have noted that the name is slightly misleading; rather than erasing data, it simply makes sure the information is never written in the first place. It only applies to future searches and it isn't possible to ... (view more)

So, who is it that we can't get enough of while surfing the worldwide web? Whose life, what toys, and which topics pique our interests the most? It's no surprise that Americans are obsessed with celebrity and celebrities. That's why it may not be ... particularly shocking to hear that 2007's most searched term was none other than 'Britney Spears', the blonde Louisianan who went from dorm room poster queen to bearing the brunt of international snickers over the course of one really poor life decision. Let's face it, Spears has become that highway accident we can't bear to miss. Funny thing is, in ... (view more)

Could Google Earth's privacy-invading tendencies save your life? Maybe one day, but right now the Internet search leader is on the lookout for missing people. Renowned aviator Steve Fossett is currently on the search list. The pilot disappeared over ... the Nevada desert after taking off in a small plane early last week. Two days later Google became involved in the case when his friend, British billionaire Richard Branson, proposed that Fossett be located through the company's satellite mapping service. Branson said "I'm talking with friends at Google about seeing whether we can look at satellite ... (view more)

Hacking Firefox: The Secrets Of About:Config Many of Firefox's settings aren't exposed through the Tools -& Options menu; the only way to change them is to edit them manually. In this article, we'll explore some of the most useful Firefox ... settings that you can change on your own and that aren't normally available through the program's graphical interface. http://computerworld.com/action/ File Search This application allows one to search files on your computer fast using rules very similar to those used in popular Internet search engines. It is possible to not only list words or parts of ... (view more)

The European Union's executive branch has approved a grant of 120 million euros (about $166 million US) to help fund the German government's next-generation Internet search engine, code-named Theseus. (Source: arstechnica.com ) The grant will be ... distributed among different companies, including SAP AG and Siemens AG, as they begin research on the Theseus project. The project aims to develop "new search technologies for the next generation Internet," including "semantic technologies which try to recognize the meaning of content and place it in its proper context." Semantic technologies are ... (view more)

Google search rival Ask.com is providing its clients with a new tool called AskEraser, which prevents the company from storing a user's search results. AskEraser gives searchers the ability to control their search history and data retention at the ... same time. While the program is extremely user-friendly, it is surprisingly only the first of its kind amongst the world's top search engines. The sceptical may wonder how this concept can possibly be successful if leading search engines, such as Google, did not discover it first. In terms of mechanics, "with AskEraser, users can instantly request ... (view more)

Recently, we reported on Australia's disinterest in Microsoft Vista. Now, the former crook colony is lashing out at another tech heavyweight, launching a lawsuit against web giant Google. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is ... suing Google for deception. The world's most popular online search engine is being accused of misleading users with links paid for by its advertisers. The ACCC feels that Google has allowed advertisers who falsely claim to be associated with other companies to place their links next to those of the companies that deny any relation to them. ... (view more)

After a haze of uncertainty further blurred by the acquisition of YouTube, Google Video is beginning to resemble a legitimate video search engine. When Google Video was first announced, its plans and purpose remained a mystery; not only to the ... public, but also to Google. Even Google co-founder Larry Page admitted, "We're not quite sure what we're going to get, but we decided we'd try this experiment." (Source: outer-court.com ) However, the ambiguity was cleared up in January, when Google announced its plans to mould Google Video using one of the company's definite strengths: search. Months ... (view more)

A few days ago, I reported on McAfee's recent study of the web's riskiest websites. Although just 4% of the Internet is considered plagued by the "risky" site, the danger changes drastically depending on the search term. It seems it may also depend ... on the search engine, as McAfee has followed up its risky report with one accusing Yahoo of returning the highest percentage of threatening sites. Like the last survey, McAfee's SiteAdvisor division is behind the analysis. Once a search powerhouse during the web's early days, Yahoo has been more than eclipsed by Google. Aside from more reliable ... (view more)

Thank security software gurus McAfee for confirming what most of us had come to believe: searching on the Internet can be dangerous to your computer's health. The company recently launched a survey under its "SiteAdvisor" division, and some of the ... results are startling. According to McAfee, searches for the following: "digital music", "tech toys", and "to do online" returned some very shady websites. McAfee says that between 35% to as many as half of the domains popping up with these search terms are considered "risky", whether entered into Google, Yahoo!, MSN, or any other search engine. As ... (view more)