Accoona, a leading search engine and a pioneer in the application of artificial intelligence to Web search, is rated as one of the 50 Coolest Websites 2006 in the world by Time Magazine in its annual selection.

Accoona (www.accoona.com) tops the category of Web search and services, according to the complete list of finalists announced by Time Magazine on August 14.

"This engine uses artificial intelligence to 'understand' the meaning of the keywords in your query in an effort to deliver more relevant results," Maryanne Murray Buechner wrote in comments about this search engine.

"Drop-down menus allow you to set some search arameters, such as business type and location; run a News search for recent articles, Business search for facts and figures, or a Web search for relevant links."

Each year, Time Magazine evaluates hundreds of candidates -- suggested by readers, colleagues and friends or discovered during countless hours of surfing, and gives its selection of the 50 coolest websites for the year.

Many of this year's choices are shining examples of Web 2.0 next-generation sites offering dynamic new ways to inform and entertain, sites with cutting-edge tools to create, consume, share or discuss all manners of media, from blog posts to video clips, Buechner wrote.

Apart from the Web search and services categories, the finalists this year are from other six categories -- entertainment, arts and media; shopping, lifestyles an hobbies; news and information; staying connected; time wasters; and travel and real estate,

Based in Jersey City, N.J., Accoona is dedicated to enhancing the quality of online searching by creating sophisticated artificial intelligence search technologies that provide users with a richer and highly relevant search experience. The company has more than $100 million in financial backing from private investment funds and strategic business agreements with Dun & Bradstreet, Euro News, FAST Search and Transfer, GuruNet, Moreover and Yahoo!.

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