What is YOUREKA!
Yahoo! Singapore has launched an online and offline contest that’s not only loads of fun but gives you a chance to win adidas merchandise.

Youreka! treasure hunting is simple. All you have to do is spot a coloured Ticket – Red, Blue or Green – hidden on Yahoo! Singapore. Register online and you’ll receive a confirmation email that you can exchange for a corresponding Tag to redeem a special premium from Yahoo! and adidas.

Claim your premium. Or if you are lucky, you may end up exchanging your eDM for a purple tag that gives you a chance to participate in YOUREKA! Finale Event organised by Yahoo! on November 28 at the Singapore Flyer. Purple tag holders stand a chance to drive home a customised one-of-a-kind 1.3L Honda Jazz.

The first Youreka! hunt pit-stop is at adidas. Red tag holders will receive 20% off adidas products and free adidas premiums – for a limited period only and while stocks last.

Event Details
Date: 31 October (Saturday) & 1 November (Sunday), 2009
Time: 12 pm to 9 pm
Venue: adidas Flagship Store at The Cathay Singapore
Address: 2 Handy Road #02-06/07, Singapore 229233

How to enter
Log on to and start looking for YOUREKA! Tickets. Yahoo! users can start hunting right away, while new users need to register.

Note
Only one coloured Tag can be redeemed with a confirmation eDM coloured Ticket for each redemption period. Redemption items are non-exchangeable and strictly while stocks last.

This news is a day late! Pardon me for that. Microsoft and Yahoo! has finally joined forces to take on Google after all the fiasco about Microsoft taking over Yahoo! which started last year.

SUNNYVALE, Calif. and REDMOND, Wash. – 29 July, 2009 – Yahoo! and Microsoft announced an agreement that will improve the Web search experience for users and advertisers, and deliver sustained innovation to the industry. In simple terms, Microsoft will now power Yahoo! search while Yahoo! will become the exclusive worldwide relationship sales force for both companies’ premium search advertisers.

Pretty interesting agreement terms!

• The term of the agreement is 10 years;
• Microsoft will acquire an exclusive 10 year license to Yahoo!’s core search technologies, and Microsoft will have the ability to integrate Yahoo! search technologies into its existing web search platforms;
• Microsoft’s Bing will be the exclusive algorithmic search and paid search platform for Yahoo! sites. Yahoo! will continue to use its technology and data in other areas of its business such as enhancing display advertising technology.
• Yahoo! will become the exclusive worldwide relationship sales force for both companies’ premium search advertisers. Self-serve advertising for both companies will be fulfilled by Microsoft’s AdCenter platform, and prices for all search ads will continue to be set by AdCenter’s automated auction process.
• Each company will maintain its own separate display advertising business and sales force.
• Yahoo! will innovate and “own” the user experience on Yahoo! properties, including the user experience for search, even though it will be powered by Microsoft technology.
• Microsoft will compensate Yahoo! through a revenue sharing agreement on traffic generated on Yahoo!’s network of both owned and operated (O&O) and affiliate sites.
• Microsoft will pay traffic acquisition costs (TAC) to Yahoo! at an initial rate of 88% of search revenue generated on Yahoo!’s O&O sites during the first 5 years of the agreement.
• Yahoo! will continue to syndicate its existing search affiliate partnerships.
• Microsoft will guarantee Yahoo!’s O&O revenue per search (RPS) in each country for the first 18 months following initial implementation in that country.
• At full implementation (expected to occur within 24 months following regulatory approval), Yahoo! estimates, based on current levels of revenue and current operating expenses, that this agreement will provide a benefit to annual GAAP operating income of approximately $500 million and capital expenditure savings of approximately $200 million. Yahoo! also estimates that this agreement will provide a benefit to annual operating cash flow of approximately $275 million.
• The agreement protects consumer privacy by limiting the data shared between the companies to the minimum necessary to operate and improve the combined search platform, and restricts the use of search data shared between the companies. The agreement maintains the industry-leading privacy practices that each company follows today.

Source: Microsoft, Yahoo! Change Search Landscape