Rumors that Microsoft will buy Ask Jeeves have been flying. But what has really been flying as a result of those rumors is the Ask Jeeves stock price. Ahhh - don’t you just love the hype!

Still, Microsoft merely talking about the rollout of its search offerings in coming months was enough to whip the search engine seas into a frenzy, again. Microsoft’s moves are just the latest in a string of major announcements by search industry players, each of which seems to push Jeeves’ stock ever higher.