The search engine war seems to be hotting up. First it was Yahoo coming out with its own search engine, independent of Google. This month, MSN Search has been upgraded with brand new interface and simpler results, this currently is based on Inktomi. Meanwhile, Microsoft is working on building its own search back-end that promises improved search relevance and accruracy.
Recently two new search engines have been launced. First is A9.com from Amazon and other is Ujiko which allows you to personalize the search experience. Try them out.