Beware Google: Cuil has arrived

Cuil - pronounced as 'cool' (it's just a starting, get ready to be bombarded with the names of new Web 2.0 tools which don't sound like the way they are spelled!!), was launched on 28th of this month with a lot of hype around it. Last time, this kind of anticipation was seen during the launch of the i-phone.

Cuil.com is a search engine that provides a never-seen-before search experience. It gives you option to see search in 2 or 3 columns with relevant details. It shows thumbnail size images along with the links, however, their is no option for image search. The search engine backend, depending on the keyword, automatically categorizes the search under various headings.

Despite getting a volcanic start, Cuil is up against the giants like Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and AOL who have successfully maintained their oligopoly over the years. As of now, Cuil has not monetized its services, the way Google does through adwords. Therefore, it needs to be seen how it performs in the long run. The biggest challenege is to have a dedicated pool of users for the advertising campaigns once it launches its ad-displaying services.

Understanding Viral Marketing

There is so much spoken on viral marketing and there is always a constant search for the successful ones to showcase. Additionally, for most of us creating a viral is a challenge, more so considering the rates of failure we experience. Everyone of us is always is on the look out for some insights in this space. In the constant quest to learn more I chanced on this post by Mike Laurie of Ship's Biscuit this morning. Follow the link below to see 21 patterns in succesful virals. Interesting learnings to pick up from.

Viral Marketing Review: Using and Identifying Design Patterns