In light of the holidays and the close of another year, I thought it might be nice to take a break from my more serious posts and do something a little fun. I took a look at the four main engines and started to think about what my favorite things are about them; their interfaces, their mail systems, products they’ve launched, and so on. Some of my favorite things are Search related, and some have nothing to do with Search at all. I’ve limited my list to two things per engine. Let’s jump right in!
- GOOG-411: This nifty free version of 411 has helped me out in countless jams. Whether it be I need an address for a restaurant while I’m on my way there, or if I’m just too lazy to power up the laptop to find a number. Picking up the phone and calling 800-GOOG-411 is a fast, free and a simple way to find the location, phone number, and even get connected for no cost to the business you are looking for. Say “Good Bye!” to those $2.99 charges on your cell phone bill for the old 411!
- Blogger: What’s a better way to keep your family and friends updated on your exciting life? Start a blog! Google has made it oh-so-simple with their user-friendly blog creator, Blogger. I’ll admit, it takes some serious commitment to keep yours updated (I am currently guilty of neglecting mine for a few months.). Nonetheless, toss up a few pictures, add in your latest Yelp or Goodreads review, start a countdown for your next vacation, and Voila! You have your very own webpage to express yourself.
Yahoo!
- Yahoo! Insta-Yodel Button: This is by far one of my favorite swag items I’ve received from any company. Ever. Why? I can’t explain it. There’s something about hitting that purple button and hearing the Yahoo! Yodel ring throughout the office that puts a smile on my face. Beware- if you start hitting it every day, your office mates will not think it’s as funny as you do. Use wisely and sparingly.
- Yahoo! Mail’s Spam Folder Flame: If you have a Yahoo mail account, I’m talking about the flame icon next to the Spam folder. There’s something I like about the thought of setting my Spam on fire. Enough said.
MSN
- Get Search Perks: MSN ran this great program through the Spring of 2009. If you downloaded the Search Perks counter to your machine, it will count the searches you did each day on MSN.com and Live.com (up to 25/day) and accrue points you can redeem for prizes, airline miles or cash at the end of the promo. Let’s bring this back, MSN!
- Cash Back: An advertiser can sign up to be part of this program. If they do, when one of their paid search ads shows up on MSN.com or Live.com, it will include a Live Search Cash Back logo. What does this mean for YOU, the searcher? If you click on an ad with this logo and make a purchase, you will get some of that money you spent refunded to you in your Cash Back account. Some great deals to watch for are on eBay- they will have days that you’ll get 30% back!
Ask
- Peel Me Skins: When you go to the Ask homepage, you should see a “Peel Me” notation in the top left corner of your screen. When you click here, you can choose from different skins to apply to your Ask homepage. Choose from stock skins, advertiser promotion skins, or upload your own pictures. You can also keep a portfolio of skins you’ve used in the past.
- Jeeves!: Where did he go? Why did they get rid of him? I don’t know about you, but I miss my friend, Jeeves. He put a personality behind a technical world. Jeeves, if you’re out there, please come back! We miss you!
