Microsoft’s keynote address at this year’s CES got massive amounts of applause as their tablet lineup was introduced. It was fully anticipated that as we entered what analysts dubbed “the year of the tablet,” Microsoft would be a part of the race. However, company insiders are now telling us that the release cycle is being extended, and the Microsoft tablet lineup likely won’t be released until the next Windows operating system

All the giants of the web have been eager to get involved with the world of “daily deals.” However, the deal industry has no desire to hand over the reigns, even going so far as turning down a whopping $6 billion deal from Google. Google has gradually been adding deal services of their own, and rumors abound on the front of possible acquisitions and upcoming features

Here’s what we know about Google Hotpot: It’s a lot more visual and functional than the previous Places setup; it’s getting more promotions than any other Google product right now; it’s integrated with all of Google’s other local featuers; It’s so “full-service” that data providers, such as Yelp, are getting upset; and it’s surprisingly social. Some of that social functionality can be seen through Hotpot itself, where users are able to set up expanded Google profiles, include pictures, connect with friends, share information, and more

Blekko, once “the little search engine at could,” not the “feisty raccoon of the search engine world,” has had its share of strange promotions in the past.

Blekko has been pushing hard with promotions, combining the power of everything from lighting things on fire to  creating trading cards , and let’s face it: the heavy promotions are needed. While the fledgling company has breached past the million searches per day mark, enough that Rich Skrenton assures users the company will be able to sustain itself and grow organically, they’re still just a blip on the radar when compared to giants like Bingahoo and Google. Never fear. Blekko isn’t short on promotional ideas, and just released a lineup of new extras for Blekko fans through a self-promoting slashtag.

Google has a special Google logo, also known as a Doodle, for Will Eisner. The logo is a symbol of one of Eisner’s most notable works, The Spirit

Will Eisner was a highly praised graphic artist and comic writer. Google is celebrating what would have been his 94th birthday with a logo praising his work.

Will Eisner was a highly praised graphic artist and comic writer.

Google’s latest algorithm change has impacted nearly 12% of queries.

Google unrolled a new collection of street-view images this week, their largest yet. The images were captured by the google Street View trike. While the Trike is not new , the images it has recently gathered are.