Ask.com’s recent relaunch seems to have built upon a prototype called Ask X.

If you look at the Ask X’s search field it is shockingly similar to Microsoft’s Live Search.

Mirroring the Search (Zoom) glass the other way round doesn’t really count as original design now does it?

Look what I found browsing around Live Search just a minute ago - Windows Search 4 (previously known as “Windows Desktop Search”, then codenamed: Casino/OneView), and it appears to be running in Windows Vista. It’s not clear whether this is an actual screenshot or whether it’s just a concept design - but it looks really good

Many people have asked me “What is this emoticon in Messenger for?” Well it’s a simple answer. There is a new marketing feature based around a charity event to promote Windows Live Search as well as generating money for charity.

Every time a Messenger is released as a full milestone, a charity event kicks off and a new emoticon is released. The person who bids for the highest emoticon goes into the final product. and were both auctioned off after the 7.5 and the 8.0 release, not sure about the 7.0 release but there was one, and now there is a new emoticon which every time you use it, generates you money.

I urge everyone, until the 31st March when the emoticon expires, put *9mil or *oxfam in your name to create the emoticon on Windows Live Messenger so that every time you talk to someone, it comes up in a conversation thus getting the most out of the offer.