Windows Live Search
Live Search (formalmente Windows Live Search o MSN Search) è il nome di un motore di ricerca per il Web sviluppato dalla Microsoft, costruito per battere la concorrenza di altri avversari come Google e Yahoo!. Live Search tramite i portali web di Live.com e MSN.com.
Il nuovo motore di ricerca ofre alcune funzionalità innovative, come la possibilità di visualizzate più risualtati di ricerca in una sola pagina (invece di cliccare per accedere alla pagina di ricerca seguente) e la possbilità di regolare le opzioni di ricerca (come l titolo, un breve riassunto, o uno più lungo). Permette agli utenti di salvare le ricerche e di poterle vdere aggiornate su Live.com.
Storia
MSN Search
MSN Search era un motore di ricercasearch engine by Microsoft that comprised a search engine, index, and web crawler. As of September 12, 2006, MSN Search is now Live Search. This offers users the ability to search for specific types of information using search tabs that include Web, news, images, music, desktop, local, and Microsoft Encarta. MSN Search aims to make its over 2.5 billion worldwide queries each month "more useful by providing consumers with improved access to information and more precise answers to their questions." A configuration menu is available to change the default search engine in Internet Explorer, but the selection is sometimes criticized as being limited, and a custom URL cannot be entered without installing an add-on.
MSN Search first launched in the fall of 1998 using search results from Inktomi. In early 1999, MSN Search launched a version which displayed listings from Looksmart blended with results from Inktomi except for a short time in 1999 when results from AltaVista were used instead. Since then Microsoft upgraded MSN Search to provide its own Microsoft-built search engine results (list of web addresses with samples of content that meet a user's query), the index of which is updated weekly or even daily. The upgrade started as a beta program in November 2004 (based on several years of research), and came out of beta in February 2005. Image search was powered by a third party, Picsearch. The service also started providing its search results to other search engine portals in an effort to better compete in the market.
Live Search
The first public beta of Live Search was unveiled on March 8 2006, with the final release on September 11 2006 replacing MSN Search.
On March 21 2007, it was announced that Microsoft would separate its Live Search developments from the Windows Live services family. Live Search was integrated into the Live Search and Ad Platform headed by Satya Nadella, part of Microsoft's Platform and Systems division. As part of this change, Live Search was consolidated with Microsoft adCenter.[1]
In the roll-over from MSN Search to Live Search, Microsoft stopped using Picsearch as their image search provider and started performing their own image search, fueled by their own internal image search algorithms.[2]
Webmaster services
Live Search allow webmasters to manage the web crawling status of their own websites through Live Search Webmaster Center. Additionally, users may also submit contents to Live Search via the following methods:
- Live Search Local Listing Center allow businesses to add business listings onto Live Search Maps and Live Search Local
- Live Product Upload allow merchants to upload products information onto Live Product Search
- Live Search Books Publisher Program allow book publishers to upload information onto Live Search Books
- Soapbox on MSN Video allow users to upload videos for searching via Live Search Video
Other search services
Live Search Mobile allow search results to be displayed onto a mobile device. Microsoft also develops and operates other search tools and services including Windows Desktop Search.
There are also many Windows Live services available that are not directly search-related. Windows Live Hotmail, for example, is a webmail application, but still include search features.
Search results
Live Search is not limited to reporting back indexed pages corresponding to a plain search query. When entering a search query using multiple words Live Search will search results trying to match all the keywords. However Live Search also contains advanced search options available through an advanced link and then dropdown options or directly via entering advanced options in the search query:
Advanced search options
In searches on Live search you can use operators to improve search results. Live Search recognizes the following operator symbols:
- + - Finds pages that contain ALL the terms preceded by the + symbol, and allows inclusion of terms that are usually ignored.
- " - Finds the exact words as quoted.
- () : Finds or excludes pages that contain a group of words.
- AND or & : Finds pages that contain ALL the terms or phrases.
- NOT or -: Excludes pages that contain a term or phrase.
- OR or | : Finds pages that contain either of the terms or phrases
Advanced search keywords
A variety of advanced search operators can be used to perform more sophisticated queries. These are [3]:
- filetype:<filetype> - restrict the results of the Live Search to a particular filetype extension e.g. .html, .txt, .pdf, .doc, .xls, and .ppt
- contains:<filetype> - returns the pages linking to the specified filetype.
- site: <URL> - restricts the returned hits to a specific website.
- link:<URL> - Finds sites that have links to the specified website or ___domain.
- linkdomain:<URL> - Finds sites that link to any page within the specified ___domain.
- linkfromdomain:<URL> - Finds sites that are linked from the specified ___domain
- url:<URL> - Checks whether the listed ___domain or web address is in the Live Search index
- ip:<ip-address> - Finds sites that are hosted by a specific IP address.
- language:<language code> - Returns web pages for a specific language.
- loc: or ___location:<language code> - Returns web pages from a specific country or region
- inanchor: or inbody: or intitle: or inurl:<searchphrase> - Returns pages that contain the specified term in the metadata
- prefer:<searchphrase> - Adds emphasis to a search term or another operator to help focus the search results.
- feed:<searchphrase> - Finds RSS or Atom feeds on a website for the terms you search for.
- hasfeed:<searchphrase> - Finds web pages that contain an RSS or Atom feed on a website for the terms you search for.
Sidebar gadgets
Live Search Gadget is for Windows Vista's Sidebar that uses Live Search to fetch the user's search results and render them directly in the gadget. The gadget allow users to configure up to two additional custom searches. Users can also search using Live Search Macros from this gadget by creating their own macros or find one in Windows Live Gallery.
Live Search Traffic Gadget displays real-time traffic conditions using Live Search Maps. The gadget provides shortcuts to driving directions, local search and full-screen traffic view. Currently only traffic data from 23 selected US cities are supported, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Providence, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa, and Washington DC.
On October 30, 2007, both Live Search and Live Search Traffic gadgets were removed from Windows Live Gallery due to possible security concerns.[4] However, as of January 24, 2008, the Live Search Traffic gadget is again available for download after the security concern has been addressed.[5]
Tie-ins and promotions
Since May 1 2006, Live Search has been providing the search results for Amazon's A9 search service and the experimental Ms. Dewey interactive search site.
On January 17 2007, Microsoft announced that all searches done from a special portal site would lead to a donation to the UNHCR's organization for refugee children, ninemillion.org. The amount to be donated is not readily available on Microsoft's sites, but Reuters AlertNet reports that the amount to be donated is $0.01 per search, with a minimum of $100,000 and a maximum of $250,000 (equivalent to 25 million searches).[6]
In April 2007, Microsoft launched Live Search Club, where users can win prizes by playing word games that generate Live Search queries.
In February 2008 Microsoft launced a similar service, called "Big Snap Search".[7]
References
- ^ Mary Jo Foley: Microsoft severs Live Search from the rest of the Windows Live family
- ^ Chris Sherman, September 12, 2006, Microsoft Upgrades Live Search Offerings
- ^ Advanced search keywords, su help.live.com, Live.com. URL consultato il 27 ottobre 2007.
- ^ LiveSide.net: Yes, the Live Search and Live Search Traffic gadgets are gone: security concerns cited
- ^ LiveSide.net: The Traffic Gadget is Back!
- ^ Microsoft Donates to Ninemillion.org - Reuters AlertNet
- ^ "Microsoft challenges search users to game of snap".
See also
External links
Windows Live Search è il motore di ricerca di Microsoft dal 2006. Windows Live Search rappresenta l'evoluzione del vecchio MSN Search. La grafica di Windows live Search ha anticipato quella che si sarebbe vista in seguito su Windows Vista.
Prodotti di ricerca
Oltre alla ricerca di pagine web, Live Search offre anche i seguenti servizi di ricerca:
| Servizio | Sito web | Descrizione |
|---|---|---|
| Academic | http://academic.live.com | Riviste ed articoli scientifici. |
| Books | http://books.live.com | Estratti di libri disponibili in internet. |
| Entertainment | http://search.live.com/xrank | Live Search xRank consente di trovare notizie e brevi biografie sulle celebrità, e di controllare la loro popolarità ed il loro ranking. |
| Classifieds | http://expo.live.com | Windows Live Expo consente la ricerca di annunci. |
| Feeds | http://search.live.com/feeds | Live Search Feeds consente la ricerca sugli RSS feed. |
| Health | http://health.live.com | Live Search Health consente di compiere ricerche su argomenti di medicina, e di navigare argomenti di medicina complessire. |
| Immagini | http://images.live.com | Live Search Images offre un'interfaccia utente intuitiva, ove le dimensioni delle immagini contenute nelle pagine dei risultati possono essere modificate. Inoltre gli utenti possono creare un proprio blocco di schizzi, sul quale inserire immagini da utilizzare in secondo momento. Gli utenti inoltre possno scrollare le immagini senza dover navigare tra più pagine di risultato. |
| Local | http://maps.live.com/localsearch | Live Search Local fornisce un elenco di aziende locali. |
| Macros | http://search.live.com/macros | Live Search Macros consente all'utenti di customizzare il motore di ricerca, o di utilizzare delle customizzazioni ideate da altri utenti con interessi comuni. |
| Mappe | http://maps.live.com | Live Search Maps consente la ricerca di aziende, indirizzi, punti di riferimento e mappe stradali. E' possibile scegliere la modalità di visualizzazione dei risultati tra veduta satellitare, mappa o una combinazione delle due. Immagini riprese dall'alto sono disponibili per molte citta, oltre a mappe tridimensionali navigabili. |
| Notizie | http://news.live.com | Live Search News fornisce notizie. |
| Products | http://products.live.com | Live Product Search consente la ricerca di prodotti offerti da vari siti di e-commerce. |
| QnA | http://qna.live.com | Live QnA consente la ricerca entro un database composto da domande e risposte, e permette di inviare le proprie domande, affinché ricevano le risposte degli altri utenti. |
| Video | http://video.live.com | Live Search Video consente la ricerca di video e filmati. |
Servizi per i webmaster
Live Search consente ai webmaster di gestire lo status di web crawling dei propri siti mediante il Live Search Webmaster Center. Inoltre, gli utenti possono inserire contenuti su Live Search utilizzando uno dei seguenti metodi:
- Live Search Local Listing Center, per aggiungere informazioni su aziende a Live Search Maps e Live Search Local.
- Live Product Upload per aggiungere informazioni sui propri prodotti di e-commerce a Live Product Search.
- Live Search Books Publisher Program, che consente agli editori di aggiungere informazioni a Live Search Books.
- Soapbox on MSN Video, che consente agli utenti di uploadare video su Live Search Video.
Altri servizi
Live Search Mobile consente di visualizzare i risultati di ricerca su apparecchi mobili. Microsoft inoltre ha sviluppato altri strumenti di ricerca, quali Windows Desktop Search. Un altro servizio non direttamente collegato alle ricerche web, ma che offre servizi di ricerca, è ad esempio Windows Live Hotmail
