Malware selfie. (Photo: Hahsgram)

Perhaps Binging it too often has some unintended and harmful side effects. According to a new study from a German security firm, the Microsoft-owned search engine is five times more likely to link you to a malware-infected page than Google.

In a high-tech humblebrag, AV-Test Institute reported that its initial suspicions that Google and Bing do a poor job of protecting their users from delivering Trojan-laden websites were correct. But Google isn’t really a winner here: it’s just that it did a less shitty job of indexing infected websites compared to Bing.

For 18 months, the lab surveyed the harmfulness of 40 million websites from seven search engines. More than half of the results came from Bing and Google, with the other portion being pulled from search sites popular in other countries, like China’s Baidu and Russia’s Yandex.

PC Magazine writes that Yandex was the least safe. You've been warned, Russia's one Betabeat reader.

The 5,000 pieces of malware the study found are concentrated in Yandex results—which had 3,330 malicious links out of the 13 million the AV-Test looked at. Bing had a little under half that, with 1,285 malicious results out of 10 million pages. Google returned a mere 272 malicious results in 10 million while Bleko had even fewer: 203 out of around three million.

Guess we'll go back to using Lycos.

Back in November, Microsoft launched its "Scroogled" campaign, arguing that its Bing search engine provided users with more relevant results than did Google Shopping. If Microsoft thought it was getting under Google's corporate skin, maybe try again.

Because, for the moment at least, Google appears to be focusing its aggression on another Internet giant. Type the word "enemy" into the search bar at Google finance, and what comes up?

(Screencap)

The NORAD Santa tracker, a cute little tool that helped kids everywhere track Santa's trip around the globe on Christmas Eve, has been around for ages, first starting as a phone service and then transitioning to the web in the late '90s. For the last five years, the service has been using Google Maps to display Santa's progress, but this year it seems that Google may have been bumped to the naughty list.

For the first time, NORAD has chosen to partner with Microsoft Maps, proving once and for all that Steve Ballmer is not, in fact, the Grinch. This means that Santa's progress as tracked by NORAD will be displayed on Bing's home page, giving users a reason for the first time ever to navigate to Bing.

Of course, Google has decided it doesn't really need NORAD, anyway. The company built its own Santa tracker, and it's as adorably Google-ish as expected. You can also track Santa's trip via a specially-built Android app.

Apple Maps were reportedly never considered by NORAD because "Santa don't mess with that shit."

Grrr! (Screencap: Scroogled)

Bing still trails far behind Google in search engine rankings, and Microsoft is just not having any of it. After launching Bing It On, a test that attempted to show that Bing occasionally surfaces better search results than Google, Microsoft has introduced its newest attack on the GOOG: an anti-Google Shopping site called Scroogled. Get it? Like Screw + Google?

The first thing you will notice when you navigate to Scroogled is an angry-looking mom character with a flippy bob making a face like she has to poop. "Grr," she seems to be saying, "Why is Google keeping me from pooping?" Scroll down a little further, and you will see a man who would not be out of place at a magician's convention gesturing to the solution to the mom person's poop problems: Bing!

The real reason for this smear campaign (heh) is actually rather convincing: Google recently changed its Google Shopping rules so that it now only surfaces products by merchants who have paid for placement on Google Shopping. Bing, Microsoft argues, shows you all results and not just those preferenced because they paid ad dollars. "We say that when you limit choices and rank them by payment, consumers get Scroogled," reads the site. "For an honest search result, try Bing."

Though as one Twitter user points out, Bing also gives preferential treatment on its shopping search to paid advertisers, as evidenced by the company's announcement following its partnership with Shopping.com. Awkward.

Microsoft has also asked those who have been "duped by bad search results" to share their stories on its Facebook page. And oh, have they. "Scroogled? I tried a search for microsoft surface on the Bing shoppings site and one in Google shopping," wrote one user. "The result? All of Bing's results are worthless, none of them is the actual Surface tablet. Google has relevant results and that is what matters."

Added another, "Desperation is getting higher then?"

Ms. Cavallari just had her baby ten weeks ago and she looks like she did in the first season of Laguna Beach. While all of the other reporters were busy asking her about little Camden Jack, Betabeat wanted to know if Ms. Cavallari was actually in fact a Bing user or if she was still searching with Google on the sly.

"I do use it," she said. "I actually just took the Bing It On test and Bing won and I'm not just saying that." Another reporter laughed in suspicion and Ms. Cavallari replied, "No, honestly! I was surprised."

This reporter knew that the smile she was using was the same one she employed in The Hills' sixth season, when she would tell Brody that she didn't want to date him. We were suspicious and asked her again if she was still secretly using Google. "I used to," she said. "But now I'm going to use Bing. I'm excited about that."

Baby questions were a safer topic and we wondered if Ms. Cavallari had let her little man play around on an iPad yet. "I haven't introduced any technology item--technological items to him yet," She said. " But I don't know, I don't know how I feel about that. I'll start waiting a couple years until I start giving him iPads and iPhones. He has his whole life to enjoy that."

When asked if she had any favorite apps, Ms. Cavallari name dropped Words With Friends and said she used Uber to hitch a ride on the way over here. She also said that she uses "all of the baby apps" and that she used some when she was pregnant. ("I loved the Pampers one!")

But her memory wasn't so clear on app specifics. "I don't remember any of them," she said and laughed loudly. "I'm the wrong person you should be talking to!"

Clear eyes, full hearts, can't deal. (flickr.com/misternaxal)

Old wounds were pried open this morning with the announcement of Tech Homecoming, an event sponsored by the likes of Bing and Sailthru that promises to immediately launch members of New York's tech community into a painful round of high school reminiscences.

The event includes everything that made you long for sweet, sweet escape to college the first time around: a most popular contest, something called "football" and an awkward dance where hopefully Mayor Bloomberg will be on hand as chaperone, to chastise you for "bump and grinding."

We look forward to dodging the mandatory pep rally in favor of dicking around in the debate office, right next to the computer lab full of engineers who were conspicuously absent from the list of honorees, probably because they were too busy--pardon the expression--fucking shipping.

Because, in all seriousness, for an industry compromised of people who try their damndest to avoid conventional wisdom, putting everyone in little boxes (literally!) feels painfully retrograde. There's a reason we said tech needs to get uncool again.

Nor are we the only ones feeling a tad discomfited by this idea. The reception has been, shall we say, mixed.

For example, we're actually a little glad this "FictiveKin brosef" isn't telekinetic:

Somebody needs to Carrie this techhomecoming.com

— Ed Finkler (@funkatron) October 17, 2012

Meanwhile, it sounds like The Awl (who obliged Mr. Finkler's request, via GIF) will sending a contingent, of a sorts:

Great, the rest of us—the sluts, burn-outs, goths and, right, the BROWN PEOPLE AND HOMOS AND OUR GOOD FRIENDS THE FATTIES—will all meet outside and smoke joints and throw water balloons at you. See you there, Heathers.

One Chicagoan had a very visceral copyeditor's reaction:

Barf. Also, site needs a proofreader. techhomecoming.com

— Mari Huertas (@marihuertas) October 17, 2012

One honoree is not happy to see her name on the website and sounds about ready to call down a pox on the houses of everyone involved:

why am i on tech homecoming site, told them i didn't want to participate. — Lauren Leto (@laurenleto) October 17, 2012

homecoming was the fucking worst thing on earth for me (and i'm sure plenty others). fuck high school & those who want to relive it. — Lauren Leto (@laurenleto) October 17, 2012

Someone should probably go check on poor Matt Langer:

sorry, still hung up on this, easily among the top five worst things to ever happen in human history techhomecoming.com

— Matt Langer (@mattlanger) October 17, 2012

However, condemnation is not universal. For example, the sponsors and participants sound pretty tickled:

Vote for @sailthru in the upcoming @techhomecoming superlatives for the best office space! ow.ly/eyhJI

— Sailthru (@sailthru) October 17, 2012

Now is the part where I throw my head back and laugh. (Photo: flickr.com/oreilly)

Amazon is carpeting the country with distribution centers, thereby creeping ever-closer to next-day delivery and the possibility of sealing its complete dominance over all retail. Hail, Bezos! [New York Times]

Sorry, Jeff, but Walt Mossberg says he can't quite sign off on the claim that the Kindle Fire HD is "the best tablet at any price." [AllThingsD]

For those keeping score at home, there are now 500 million Android devices. [Fast Company]

Tesla plans to build an SUV. In the future, even the mildest-mannered, most ozone-conscious environmentalist will be able to his own modest tank. [Wired]

Microsoft has an uphill battle if they want to make "Bing it" happen. Why? Because it sounds lame. [Fast Company]

Ms. Richie gets to work.

It was a scorching 90-degree summer afternoon yesterday in Harlem’s Jacob H. Schiff Playground, where volunteers were sweating through their white, heart-adorned CITYarts t-shirts. Dedicated teenagers donned plastic gloves to submerge their hands into gooey buckets of plaster, painstakingly replacing the thousands of one-inch tiles that comprise the park’s Pieces for Peace mural. And standing in the middle of these sweaty teenagers, wearing equally tacky plastic gloves and black aprons, were none other than a mega-diva (Nicole Richie), a werewolf (Chaske Spencer) and a witch (Kat Graham).

Ms. Richie (who needs no introduction), Mr. Spencer (who plays the leader of the Twilight saga's werewolf pack) and Ms. Graham (who plays the witch Bonnie in the CW's Vampire Diaries), joined Corbin Bleu, Nigel Barker, Maria Menounos and Karlie Kloss on Tuesday to help restore the Harlem park’s mural, originally designed by CITYarts in 2005 as a way to celebrate cultural diversity after the September 11th attacks.

The mural restoration is part of Bing’s Summer of Doing and kicks off “The Hunt: 11 Days of Doing,” hosted by Microsoft's search engine, as well as DoSomething.org and Lenovo. DoSomething, Bing and CITYarts partnered up to help restore the park due to its importance in the community.

To help revitalize the neighborhood establishment, seven celebrities offered to dunk their perfectly manicured nails into tile goo.

Ms. Menounos arrived a few minutes late, eager to escape the throng of photographers and help with the mural. “The first thing I said when I got here, ‘I want to go to work.’ So I know there are a lot of interviews to do but I really want to do something. How funny, do something!” she said, giggling at her own ingenuity.

Ms. Menounos has collaborated with Bing before (the search engine actually sponsors her online TV network afterbuzztv.com) and said she feels like part of the Bing family. But she's not the only celebrity in that boat. In fact, the Bing family probably includes more stars than the Kardashian-Jenner lot.

Since launching their "Bing is for Doing" campaign in January, Bing commercials have featured everyone from Lucy Hale, the star of Pretty Little Liars, to rapper Wiz Khalifa. Despite the aggressive, star-studded promotional campaign, Microsoft's search engine still lags far behind Google, only capturing 15.6 percent of the market in June, according to the comScore data released today.

But Ms. Menonous is remaining loyal to Bing and said she might talk with them about doing something with her own charity, “Take Action Hollywood.”

Next to take the field was Mr. Spencer, who was put to work on a small expanse of wall above the image of a dove flying around the globe. Looking at his work on the mural, one volunteer commented, “It looks good!”

Abashed, he responded, “You’re being nice.” Ever humble and a bit quieter than his fellow celebrities attending the event, Mr. Spencer only showed his wild side when he briefly broke out into a dance for “Call Me Maybe.”

Later in the afternoon, Ms. Kloss, Ms. Richie, Ms. Graham and Mr. Barker arrived. Finishing up part of the wall Mr. Chaske was working on earlier, Ms. Kloss noted how the mural really captured the essence of New York.

“I think this mural actually exemplifies the beauty and diversity of this city. I think that that’s one of my favorite things about New York--how diverse this little island is,” she said.

Ms. Graham showed up to the event a bit overdressed, in heels and a white silk outfit adorned with angels. Looking at her, Mr. Bleu jokingly commented, “What is this?”

But no worries, Ms. Graham underwent two costume changes before volunteering, finally landing on leather pants and a grey Bing shirt, which she graciously took the time to modify with scissors.

So why did Ms. Graham skip the first day of filming for season 4 of The Vampire Diaries to come to this event? “We’re in Brooklyn, which I love,” she told one reporter, who had to explain that we are, in fact, in Harlem.

“Well, close,” she laughed.

The Bing Summer of Doing campaign starts in New York today.

Stay tuned Kickstarter announced via tweet yesterday that, starting this fall, U.K. residents will be able to use the crowdfunding platform to launch their own projects. Currently, although people anywhere can give money to projects on the site, only individuals based in the U.S. can launch projects and receive funding.

Advise away Tout’d, a new digital forum for personalized recommendations, launched last week. As a social media platform and referral space, the app for iOS and Android enables users to ask for advice from friends as well as share recommendations ranging from restaurants and gadgets to professional referrals.

Sell now Join M&A professionals this Thursday at General Assembly for the first Startup Exit event on the East Coast. With a focus on social commerce and online retail and fashion, the evening will feature a fireside chat with Etsy’s Director of Strategic Finance, Carrington Williams, and well as a panel featuring the CEOs of Thrillist, dotBox and OpenSky. Tickets are required.

Success story Xeko, an award winning card game designed to raise awareness of endangered species, has raised over $100,000 on Kickstarter and is fast approaching its launch on mobile and social platforms.

Hackathon The photo editing app Aviary will host its third Photo Hack Day at Dropbox HQ in San Francisco this weekend. It’s free to register and attend, and the first place prize is $7,000. Additional prizes include a “New York Startup immersion” from Aviary, as well as $2500 in Facebook ad credits and free Facebook sweatshirts. There will also be a fireside chat, featuring Aviary CEO Avi Muchnick and Hipstamatic CEO Lucas Buick.

Just launched: Music Overture, an online community designed to help aspiring musicians network and showcase their talents. Though it would seem that something like this already exists, the creators urge potential users to “think online concert hall.”

Relaunched: Tripl's social travel application, which connected travelers to locals, has pivoted to become a sort of Facebook Timeline for your friends' trips. "Tripl figures out where your friends are traveling by filtering out all the geo data that is attached to photos, checkins, and statuses throughout your social networks and looking for changes in distance... The web app then combines all those data points with additional content about the destination like Wikipedia articles and stock photography," the company said in a press release. Tripl is currently enrolled in the Dreamit Accelerator program.

More social networks Wetradetogether, a social network designed for traders, financial advisors and individual investors, in poised to launch in the U.S. and Europe. The site consolidates features such as real-time streaming of financial data, sentiment indexes, advanced charting and collaborative workspaces to aid individuals and small businesses with independent online trading.

Do something The Bing Summer of Doing campaign—in collaboration with DoSomething.org—kicks off in New York today as Maria Menounos, Karlie Kloos and noted fashion photographer Nigel Barker join volunteers to help restore the Pieces for Peace Mosaic in Harlem’s Jacob H. Schiff Playground.

Personnel shuffles We hear that the app publishing service Onswipe has made some new executive hires, though they’re not saying who yet.

Birthday Shapeways has hit the four-year mark. The company reports that its printed over a million three-dimensional products to date and is currently building its “the factory of the future” in Long Island City. Hey, we’ve been to LIC, and it’s more like back to the future.

Mr. Imbruce (Photo: Twitter)

If you read anything about interactive media startup Qwiki today, you probably ran into the trope that the New York-based startup had "disappeared" over the last year. And it's true, to some extent--we hadn't thought about Qwiki since shortly after its 2011 launch. But Doug Imbruce, Qwiki's cofounder and CEO, strongly disagrees with this assessment.

"These reporters like to compress the tech hype cycles even more than they already are," Mr. Imbruce told Betabeat over the phone today with a laugh. "We launched one of the year’s most popular iPad apps that won an award. We’ve increased traffic. I don't know if we went underground, but our whole vision was always for not just a reference experience but also to release a publishing platform and ultimately develop a new media format. That takes time."

Indeed, Mr. Imbruce and his team have been busy--quiet, but busy--striking up this deal with Bing, which will surface Qwiki's playable, visual stories with search queries, effectively placing its content in front of millions of users. (Bing is the second largest search engine, after all.)

If you're unfamiliar with Qwiki, it works like this: Qwiki is a two-pronged business, with one side offering the Qwiki API that can mine datasets (like those from Wikipedia, for example) to automatically generate interactive video features on a specific subject. The other side of the business is the publishing platform, which allows users to input their own data--or combine it with data from the Internet--and create their own Qwikis. "The Bing content is created by the Qwiki API, which is available for any publisher to use," clarified Mr. Imbruce. "One is automated, and the other is not."

The Bing partnership, then, will "validate the experience," of using Qwiki, said Mr. Imbruce. "It provides a large-scale footprint for Qwiki, allowing us to take the search experience and inject it with the interactivity that will really augment it."

"The exciting thing about Bing is that for us, it’s a starting point. We want Qwiki to be ubiquitous," he added.

Qwiki reloacted back to New York in February after a stint out West in order to be closer to its media clients. ("As Bloomberg is to the finance industry, we want Qwiki to be to the media industry," pronounced Mr. Imbruce.) Now, they're focusing on rolling out an iPhone application, slated for release in August, that will allow users to build Qwikis straight from their phones. And perhaps, focusing on raising another round.

"We’re always looking to grow the company and that means we need more capital," admitted Mr. Imbruce. "We’ll certainly evaluate that as we go, but right now we’re fully funded and totally focused on product and scale."

"We're just really excited to be back in New York," he added.