A new study found that Bing versus Google usage is heavily dependent on choice of browser.

75% of Bing users are on versions of Internet Explorer.

In related news, another study found that Internet Explorer users have a lower IQ than other browser users.

No, really.

Links:

Bing Users Are From Internet Explorer; Google Users From Firefox, Chrome & Safari

Are Internet Explorer Users Dumb (CNN)

Google has the unlucky task of trying to police the legions of hackers, spammers and bad-hats trying to game (trick) them into granting high rankings.

Google can and does penalize websites for violations.

It also can (and does) blacklist sites so that they are completely removed from their index - meaning they won't show up in searches. Period.

How do you know if you are suffering a penalty or have been blacklisted?

The short answer is, you probably don't.

Unless you read about it on the front page of the New York Times (as happened to several sites in the last year, including J.C. Penney's website).

Nevertheless, there is a direction to go if you suspect there is a problem.

Here's a new article - an interview with one of the Google staff that work in the area. Google isn't always very talkative about things. This provides more information on the subject than we've ever had before:

New Clarity on Reconsideration Requests

Read it.

Google continues to make changes at a fantastic pace.

A huge piece of news, In the last few weeks they launched Google+ (their latest Facebook competitor). That is still being tested and rolled out. Will they succeed this time? We'll see.

One thing that has now become routine, Google's Panda algorithm change is now being updated monthly. These h are designed to help Google do a better job of sorting out the wheat from the chaff - the quality websites from those that try to LOOK like legitimate sites but are full of garbage, low-quality content.

Article on the subject:

Official: Google Panda 2.3 Update Is Live

Since it is possible for any website to be affected by these changes, you definitely need to pay attention to your rankings, and traffic to your site, and to work continuously at improving.

Here's the latest from Pew Internet on usage:

Gadget Ownership Among American Adults

35% of U.S. adults now own a smart phone. That is RAPIDLY increasing. 83% of adults have cell phones.

Virtually identical percentages own desktop and laptop computers. Not much over 50%, so it is clear a LOT of people use only a laptop as their main computer. Based on trends that is about to cross, in a few years probably twice as many people will own laptops (meaning a lot fewer will own desktop computers).

In short - to quote The Who - America is "Going Mobile."

If Internet marketing is at all important to you, this is a trend you need to pay attention to.