Ever wondered how Google’s search works? The company launched a new website Friday, appropriately called How Search Works, to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the process from start to finish.

“Here you can follow the entire life of a search query, from the web, to crawling and indexing, to algorithmic ranking and serving, to fighting webspam,” Google Product Manager Jake Hubert said in a blog post announcing the page.

“The site complements existing resources, including this blog [Google’s Inside Search blog], the help center, user forums, Webmaster Tools, and in-depth research papers. We hope the site helps to illuminate the split-second journey from algorithms to answers,” he added.

On the site you can check out an animated explanation of search, as well as take a closer look at Google’s major search algorithms and features. A live slideshow gives you a glimpse at how Google removes spam, and complementing graphs show the spam problem and how Google is fighting it.
Search enthusiasts can also read an included 43-page document on how Google evaluates its search results.

You can check out How Search Works here.



Image courtesy of Flickr, Robert Scoble; Screenshot courtesy of Google































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A new report from product Q & A site FixYa found that the iPhone was more reliable than smartphones made by Motorola, Samsung and Nokia.

The study looked at data from 722,558 problem reports listed on the site, and combined that information with market share data from StatCounter to create an ultimate reliability score for each smartphone manufacturer.

Apple scored a 3.47 on FixYa’s Reliability Reporter — roughly three times more than Samsung’s 1.21 — and 25 times more than Motorola.



“Smartphones are consistently being compared on a case-by-case basis, but no one has looked at the overall trends across a manufacturer's entire smartphone line,” said FixYa CEO and founder Yaniv Bensadon in a press release announcing the results of the study.

“Our newest FixYa report looks at lines like the iPhone, Galaxy, or Lumia, and through a careful analysis of issues versus market share, we’ve been able to directly compare manufacturers using a reliability score. The result is an accurate and fair method of a scaled approach to fairly compare these top companies to truly see who is the most reliable, and who is barely even competing.”

Deeper than just comparing one model of phone to another, FixYa’s report looks at the brands' product lines as a whole, noting common complaints for each one.

Apple users, for instance, complain about the device’s battery life, lack of new features and customizability, and issues connecting to Wi-Fi.

Samsung smartphone users have entirely different problems, with issues surrounding the microphone and speaker on the phones as well as battery life. Samsung customers also complain that their device gets hot.

Device temperature was also an issue for Nokia customers, who complained about not only the device getting hot, but also laggy response time, a poor app ecosystem and poor battery life.

Motorola owners, who ranked the least satisfied with their handsets, were the only ones who didn’t complain about battery life (perhaps due to the fantastic battery on the Droid Razr and Droid Razr Maxx). Instead they had issues with the device’s camera and speaker quality, as well as problems with the touchscreen. Motorola owners were most dissatisfied with the apps that came preinstalled on their devices.

You can check out FixYa’s complete report now on its website.

Image via iStockphoto, krystiannawrocki






































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Twitter, the next big reality TV platform? The social networking site is reportedly talking to Hollywood producers and networks about launching several reality TV shows that would stream on its site.

According to an AdWeek report, serious talks are already underway for the initiative. A source close to the matter said content would be similar to popular MTV reality shows such as The Hills and Real World.

Twitter did not respond to a request for comment.

The move would be a part of a greater effort to enter the broadcasting world. It’s been recently reported that the company is partnering with NBC during the 2012 Olympics to serve as a hub dedicated to covering the event. Meanwhile, Twitter similarly worked with ESPN in May to create custom ad programs around major sporting events.

Twitter will likely have dedicated pages for each reality show, along with an embedded video player. The site has also been discussing advertising opportunities with potential partners that could bring in deals in the $4 million range, AdWeek said.

Would you watch a Twitter-branded reality show? Would you watch a show in general on the social network? Let us know in the comments.
BONUS: 9 Newsworthy Twitpics That Captivated the World ">

1. Haitian Earthquake

Haitian radio and TV host Carel Pedre captured a series of memorable images during January 2010. Pedre was given a special "humanitarian" award at the second annual "Shorty Awards"
for his communications via Twitter during the crisis.

2. Miracle on the Hudson

"There's a plane in the Hudson. I'm on the ferry going to pick up the people. Crazy." So read Janis Krums' Twitpic description, posted on January 15, 2009. Miraculously, all passengers onboard were rescued.

3. CCTV Tower Fire in Beijing

Twitter user green67 was on hand to capture this dramatic photo as a notable business complex containing the celebrated CCTV tower in Beijing was burnt to the ground.

4. Turkish Airlines Crash

The news of a Turkish Airlines crash at an Amsterdam airport in February 2009 broke on Twitter. Twitter user Diederik uploaded the first image of the downed plane as official news outlets were still trying to confirm details of the incident. The image has nearly 100,000 views.

5. Schultz Pass Fire

The Schultz Pass Fire in June 2010 spread across 5,000 acres and saw more than 750 homes evacuated. Lorraine B. Elder captured some striking panoramas of the fire, which she shared on Twitpic, giving those outside Arizona an amazing view of the catastrophe.

6. Mexicali Earthquake

Beto Peralta's image of a Mexicali house damaged by the 7.2 earthquake in April 2010 has been viewed more than 35,000 times -- a stat that shows the power of the platform.

7. Civil Unrest in Egypt

Architect Mahmoud El-Nahas says "[I] just found myself in #Jan25." This image shows the sheer size of the crowd, especially when compared to the small group of officers amongst them.

8. Christchurch Earthquake

We have seen many images via Twitter of the terrible devastation in Christchurch following the recent earthquake, but TVNZ's Charlotte Bellis captured this moment just after the quake struck. The dust is still settling in the wake of the disaster.

9. Port-au-Prince

Astronaut Soichi Noguchi has captivated many with his amazing Twitpics from the International Space Station -- many of the images have racked up more than 50,000 views each. This image of Port-au-Prince was taken 12 days after the January 12, 2010 earthquake and has been viewed more than 40,000 times.














































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