Cool stuff and Why Not

It was yet another dismal performance from the Deccan Chargers. It suffered its fifth straight defeat at home as Mumbai Indians notched up it’s sixth straight win with a 25-run verdict in the DFL-Indian Premier League at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here on Sunday.

Sri Lankan pace bowler Dilhara Fernando’s double strike in the fifth over of the innings — forcing the dangerous Adam Gilchrist to slash to third man and trapping Rohit Sharma leg before — effectively short-circuited whatever hopes the host had entertained.

Bravo strikes
Before this eventful over, Dwayne Bravo helped the momentum shift sending back Shahid Afridi for a duck — mistiming a big hit to send the crowd into stunned silence.

Then, it was a question of the inevitable being only delayed by the fighting knocks from Venugopala Rao (57, 38b, 4×4, 3×6) and D.B. Ravi Teja (37, 27b, 2×4, 3×6).

Earlier, when Sanath Jayasuriya (36, 6×4, 2×6) was on fire Gilchrist may have pondered the advisability of his decision to insert the opposition.

Hitting back
But, to his captain’s delight, Venugopal, who was brought on in the third over, fought back well after being swept twice by Jayasuriya to lure him into a third one and see the star striker give the deep square-leg a simple catch.
Shahid Afridi sent back Sachin Tendulkar when he had to go for a big stroke.

Then, southpaw Abhishek Nayar (38, 3×4, 2×6) took charge with some authentic strokes — two huge sixes off Afridi and R.P. Singh being the pick. In the company of the more elegant Dwayne Bravo (30, 17b, 2×4, 2×6) Nayar ensured that Mumbai put up a challenging total.

The scores: Mumbai Indians: S. Jayasuriya c R.P. Singh b Venugopala Rao 36, S. Tendulkar c Silva b Afridi 23, D. Thornely lbw b Afridi 8, A. Nayar c Sharma b R.P. Singh 38, R. Uthappa c Afridi b Venugopala 7, D. Bravo b R.P. Singh 30, P. Shah b R.P. Singh 10, Y. Takawale (not out) 5, R. Raje (not out) 1; Extras (lb-11, w-7, nb-2): 20. Total (for seven wkts in 20 overs): 178.

Fall of wickets: 1-39, 2-72, 3-72, 4-96, 5-150, 6-156, 7-175.

Deccan Chargers bowling: Vijaykumar 2-0-24-0, Zoysa 3-0-37-0, Venugopala Rao 3-0-25-2, R.P. Singh 4-0-35-3, Afridi 4-0-23-2, Ojha 4-0-23-0.

Deccan Chargers: A. Gilchrist c Shah b Fernando 13, S. Afridi c Thornely b Bravo 0, R. Sharma lbw b Fernando 6, C. Silva c Takawale b Nayar 17, Y. Venugopala Rao c Shah b Bravo 57, D. Ravi Teja b Bravo 37, N. Zoysa (not out) 10, H. Das (run out) 2, R.P. Singh (not out) 3; Extras (b-1, lb-3, w-3, nb-1): 8. Total (for seven wkts in 20 overs): 153.

Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-20, 3-20, 4-56, 5-130, 6-136, 7-145.

Mumbai Indians bowling: Nehra 4-0-29-0, Bravo 4-0-24-3, Fernando 4-0-38-2, Raje 2-0-19-0, Nayar 3-0-18-1, Thornely 1-0-8-0, Jayasuriya 2-0-13-0.

In a newly-opened online showcase, search engine specialist Powerset is now previewing a contextual search engine seen by some as a possible threat to Google, Yahoo and other major players through its support for “conversational phrasing.”

Although right now, Powerset queries Wikipedia only, rumors are circulating that investment bank Allen & Co. is shopping the emerging natural language search engine to potential buyers that might even include Microsoft, which decided to drop its recent attempt to take over Yahoo.

Unlike the search engines of Web sites like Google, Yahoo, and Ask.com, for example, Powerset does not rely on keyword searches.

Instead, users submit their queries as questions that don’t necessarily need to include keywords. Like traditional search engines the results are returned as URL links, often accompanied by pieces of text from the linked pages.

With the Powerset search engine, however, the answer is often included directly within the search results. Users can expand the result to see the full text with pertinent sentences highlighted.

To get a better understanding of how the natural language engine works, BetaNews today typed in the question, “Where is the Chesapeake Bay?”

In response to our query, Powerset came up with what seems like a decent answer directly within the first of the more than 2.600 links provided. Here is the Wikpedia text included in the first answer in Powerset’s response to the query:

“The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. … The north end of the oligohaline zone is north Baltimore and the south end is the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.”

But the accuracy of results obviously varies according to the query, especially with Wikipedia being the only source for the time being. And when we asked Powerset to give us a definition of the oligohaline zone, we were simply told it contains “very little salt.”

Popular online video site YouTube on Wednesday launched its Indian edition, at www.youtube.co.in, that features a localised homepage and search functions, allowing users to create and share videos, discover the most popular and relevant videos in India, and connect with other Indian and global users.

“We are very excited to bring a local version of YouTube to India considering the passion of users here for music and entertainment,” said YouTube’s chief technology officer and co-founder Steve Chen. “YouTube India will not only offer Indian users more relevant content but also provide a platform to share unique and diverse culture and lifestyle with the largest online video community in the world.”

YouTube’s international manager Sakina Arsiwala said YouTube India would benefit from an entirely local experience highlighting and featuring the content and functionality most desired by the Indian users.

“YouTube allows anyone with a simple web camera or even a cell phone to create content, connect, and converse with each other through the medium of video. It provides a powerful way for people to express themselves. From a home video to a magic show to classroom lectures or working professionals connecting with their families in another city, YouTube is about communication and not just entertainment,” she added.

A subsidiary of Google, YouTube in India has signed partnerships with various firms including Eros Entertainment, Rajshri Films, IIFA, the Ministry of Tourism, IIT Delhi, NDTV, UTV, Zoom TV, India TV and Krishcricket. It also aims to facilitate connections among large non-resident Indian community.

Internationally, it has partnerships with content providers like CBS, BBC, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Group, Warner Music Group, NBA and The Sundance Channel.

YouTube was created in 2005 to enable the Internet’s lay users to share videos, movie clips and song videos. It was acquired by Google in November 2006.

– Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer may be running out of time to clinch his proposed purchase of Yahoo! Inc. as the Internet company forges tighter ties with Google Inc.

Microsoft was leaning toward making a hostile bid as of last night, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Yahoo may agree to use Google’s Web advertising software within a week, the newspaper reported. The decision would build on a test program the companies ran last month.

After three months of pressing Yahoo to give up looking at alternatives and agree to a deal with Microsoft, Ballmer faces a potential setback. An accord with Google may spur Yahoo’s sales and give it a better chance of staying independent, pressuring Microsoft to raise its $44.6 billion bid.

“The board and management of Yahoo are trying to retain independence at all costs,” said Laura Martin, an analyst at New York-based Soleil Securities Corp. who has a “hold” rating on Yahoo shares.

Ballmer said yesterday he would walk away from the purchase before he overpays for Yahoo, the Sunnyvale, California-based owner of the second-most popular Internet search engine.

“I know exactly what I think Yahoo is worth to me, exactly,” Ballmer said in a meeting with employees, according to remarks provided by spokesman Frank Shaw. “I won’t go a dime above, and I will go to what I think it’s worth if that gets the deal done.”

Yahoo spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler and Google spokesman Adam Kovacevich declined to comment. Shaw didn’t return a call late yesterday.

Challenging Google

Yahoo has repeatedly turned down the $31-a-share acquisition bid since Microsoft first made the offer Jan. 31. Microsoft, the world’s biggest software maker, would use the takeover to bolster competition with Google, the leader in the $41 billion online advertising market.

Jerry Yang, Yahoo’s CEO, has said the offer is too low. Ballmer, who gave the company until April 26 to agree to a deal, let the deadline pass without taking action.

Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft may make a friendly deal with Yahoo, start a proxy fight to replace Yahoo’s board or abandon the bid, Ballmer said at the meeting. The company will make an announcement in “very short order,” he said.

“Not getting this done is putting a substantial amount of pressure on him,” said Rob Enderle, president of the research firm Enderle Group in San Jose, California.

Google’s Plan

In German trading, Microsoft shares rose 16 cents to $29.56 as of 11:25 a.m. in Frankfurt. Since Jan. 31, Microsoft’s stock has fallen, valuing the deal at $29.48 at yesterday’s closing price. Yahoo climbed 36 cents to $27.17. The shares have gained 15 percent this year.

Google may be using its Yahoo partnership to delay the deal, Enderle said.

“Google wants it to go as long as possible,” he said. “The longer this goes on, the happier Google is.”

Yahoo said last month that it would test displaying ads sold by Google next to Internet search results. The trial was limited to 3 percent of search queries and would last as long as two weeks, the company said.

Google, Yahoo and Microsoft sell text links that appear next to search results, charging advertisers when they are clicked. Google generates more revenue from each search query, so a partnership may boost Yahoo’s revenue.

Antitrust Questions?

Yahoo and Google may strike a nonexclusive partnership, meaning that the system could display ads from competitors, including Microsoft’s, the Journal said. That approach is designed to keep antitrust authorities from blocking the deal, the newspaper said.

The U.S. Justice Department is reviewing the initial test, Mountain View, California-based Google said last month. The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee would examine any formal partnership between Google and Yahoo, Chairman Herb Kohl, a Wisconsin Democrat, said last month.

“Regulators will not allow this,” Soleil’s Martin said. “It would put all of Internet advertising into the hands of Google, the predominant search marketer on the Web.”

Microsoft can still build an Internet advertising business without buying Yahoo, Ballmer told the Journal yesterday in an interview that ran in a separate story. Ballmer declined to say whether Microsoft plans to mount a hostile takeover or walk away, the Journal reported. He also declined to comment on when a decision will be announced, the newspaper said.