Search Engine Journal

Microsoft is experimenting with different search technologies that will, among other tasks, conduct Google-like searches on an individual’s hard drive or categorize query results in different ways intended to make the data easier to digest.

In many ways, the research seems geared toward finding a user interface for the storage and database functions in Longhorn, a major Windows update expected in 2006.

Implicit Query, an experimental application that was put together a few weeks ago, for example, retrieves links, music files, e-mails and other materials that relate to applications running in the foreground, according to the company.

“We analyze whatever text you are working on and then pull out words that are important and query on those automatically,” said Susan Dumais, a senior researcher in the Adaptive Systems and Interactive Group at Microsoft Research. “The idea is to retrieve a bunch of things without you explicitly searching for them.” CNet Reports - Microsoft aims for search on its own terms