Recent search engine news stories Pandia has found interesting.

• Microsoft directors consider increasing bid for Yahoo

  Microsoft Corp.’s directors met yesterday to consider raising the software maker’s $41.9 billion bid for Yahoo Inc. instead of pursuing a hostile takeover attempt, according to a published report. (May 1 2008)

• Microsoft weighs options on Yahoo

  Microsoft has yet to decide if it will up its $41.8bn (£21bn) bid for Yahoo, go hostile or walk away from the deal. (BBC May 1 2008)

• How-to track Google using Twitter

  I set up a couple Twitter accounts that automatically send tweets that include Google focused news items, blog posts, bookmarks, and even Digg items that just hit the frontpage! (Google Tutor April 28 2008)

• Audiobaba Music Search

  Audiobaba Music Search is a next generation music search engine that allows you to find songs by acoustic similarity. (Phil Bradley April 29 2008)

• An Interview with Exalead’s François Bourdoncle

  On the connection between AltaVista and French Exalead and much more (AltSearchEngines April 29 2008)

• Yahoo Integrating Facebook Style Social Map & Unified Profile Pages Across Network

  Yahoo is finally taking the social route in fully connecting its Yahoo Network users across multiple Yahoo platforms in a Facebook meets Yahoo type setting, where users will be able to view the doings of their friends over a central Yahoo social map. (SE

• Yahoo! Launches SearchMonkey!

  This open source tool known as SearchMonkey will give the publishers the possibility of enhancing their search results on Yahoo! through the inclusion of links, images and name-value pairs in the search results. (PageTraffic April 25 2008)

• Yahoo Starts SearchMonkey Rollout

  Back in February, Yahoo announced SearchMonkey, a project that would allow site owners and developers to customize their search engine listings’ appearance and information. (SE Land April 25 2008)

• Google’s Vision of the Future of Image Search

  Can Google’s technology automatically analyze what’s inside an image? (SE Journal April 28 2008)

• Social Media Marketing Beginner’s Guide

  What is the hottest social media tool to emerge on the scene this year? It’s ‘Twitter’, and you may get hooked too… (April 28 2008)

• How to Analyze Page Keyword Prominence

  While keyword density is really something SEOs should really stop paying attention to, keyword prominence is a concept that still should be analyzed and evaluated. (SE Journal April 29 2008)

• Google unveils new prototype image search system “VisualRankâ€?

  VisualRank works using image recognition software, which groups images together that seem most similar to each other. (Dave Naylor April 29 2008)

• Wikipedia is Still Useful for SEO

  Wikipedia is believed to be the most heavily scraped site in the history of the Internet. Bigoak explains why a Wikipedia link may help you (April 29 2008)

• Google Toolbar PageRank Update Creates Major Webmaster Buzz

  Usually PageRank updates aren’t that noteworthy, but it seems something is different about this PageRank update, Barry Scwartz says (SE Land April 30 2008)

• Google Analytics for Bloggers – Google Relaunches Measure Map

  Email invitations went out this week to alpha users of the blog tracking software. (Search Engine Watch April 30 2008)

• Microsoft’s $1.5 Billion Plan to Retain Yahoo Employees

  Search Engine Watch quotes the Wall Street Journal (April 30 2008)

• Google Ocean?

  Google is planning to map not only the sky and land masses (Google Mars, Moon, Earth, Google Maps and so on), but – according to a report by News.com – also aims to map the oceans. (Google Blogoscoped April 30 2008)

• Artist Themes for iGoogle

  Google in the US is currently promoting a new “artist themes� section for iGoogle via a special logo and text below the search box. (Google Blogoscoped April 30 2008)

• Search Conference Controversy Sparks Up Again

  Kevin Ryan of Search Engine Strategies spoke with Daron Babin and discussed the current state of the conference circuit with regards to individuals believing that they have been banned from either SMX or SES events. (SE Roundtable April 30 2008)

• Microsoft Live Search Adds More Images, Multimap, Find My Location, & Celebrity Rank

  The enhancements include an expanded image search index, a new integrated mapping experience with Multimap, a location based mobile search feature to “find me,” and more content for the celebrities and books sections. (SE Land April 30 2008)

• How to Use Headline Tags To Boost Page Performance

  Aside from the title tag, which isn’t really a part of the visual page, the heading tags can provide both visitors and the search engines significant cues to the importance of your on-page content. (SE Guide April 30 2008)