Microsoft Inks with Blinx for Video Search

By Geoff Duncan October 9, 2006

Official announcements aren’t expected until the close of markets today, but software giant Microsoft is expected to announce today that it has inked a deal with online video site blinx to power video search features on the company’s MSN and Live.com Internet services.

AOL, Lycos, Reuters, PR Newswire, MTV, and many other companies have selected blinkx technology to power their own video and media search functions, or entered deals with blinkx to make their content searchable through blinkx.tv’s own search portal. At the moment, blinkx indexes offers searchable access to more than six million hours of video, audio, and television programming. The technology uses speech recognition and video analyses to provide text-searchable indexes of video and audio content; blinkx stores and serves the searchable indexes, but leaves the video-serving to the originating sites.

Unlike many previous deals with blinkx, Microsoft will reportedly pay blinkx a licensing fee to use the technology on its own sites rather than entering into a revenue-sharing arrangement based on advertising.

Editors' Recommendations

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Smart Home

Ring Battery Doorbell Pro vs. Nest Doorbell: Which is the better video doorbell?

The Ring Battery Doorbell Pro installed near a door.

The Ring Battery Doorbell Pro is one of the newest video doorbells on the market, offering premium features along with the simplicity of a battery power source. It's a fancy piece of smart home tech -- but how does it stack up to the always-popular Nest Doorbell? The two video doorbells bring many of the same features to your front door, though there are a few key differences you'll want to be aware of before making a purchase.

Here's everything you need to know about the Ring Battery Doorbell Pro and Nest Doorbell -- including a look at their installation process, standout features, and pricing details -- before adding one of them to your smart home.
Design

Smart Home

Should you buy a wired or wireless video doorbell?

A Eufy video doorbell installed near a door.

Video doorbells come in a variety of styles, but they typically fall into one of two categories -- wired or wireless. You'll find both categories available from big names like Ring, Arlo, and Google, making it easy to snag a great product regardless of which style you prefer.

But should you buy a wired or wireless video doorbell? It's not easy making that decision, as both installation types come with various advantages and disadvantages. Here's a comprehensive look at both types of video doorbells to help you decide.
How does a wired video doorbell work?

Smart Home

Check out these Ring video doorbell alternatives that don’t require a subscription

A Eufy video doorbell installed near a door.

Ring is one of many companies that lock video doorbell features behind a monthly paywall. Unless you're forking out cash every month, you won't have full access to everything your device can offer. The brand also recently instituted a price hike -- and some shoppers are so frustrated that they've started looking elsewhere for their security needs.

If that's you, or if you'd like to find an easy way to cut down your spending this year, here's a look at four Ring alternatives that don't require a subscription. Some of these may offer optional subscriptions, but even if you don't pay, you'll have access to a wide range of features that aren't free on Ring.
Eufy