Redmond seems to leak press releases early on a regular basis. Due to be announced at a conference next week is Microsoft Live Search Cash Back, an attempt to gain search traffic buy giving users rebates on items they can buy from Microsoft’s advertising partners.
The user interface is very “find a bargain” circa 1998. It seems strange to try to buy users in this way, the reason people search on Google is becuase it works better (generally) than the other offerings. Rather than spending money trying to buy users, MS should concentrate on improving their search experience.
Microsoft’s release said;
On Wednesday, we will be announcing a major new initiative that our search teams have been driving. We are getting better and better with our core algorithmic search, and at the same time, we are investing to differentiate in vertical experiences and to disrupt the current model. You’ll hear more about our plans Wednesday.
Ben Kepes is an analyst, an entrepreneur, a commentator and a business adviser. His business interests include a diverse range of industries from manufacturing to property to technology. As a technology commentator he has a broad presence both in the traditional media and extensively online. Ben covers the convergance of technology, mobile, ubiquity and agility, all enabled by the Cloud. His areas of interest extend to enterprise software, software integration, financial/accounting software, platforms and infrastructure as well as articulating technology simply for everyday users. 
Seems like microsoft have just no ideas left. This is right in the same vein as “Buy yahoo”.
Hopeless. Seems like MS is now another big unwieldy corp that cant innovate to save themselves. MSFT – SELL*
*although, my stock picking is generally abysmally bad. Unless you short all the stocks I call as BUY!