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Bill Clinton helps launch search engine
AP/mlive.com ^ | 12/6/2004, 11:19 p.m. ET | DESMOND BUTLER

Posted on 12/06/2004 9:04:42 PM PST by quantim

NEW YORK (AP) — Former president Bill Clinton on Monday helped launch a new Internet search company backed by the Chinese government which says its technology uses artificial intelligence to produce better results than Google Inc.

"I hope you all make lots of money," Clinton told executives at the launch of Accoona Corp., which donated an undisclosed amount to the William J. Clinton Foundation.

The Chinese government, one of several large backers, has granted Accoona a 20-year exclusive partnership with the China Daily Information Co., the government agency that runs an official Chinese and English Web site.

The deal gives Accoona data on some 5 million Chinese companies, which Accoona sees as a lucrative opportunity as U.S. businesses seek to do business in China ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

The new company's executives include chairman Eckhard Pfeiffer, the former chief executive of Compaq Corp., and Stuart Kauder, a former business development director at online advertising company DoubleClick Inc.

Accoona takes its name from the Swahili phrase, "accoona matata," for "no worries," popularized by Disney's film, "The Lion King."

The company seeks to distinguish itself from Google, Yahoo Inc. and growing list of other search engine players by using artificial intelligence to make the results more relevant, said Pfeiffer. Unlike traditional search engines that seek specific "keyword" matches, Accoona will access Web pages that may have no exact keyword matches but are still relevant to the query, he explained.

"Accoona's artificial intelligence technology will elevate search engine performance to a new unprecedented level, allowing the most relevant search available today," Pfeiffer said.


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS:
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To: Happy2BMe

Coffee Annon better get canned.


81 posted on 12/07/2004 5:28:26 AM PST by Conspiracy Guy (I'm a monthly donor and all I get is this stupid tagline.)
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To: Conspiracy Guy

We now know who the ChiComs were rooting for on November 2nd.


82 posted on 12/07/2004 5:29:59 AM PST by Happy2BMe (It's not quite time to rest - John Kerry is still out there (and so is Hillary))
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To: quantim

Strange site. The "About Us" page sounds like it's written by an Asian, and when I try to "submit a site" it starts up my email program and tries to send an email from me.

Who in the world is going to trust a search engine that's being managed/filtered by Communist China? Very surreal.


83 posted on 12/07/2004 5:33:59 AM PST by Theo
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To: Happy2BMe

Who?


84 posted on 12/07/2004 5:34:12 AM PST by Conspiracy Guy (I'm a monthly donor and all I get is this stupid tagline.)
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To: Conspiracy Guy

Initials = J.K.


85 posted on 12/07/2004 5:47:05 AM PST by Happy2BMe (It's not quite time to rest - John Kerry is still out there (and so is Hillary))
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To: Happy2BMe

Who is that?


86 posted on 12/07/2004 6:03:43 AM PST by Conspiracy Guy (I'm a monthly donor and all I get is this stupid tagline.)
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To: Conspiracy Guy

Jonh Kerry mebbe?


87 posted on 12/07/2004 7:07:05 AM PST by Happy2BMe (It's not quite time to rest - John Kerry is still out there (and so is Hillary))
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To: quantim

http://www.bloglines.com/blog/aa?subid=515346
John Battelle's Searchblog

I was going to stay away from posting today, and focus on writing. But I passed my daily word count already, so here's a treat. Eckhard Pfeiffer, who ran Compaq but was run out on a rail in 1999, is coming back to Chair a business search engine, Accoona.

Now, let's remember, this is the same fellow who engineered the purchase of Alta Vista, then demanded it come public within six months. His lieutenant then drove Alta Vista into portaldom, and ultimately, into the arms of CMGI, which then imploded.

In my interviews with Louis Monier and others, I was painted quite a picture of Compaq under Pfeiffer. As I recall, Monier called them "gunslingers" who had "no idea what they were doing."

Apparently, Pfeiffer has learned a thing or two. Maybe he's trying to take a page from Eric Schmidt's playbook - run a lumbering IT giant (in Schmidt's case, Novell), then suprise the world by going to a small internet search startup. Only, Eric joined after Google was profitable, and he didn't wait five years....Anyway. Should be interesting.

From what I could find on Accoona (note the logo has the "infinity" symbol, I guess that's larger than googol), the company has some kind of deal with China (hot!) and uses proprietary AI techniques (so far, no so hot!). More :

Accoona is a New Jersey-based internet company devoted to making it easier for people to find information on the Web. Accoona has pioneered an innovative search engine that makes use of artificial intelligence to understand the meaning of words. Accoona’s Artificial Intelligence Search Technology enables you to highlight key words, SuperTargeting your results and delivering you the pages most relevant to that search term. Accoona’s search engine does not overlook Web pages that contain relevant information but happen not to use the precise key words you enter.

On March 1, 2005, Accoona will introduce an artificial-intelligence toolbar that lives unobtrusively on the desktop. The toolbar will allow users to search the Web intelligently as well as to search the documents on their computer. Say you want to locate an old e-mail but can’t remember the sender’s name or the precise topic, even if you provide only a vague description, the Accoona Artificial Intelligence Search Technology will find the e-mail. The Accoona toolbar is your personal librarian.

ACCOONA'S MISSION
Accoona Corp.’s mission is:

To revolutionize how people find information on the Web, through a new search engine powered by artificial intelligence that understands the meanings of words.

To provide the largest proprietary online database of information on companies worldwide.

To facilitate foreign companies doing business in China and Chinese companies expanding into the global marketplace.

Accoona is launching worldwide on December 6, 2004.


88 posted on 12/07/2004 7:21:51 AM PST by COUNTrecount
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To: potlatch; Smartass; Happy2BMe; devolve
"Bill Clinton helps launch search engine"

Probably has some sort of special skirt chasin' feature to it, huh ?? :^O


89 posted on 12/07/2004 7:22:26 AM PST by MeekOneGOP (There is only one GOOD 'RAT: one that has been voted OUT of POWER !! Straight ticket GOP! ©)
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To: quantim

Reagan got unshirted hell from the media for a paid appearance in Japan.


90 posted on 12/07/2004 7:24:12 AM PST by Semper Paratus
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To: Happy2BMe

Who is that?


91 posted on 12/07/2004 7:34:08 AM PST by Conspiracy Guy (I'm a monthly donor and all I get is this stupid tagline.)
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To: quantim
grep -i -e "[ck][lr]into\{1,2\}n" -e "hi[tl]lery" -e "bj" -e "is is" -e "ice on that" -e "impeached" -e "p[o0]rn" -e "monica.*stain.*dress" -e "sink" -e "lincoln bedroom"
92 posted on 12/07/2004 7:36:27 AM PST by avg_freeper (Gunga galunga. Gunga, gunga galunga)
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To: Charles Henrickson
Does it have a lot of pop-ups?

No, but it's hard on your browser.

93 posted on 12/07/2004 7:45:25 AM PST by jellybean
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To: Bandaneira; Nick Danger

My, she's soft!
Intern
Explorer

94 posted on 12/07/2004 9:48:00 AM PST by Charles Henrickson (Bill Gapes.)
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To: quantim
Clinton's connections to the Chinese continue to raise red flags.

This guy is so bought!

95 posted on 12/07/2004 9:53:15 AM PST by Cold Heat (What are fears but voices awry?Whispering harm where harm is not and deluding the unwary. Wordsworth)
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To: COUNTrecount
the Accoona Artificial Intelligence Search Technology will find the e-mail. The Accoona toolbar is your personal librarian.

One wonders what else it does????

96 posted on 12/07/2004 9:55:28 AM PST by Cold Heat (What are fears but voices awry?Whispering harm where harm is not and deluding the unwary. Wordsworth)
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To: quantim
How about: "Bent Bill's Cyber-Pantry"
97 posted on 12/07/2004 9:56:08 AM PST by AmericanInTokyo (If the GOP fields a genuine and not a phony in 2008, there's no way Hilary can win USA hearts/votes.)
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To: Conspiracy Guy

OK, I finally got it. LoL!


98 posted on 12/07/2004 10:33:26 AM PST by Happy2BMe (It's not quite time to rest - John Kerry is still out there (and so is Hillary))
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To: Happy2BMe

I was prepared to work with you all day!


99 posted on 12/07/2004 10:35:25 AM PST by Conspiracy Guy (I'm a monthly donor and all I get is this stupid tagline.)
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To: Conspiracy Guy

My medicine wore off.


100 posted on 12/07/2004 10:46:36 AM PST by Happy2BMe (It's not quite time to rest - John Kerry is still out there (and so is Hillary))
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