Microsoft’s online search engine, Bing, officially launched in June, 2009. Formerly known as Live Search, Windows Live Search and MSN Search, Bing is a tweaked and revamped search engine touted as the “decision engine.” Much more than a search engine, Bing helps users make informed decisions with just one-click.
Nearly 76 percent of people said traditional search results are too disorganized and half said the results fail to meet consumers’ needs, according to the Bing website. Furthermore, it takes eight mouse clicks before a user finds the requested information, on average. With four and a half websites created each second and more than 200 million online sites, Bing avoids unnecessary mouse clicks and saves time.
The new search engine has taken a new approach to traditional online searches of days-gone-by. By including a variety of powerful and intuitive tools, users can obtain all sorts of information in a faster and more efficient manner.
Bing Highlights:
- Home Page – Bing’s homepage includes a background image that changes daily. Many of the images include shots of amazing locations around the world along with information about that particular location.
- Save and Share – Allows users the option of saving and sharing search histories by email, Facebook and SkyDrive.
- Search History – Keeps a listing of previous searches on the left navigation pane.
- SmartMotion Preview – This super-handy Video Thumbnail Preview feature is a definite time-saver. Just hover the mouse over a video thumbnail, and a 30-second video and audio preview automatically begins. Parents should review the three various filtering options prior to using SmartMotion Preview.
- Hotmail Quick Add – Insert search results, reviews, videos and maps into Hotmail email messages and send.
- Bing Tweets – The feature combines Bing search results and Twitter.
Bing Instant Answers:
This handy feature allows users to search for instant answers on a wide variety of topics, quickly and easily. Just a few of the available instant answers are:
- Equations - Instead of visiting a specific site for a difficult math equation, simply type the problem into the search box and the answer will be automatically calculated.
- Package Tracking – Expecting an important package or shipment? Type the tracking number and shipping company name into the box to get a current status on the package.
- Flight Status – Input the flight number in the search box for up-to-date flight information.
- Area Codes – Provides information on area codes.
- Converters – Convert $75 in Canadian currency to US dollars in a snap or find out how many liters make a gallon with Bing's converter.
- VIN – Vehicle identification number lookup.
- Finance – Enter the company name or stock symbol for stock price, volume and other financial information.
- Dictionary – Enter “define” followed by a word into the search box for a one-click definition from Encarta.
- Local Information – Get restaurant reviews, current movie and hotel listings as well as up-to-date local traffic information.
- xRank – Information about the top ranked celebrities as well as top searches.
- Bing News – This news aggregator provides current news information based on specific search queries.
- Bing Health - Nearly half of computer users use the Internet to research health information.
- Bing Translator – Translate a portion of text or an entire page into a specific language.
- Bing Mobile – Perform searches on mobile devices using Bing Mobile.
- Bing Maps – Search for businesses, street names and landmarks or get directions from here to there on one page. 3D maps, satellite or combination views are available.
- Bing Shopping – Not only can users search for all sorts of products, Bing Search Cashback reimburses consumers on specific product purchases. Users can shop and earn money at the same time.
- Bing 411 – Need a phone number but don’t have a phone book handy? Just call 1-800-BING-411 for free directory assistance.
Bing Specifics:
- Compatible with Internet Explorer, Safari, Chrome and Firefox.
- Windows 7 Integration – Download the OpenSearch document to search for files and folders from Windows Explorer.
Not convinced? Try this side-by-side comparison between Bing and search engine giant, Google.
While some say the acronym for Bing is “Bing Is Not Google,” the new search engine provides a faster and more efficient online experience and gives consumers another choice when it comes to online search engines.
Google Wave is expected to launch later this year, so stay tuned.
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