Baidu Inc. provides Chinese language Internet search services primarily in the People’s Republic of China and Japan. The company’s popular Chinese search platform enables users to find online information, such as Web pages, news, images, and multimedia files.

Products offered by the company include Baidu Web Search, which allows its users to locate information, products, and services using Chinese language search terms. The company also offers Baidu Hi, an IM service; Baidu Youa, an online C2C platform; and Baidu Safety Center for virus scanning, system repair, and online security evaluations.

With the company’s Baidu Desktop Search, users are able to search various files saved on their computer. The Baidu Sobar makes search function available on every web page that a user browses. And with Baidu Internet TV, users can search, watch, and download various shows and programs.

Let us hear your thoughts below: Baidu, Inc. Message Board

Microsoft, the largest name in software led by some of the most brilliant minds in business, has found itself in quite a jam lately. Since the start of the millennium, Microsoft [MSFT: 16.37, +0.12 (+0.74%)] has found it increasingly difficult to grow through the credit rich bull market but is showing some signs of hope as the Windows 7 launch nears. However, is this enough for Microsoft? I do not think so, especially with their pile of cash and access to credit. I believe MSFT needs to be evaluating other options, both organic and inorganic, to help jump start its growth.

Microsoft is poised to release Windows 7 in late 2009 or early 2010, essentially placing their success on one product, something I refer to as not “diversifying your future.” This is just like an investment; one cannot bank

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Google Inc. (Nasdaq:GOOG) is well established as internet search-engine champion. And its rapid expansion into other technologies means the company is poised to bounce back strongly when the financial crisis is over. Money Map Report editor Horacio Marquez says the current market downturn provides the perfect opportunity to buy Google stock at a bargain price.

More from Horacio in this piece from Money Morning:

When – on August 22, 1851 – schooner-yacht America defeated 15 other yachts representing the Royal Yacht Squadron, racing around the Isle of Wight in England to win the renamed “America’s Cup,” Queen Victoria asked who was second.  The famous answer was: “Ah, Your Majesty, there is no second.”

Similarly, in the search-engine category, Google Inc. (Nasdaq:GOOG), has run away with the trophy, leaving its competitors so far behind that they’re actually still over the horizon. Today, Google controls at

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Jerry Yang, Yahoo Inc.’s (YHOO) co-founder and chief executive officer, today (Tuesday) stepped down from his post under heavy shareholder pressure. Yang will return to his former role as board member and “Chief Yahoo!” – a non-so-flattering, if not ironic, title considering the heavy criticism he took in the past year – upon the appointment of his replacement.

Yang was elected CEO in June 2007, his second go-around at that post. Since then, Yahoo’s market value has fallen by more than $20 billion, according to Bloomberg.

To be fair, Yahoo was already losing its market share to Google Inc. (GOOG) and a healthy percent of its share value as a result.

But Yang was brought back to fix that.

There was a deep feeling within Yahoo’s ranks that Yang wasn’t fit to continue leading the company out of the mire – or least into a

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It’s got to be frustrating for Jerry Yang. The 40-year-old co-founder and CEO of Yahoo! Inc. (YHOO) is sitting on top of the world’s most popular web site, yet he can’t compete with Google Inc.’s (GOOG) more effective search-engine advertising machine.

Google rubbed more sand in Yang’s eyes Wednesday when it walked away from a plan announced in June to sell advertisements on Yahoo’s pages after the Justice Department threatened to block the deal on antitrust grounds.

Google already has more than 70% of the search-engine driven advertising market. Yahoo has about 10%, according to BusinessWeek.

For Yang, it was a chance to revive falling sales, even if it meant falling on his sword instead of wielding it against its chief rival.

Now, his shareholders are livid. His future is uncertain. And his best option for survival is a partnership with Microsoft

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The above is a spoof of what the Yahoo home page might look like if Microsoft took over Yahoo. Can you see where to log into Yahoo mail? Can you see where to do a web search?It may sound heresy to say this, especially since I own Yahoo (YHOO) at a loss, but maybe it is just as well that the company didn't get taken over by Microsoft (MSFT), which I also own. Have you looked at the Vista operating system? No wonder so many companies are unwilling to upgrade. Or even Office 2007. Have you upgraded from 2003? Do you like losing all the menus? Have you tried looking for Headers and Footers in Microsoft Word 2007? Have you tried looking for cell borders in Excel 2007, or tried doing charts the old fashioned way? Why would Microsoft ...