We have been traveling, so there was no Pandia newsletter last week. Here’s an overview of the search engine buzz since the previous wrap-up.

News on Pandia

• Kosmix, a different kind of clustering engine
• Yahoo! joins OpenSocial
• Google expands search box
• Testing the Quintura Site Search Widget
• Get Together by and for alternative search engines

And here are some of the stories from the rest of the web

China could squash Microsoft-Yahoo deal

A new Chinese antimonopoly law, slated to take effect in August, could end up killing the deal. Computerworld discusses Yahoo!s ownership of Chinese Alibaba (March 28 2008)

How to Use Google to Create Forms and Surveys

You may send the form or survey to anyone you want; it is not necessary for the recipient to have a Google account. (AC March 27 2008)

Under 18; Google doesn’t want you

Gadgettell has read the fine print. Still, as far as we know, Google never stop anyone from using their services (March 29 2008)

Google Android Phone to be Released By Summer?

An accidental slip by Google’s legal advisor, Richard Whitt, indicates that we may perhaps actually see the Google Android phones by as early as this summer. (SE Journal March 25 2008)

Expandable Google Search Box

Google will adjust the search box’s size after you perform a search (Google OS March 24 2008)

Microsoft Tries to Compete with OpenSocial

Microsoft, in an clear attempt to compete with Google’s OpenSocial, has announced a partnership to create data portability across 5 social networking sites. Facebook, Bebo, Hi5, Tagged and LinkedIn are in (SEW March 25 2008)

Google Welcomes Yahoo to OpenSocial

OpenSocial Foundation is a nonprofit organization to promote a universal standard for applications on social-networking sites. (Marketing Pilgrim March 25 2008)

Yahoo Gets REAL About Job Searches

Search Engine Watch Blog March 25 2008.

Google is Bleeding Executives

Google has lost Ethan Beard, its former director of social media. (Marketing Pilgrim March 25 2008)

How Google Sets Works

Google was granted a patent this week on the process behind Google Sets, and the patent document provides some details on how the program finds additional words based on “items from a set of things” that you enter. (SEO by the Sea March 26 2008)

New Google Documents Menu

Instead of the tabs, the menu is now more traditional, along the lines of what people know from their typical desktop applications from years ago. (Blgoscoped March 23 2008)

More Tips From Google On Universal Search!

The Google trend analysts have provided more recommendations to satisfy the webmasters’ appetite for answers. (PageTraffic March 26 2008)

Looking at Simple English Wikipedia

The Simple English Wikipedia is written in simpler language (ResearchBuzz March 23 2008)

Vivisimo’s Founders Interviewed: Raul Valdes-Perez and Jerome Pesenti

My sources tell me that Vivisimo is finding itself invited to bid on a range of commercial, government, and association projects. (Stephen Arnold Marh 24 2008)

Answers.com presents WikiAnswers What is it?

WikiAnswers is the user-generated component of Answers.com where visitors contribute what they know and ask about what they don’t. (AltSearchEngines March 24 2008)