Microsoft ad push: Why buy when we can sell?

The rivalry between Microsoft and Google has transformed into an all-out war with the announcement of Microsoft's Ad Center. One of the most interesting search ideas from Mirosoft is the a feature which will help the company tell whether an internet search query comes from a man or a woman, thus aiding the advertisers to make search-related pitches more relevant to their intended audiences, said Jed Nahum, a Microsoft director of product management.

Using the technology, Microsoft will be able to tell, for example, that someone searching for the term "Toyota Corolla" is more likely to be female than someone searching for "Toyota" alone. Microsoft plans to include the feature in its search and advertising software in the next year. But isn't more likely that this person might be a man searching for a car for his girlfriend?
Another very interesting and useful feature might allow people to request information on products featured in movies or on television. Viewers of Sex and the City, for example, could click on clothes worn by the actresses, Mr Nahum said. That would require more advanced digital television networks and would take longer to develop, he said. "It adds an element of trackability to product placement that hadn't been there before."