Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer announced on Tuesday Bing search engine and maps would be the default service on BlackBerry devices.

Stop a passerby and ask them "what is the internet?" Their answer is guaranteed to focus on technology.

In cosying up to Google’s main competitor, Bing, Rupert Murdoch proves once again that he can’t be dismissed so easily.

Microsoft is inventing a malady for which its web search site, Bing, is the only cure. That’s the premise of the -million, four-month ad campaign.

Described as a "decision engine", Bing is an attempt by Microsoft to gain popularity in the search market and wrestle back momentum from Google.