IS THERE AN APP FOR THAT?: Ask.com is hoping more people come to its search engine to pose that question now that is has added a special section highlighting millions of applications designed for smartphones and tablet computers. The new feature is scheduled to debut Tuesday evening.

HELPING HAND: Quixey, a Silicon Valley startup that has been analyzing mobile apps for the past three years, is licensing its technology to Ask, which is owned by IAC/InterActiveCorp.

UPSTAGING THE COMPETITION: Ask is trying to lure traffic away from the larger Internet search engines run by Google Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc.