"This forces Google to adjust all of its strategies to counter this threat. In so doing, Google must take its eye off the Android ball, allowing the Microsoft's Windows Phone and tablet initiative to catch up to Android."<p>It seems like the author believes Google is a two person company which cannot compete on several fronts.
The Cnet article has actual references to the rumor origins: <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57422061-75/is-microsofts-bing-secretly-for-sale/" rel="nofollow">http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57422061-75/is-microsofts-...</a><p>-------<p>Edit: The rumors seem to be the confluence of a few data points:<p>1. Microsoft just sold 750 AOL patents to Facebook.<p>2. Microsoft execs contacted Facebook last year about buying Bing.<p>3. Yahoo is rumored to be negotiating a switch from Bing to Google. [1]<p>[1] <a href="http://blog.ineedhits.com/search-news/rumours-surface-that-yahoo-will-move-from-bing-to-google-095511220.html" rel="nofollow">http://blog.ineedhits.com/search-news/rumours-surface-that-y...</a>
<p><pre><code> From the TFA: "hooking Yahoo, Bing, and Facebook"
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I can't possibly see what good can come out of that for Facebook.<p>Bing could be matched with Facebook, in the same way Google+ is now linked with Google's search results. However the problem is that Google's Search is a near monopoly and it would be bad for Facebook to invest too much into this ... you don't defeat a company like Google by attacking it head on (Microsoft style), instead you are better off making it obsolete. Such a union would distract Facebook from improving things that actually matter, giving Google+ time to catch up.<p>And hooking Yahoo with Facebook would not be in Facebook's best interests. Facebook needs to popularize its own distribution channels for news, its own online email service, its own instant messanger, its own photo sharing services. At this stage they are powerful enough to pass on cooperation and instead prefer to lock-in their existing user base, which is growing like crazy anyway.<p>What Facebook must really do to survive Google is to do something about that shitty mobile app. Google is winning the distribution channels on mobiles because of Android, their search engine is the default on all smartphones, Google Maps too, Gmail is more and more popular ... so Facebook can't afford to not be in this game, because I don't have trouble seeing Google+ as the default on smartphones.