Microsoft’s Bing search engine has just overtaken Yahoo and is now in the second place spot for search engine’s in the US. That means it is now going to go up against Google, the top dog. At least according to The Nielsen Company.

In August alone, Bing grew from 13.6 percent to 13.9 percent of the US search market. Yahoo declined from 14.3 percent to 13.1 percent. While Google’s share went up from 64.2 percent in July to 65.0 percent. Google shouldn’t worry though. With Bing and Yahoo combined, their search share of 27.0 percent is still less than Google’s.

On Monday Google unveiled what they are calling a “next-generation infrastructure” for their web search, and they are asking the public to give it a try. The “secret” project has been underway for months according to a recent post on the Google Indexing blog, and is almost complete. According to the post, the new system “…will let us push the envelope on size, indexing speed, accuracy, comprehensiveness and other dimensions”.

Google has codenamed the new underlying search indexing “caffeine”, and is looking for the general public to give it a try and provide feedback in the way of differences between the new and old. The new indexing can be tried out at http://www2.sandbox.google.com/, where you can do a search and see if you can tell any difference in the results. According to the blog post from Google, they are only looking for feedback in differences at this time.

Microsoft and Sprint have announced an alliance in which the companies will develop and deliver a range of mobile search services for Sprint’s business and consumer customers.

The initial offering enables Sprint customers to use Windows Live Search for mobile on their wireless phones to search location-based content from the Internet. The new mobile search service based on Windows Live aims to provide a single access point to relevant online content based on a keyword or phrase. The search will include the Sprint catalog of offerings such ring tones, games, and screen savers as well as nearby stores and restaurants.

Windows Live Search for mobile offers features such as maps and directions but requires users to input their location by entering their ZIP code, address, or city and state. Future versions of the service are planned to enable consumers to give permission to automatically locate them …

Nokia announced today an agreement with Microsoft to embed functionality into its Mobile Search platform. Mobile users will now have access to Live Search directly from their compatible Nokia S60 devices. The Mobile Search experience from Nokia lets users find search results faster because search will be accessible directly from the menu screen. In addition to search, Microsoft will provide advanced features such as stock quotes, movie times, and information via Encarta Instant Answers.

“We are pleased to provide advanced Live Search services to enhance the search experience on Nokia’s S60 handsets,” said John DeVitis, product unit manager of Live Search for mobile at Microsoft Corp. “Live Search offers consumers unprecedented control and personalization giving them easy access to searching the web plus targeted instant information from their mobile devices.”

The Mobile Search service will be available …