mediajunk

Yahoo is going all-out in its attempt to dethrone Google and become the web's most popular search engine. Adding to a flurry of recent activity and updates, Yahoo this week began beta-testing two new features that it has, eh, "borrowed" directly from its rival. The new Beta version of the Yahoo Companion Toolbar includes a feature called "WebRank", its answer to Google's highly successful (and trademarked!) PageRank. Yahoo gives users of downloading the toolbar with the WebRank feature turned on, in exchange for collecting data about those users' online behaviour (the sites they visit; how long they spend there; etc.). Those who do not wish to pass on such information can download the toolbar with WebRank turned off. This is exactly the same strategy Google has in place with its PageRank feature. Another new feature at Yahoo is its Beta News Search, a feature that (surprise, surprise) is quite similar to the popular Google News Search (which is also in Beta mode, incidentally, despite being live for around two years now). Google, meanwhile, has responded with a new Beta test of its own, one that is not found on Yahoo. The new search by location feature is called Google Local Search. Currently, the local search applies only to US queries, but Google intends to roll it out to other countries and regions over time.