And then they were two. Microsoft is to deliver search results to Yahoo!, which means that there are only two search giants left: Google and Microsoft’s Bing. But there are also other interesting headlines from the world of search engines.

• Yahoo Labs chief sees real-time search opportunity

  Yahoo Inc is considering developing new real-time search capabilities, even as it outsources its existing Internet search technology to Microsoft Corp. (Reuters July 31 2009)

• AOL Buys Back 5% Stake from Google

  Yesterday AOL bought back its 5% for only $283 million, which is about 28% of the original purchase price of $1 Billion by Google in 2005. (SE Journal July 28 2009)

• The Ultimate List of Basic SEO Resources for a Kick-Ass Start

  I decided to start a post inviting everyone to share their favorite resources to start learning SEO. (Smarty at SE Journal July 29)

• Yahoo! Doesn’t Know What Will Happen with BOSS; YUI, YQL and Pipes Unaffected by Deal

  Chris Yeh, head of the Yahoo! Developer Network (YDN), did take to the YDN blog to ensure that YUI, YQL, and Pipes will remain unaffected by the deal. (SE Watch July 30 2009)

• Bing + Yahoo: What Does It Mean For Users?

  re’s a bunch of disenfranchised search engineers who are freed from the shackles of Yahoo. They might have a chance to do something meaningful in search. (SE Land July 31 2009)

• What Micro-Hoo Might Mean For Local Search

  Most local search happens not on the specific local and maps properties, but on the main search engines. Yahoo and Bing differ — sometimes substantially — in how they present local search results. (SE Land july 31 2009)

• Search Options now on Google Images

  This new feature offers quick access to existing tools, including search by color and image type. (Google Blog July 31 2009)

• Researching With Bing Reference

  Through our Powerset division, Bing has access to semantically indexed Wikipedia content to help with “reference” searches when people are looking for information about a given entity (person, place or thing) such as Albert Einstein or TechCrunch. (Bing

• Welcome home to the new Yahoo.com

  Yahoo’s new home page (Yodel Anecdotal July 21 2009)

• Twitter Gets a New Home Page and My Search Wish List

  You don’t have to be a member to search Twitter, and you don’t have to be a member to track the trends that are on the front page. (Researchbuzz July 30 2009)

• Could the Microsoft-Yahoo Deal Create a Global Domino Effect?

  SE Watch: It would make sense for Chinese Baidu to cooperate with Microsoft against Google (July 30 2009)

• Microsoft and Yahoo Team Up — Eventually

  Then say that implementation of the agreement takes the full 24 months. That’s two-and-a-half YEARS. Which is what in Internet time? A decade? (Researchbuzz July 31 2009)

• Yahoo committed seppuku today.

  Today, with their Microsoft deal, Yahoo again undervalues their search asset. Again, they will be “Powered by…” and again they will destroy their brand and its value. (AltSearchEngines July 31 2009)

• Microsoft: No browserless Windows 7 after all

  The plan calls for the company to ship Windows 7 with Internet Explorer, but present a ballot screen in which users in Europe can decide whether they want Internet Explorer or another browser. (CNet July 31 2009)

• Firefox passes billion milestone

  The open-source browser Firefox passed its billionth download on Friday, ahead of the release of its fourth iteration. (BBC July 31 2009)

• hakia Unveils Commercial Ontology

  Commercial Ontology is able to recognize phrases and terms as opposed to typical ontologies which Berkan says only look at one word. (SE Watch July 27 2009)