Here are the major search engine news headlines of the week:

• Data collected by Google cars

  Google European Policy Blog: We collect the following information–photos, local WiFi network data and 3-D building imagery. (Apr 27 2010)

• Twitter snaps up Cloudhopper to become king of SMS

  Twitter planning text takeover? (techradar Apr 2010)

• Macroglossa’s Visual Search Engine fails to meet basic expectations

  Take a picture you can’t really make out the content of. Upload it to the website and launch your search. (SE Watch Apr 26 2010)

• Google brings 3D Earth view to the web

  One step closer to that 3D browsing experience (techradar Apr 2010)

• Google’s Ranking Algorithm Goes Social

  Mike Moran: These secondary signals will largely come from the largest social media sites, such as Twitter, Facebook , Digg, and Delicious. (Apr 28 2010)

• Microsoft unveils new Messenger service

  Intros tabbed conversations and HD video calling (techradar Apr 2010)

• Google To Phase Out Old Keyword Tool In Exchange For New Version

  The new external keyword tool is still available to any user (SE Land Apr 28 2010)

• Google’s Frederick Vallaeys Interviewed by Eric Enge

  Frederick Vallaeys is a Product Evangelist for Google AdWords. (StoneTemple Apr 28 2010)

• Yahoo Study Shows Search Responsible for 1 in 5 Pageviews Online

  Searches on the Web make up around 10 percent of all pageviews on the Web (SEO by the Sea Apr 28 2010)

• Apple Makes Its Move to Become the Google of App World

  Apple will not do web search, but will do “app search,” because app search is essentially broken (Battelle Apr 28 2010)

• Yahoo chief: Google has a problem

  Yahoo’s chief executive Carol Bartz has said that Google need to diversify quickly (techradar Apr 2010)

• Yahoo Exploring Virtual Reality?

  An interesting new patent describes a wearable computing device (SEO by the Sea Apr 29 2010)

• Google: Now Recommending Brands For Searches

  Google testing brand recommendations in response to certain queries. (SE land Apr 29 2010)

• Yahoo: Actually, Search Is Still Popular (We’re Just Confused)

  Search is responsible for more than 1 in 5 pageviews online (Marketing Pilgrim Apr 29 2010)

• Google’s Brand Gets Thumbs Up; Google Buzz Not So Much

  Google ranked number one on the Most Valuable Global Brand on the BrandZ Top 100 list (SE Land Apr 30 2010)

• Sony and Intel to unveil Google TV this May?

  Bloomberg is reporting that the Sony TVs will be equipped with a customised version of the Atom chip codenamed Dragonpoint (techradar Apr 2010)

• Opera buys up FastMail webmail

  Looking to extend own mail services (techradar Apr 30 2010)

• Google Integrates a Virtual Keyboard to Search

  Google has just rolled out a new search feature that would benefit those who search using non-English language. (SE Journal Apr 30 2010)

• Waiting for iTunes.com? Don’t Hold Your Breath

  Apple has to replace Lala at the end of May, when it will shutter the streaming music company it bought last December. (MediaMemo Apr 30 2010)

• SMX Advanced London: Exceptional Sessions, Great Networking & Barak Keynote

  SMX London is now SMX Advanced London, taking place on May 17 & 18 in Covent Garden. (SE Land Apr 30 2010)

• OneRiot Indexes Facebook Data

  John Battelle: Oneriot only showing data that has been shared publicly by Facebook users. (May 1 2010)

• Google Gets Places, Maps Get Ads

  If you run a business without a storefront or a formal office — say, you work from home — you can now register a business and keep your address private. (Researchbuzz Apr 26 2010)

• Answers.com Pushes Answers to Twitter

  A new alpha feature called “Hoopoe,” which ties in with Twitter. (Researchbuzz Apr 27 2010)

• Google: New Place Pages for mobile

  Google gives you access to the same useful information optimized for your mobile phone. (Google Mobile Blog Apr 27 2010)

• Thanks In Part To Google, Baidu Sees 165 Percent Jump In Profit And Record Revenue

  Chinese search giant Baidu posted strong first quarter results (TechCrunch Apr 28 2010)

• The New Image Search for Android and iPhone

  Google Mobile: We focused on making it easy to quickly see as many image thumbnails as possible (Apr 28 2010)

• Is Apple in the Search Business?

  About Apple’s acquisition of Siri, a maker of software that “understands what you say (Beyond Search Apr 29 2010)

• Follow research with Academia

  If you’d like to find people around the world that are researching issues, then you’ll want to check out Academia.edu (About April 29 2010)

• Ask Testing a New Homepage

  Ask Blog: We’ve recently started testing new versions of our site that highlight our focus on Q&A. (April 30 2010)