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Carol Bartz is friggin' interesting

The Yahoo CEO offers candid views on life post-retirement -- and dealing with activist shareholders

At Fortune's Most Powerful Women conference in Carlsbad, Calif., Yahoo (YHOO) CEO Carol Bartz didn't talk much tech but didn't disappoint.

In characteristically blunt language that was peppered with not-quite-explicit words like "friggin' " and "damn" (she declined to talk about the way she talks, telling interviewer Andy Serwer: "I don't think it's that interesting, personally") Bartz MORE

Microsoft's $2 billion online problem

Even with Yahoo deal Microsoft will continue to struggle -- and lose money -- online.

The anti-climactic deal of the year is now out.  Long after the sizzle faded from Microsoft's (MSFT) failed $40-billion-plus bid for  Yahoo (YHOO), the two companies announced Wednesday they'll do what sympathetic observers urged them to do two years ago. They'll stop competing on search and search-advertising technology, enabling them to combine forces against Google. MORE

Why Microsoft and Yahoo had to do a deal

As messy as their hard-fought search deal was in coming, it had to happen.  Find out why in Pattie Sellers' Postcards column.

Kosmix searches for a new way around Google

By Yi-Wyn Yen

These days, getting a large handout from venture capitalists is rare. It's even tougher when your startup needs a lot of cash to compete with Google.

Kosmix, however, has defied the odds. In late October, the plucky startup raised $20 million, led by Fortune's parent company Time Warner (TWX), by assuring investors that Google is not the only way to search on the Web. Kosmix says it takes a MORE

Microsoft's frequent searcher program

By Yi-Wyn Yen

How desperate is Microsoft to compete with Google in search? The software behemoth is now giving away prizes every time you use its Live Search engine.

Microsoft (MSFT) launched the rewards promotion called SearchPerks on Wednesday to lure Internet users away from Google. SearchPerks, which runs through April 15, is similar to airlines' frequent flyer programs. Every time you use Live Search you earn points that can be redeemed MORE

Microsoft sweetens pay-to-search deal

By Yi-Wyn Yen

It's been four months since Microsoft introduced its cashback rebate scheme that pays people to use its Internet search service. But Microsoft continues to fall behind Google in search.

On Wednesday, Microsoft (MSFT) plans to unveil a new rewards program to get more consumers searching on the company's Live Search engine. While a company spokesperson would not discuss details of the latest rewards gimmick, a Microsoft executive says the MORE

Microsoft sweetens its pay-to-search deal

By Yi-Wyn Yen

It's been four months since Microsoft introduced its cashback rebate scheme that pays people to use its Internet search service. But Microsoft continues to fall behind Google in search.

On Wednesday, Microsoft (MSFT) plans to unveil a new rewards program to get more consumers searching on the company's Live Search engine. While a company spokesperson would not discuss details of the latest rewards gimmick, a Microsoft executive says the MORE

Google's new search feature

By Yi-Wyn Yen

This week Google began rolling out its latest search feature, Google Suggest on its homepage. The new tool, which offers suggestions when you begin typing into the blank search box, was launched to help people who have difficulty defining their queries or are bad spellers.

Google Suggest is supposed to make searching more convenient. Say you're looking for videos of Michael Phelps's 100 meter butterfly race. The more keywords MORE

Cuil not a Google killer - yet

By Yi-Wyn Yen

Within hours of being launched Monday, Cuil - a new search engine created by former top Google engineers - was already being touted in the blogosphere as the next Google killer. But unless Cuil (pronounced 'cool') can develop an ad platform to rival Google's, the startup will have a difficult time challenging the search giant.

The comparisons to Google (GOOG) were inevitable. Cuil was founded by several lead engineers MORE

Yahoo launches new mobile services

By Michal Lev-Ram

LAS VEGAS — At a moment when Yahoo desperately needs to wow investors, the company unveiled a handful of enhancements to its mobile search service that are also being offered by rivals Google and Microsoft.

The announcement, made Wednesday at the CTIA wireless show in Las Vegas, includes a new voice-enabled search function that allows consumers to look up restaurants and websites by speaking into the phone. This could MORE