Microsoft today launched an entirely revamped Bing search engine app for iOS, which it is hoping will reimagine search on the iPhone. The Bing app has a new design with a much cleaner interface and a series of quick action buttons that aim to cut down on the amount of typing a user needs to do to get relevant search results.
According to Microsoft, existing mobile search engines are a copycat of PC-based search engines - long lists of links - but the needs on mobile are much different. On a phone, people are looking for faster ways to get what they want while minimizing the number of interactions, an experience Microsoft is planning to deliver with Bing.
The main focal point of the app is a search button that launches a standard search for any topic, using either words, voice, or an image. This search interface includes popular search topics, like "restaurants near me," and it also includes links to search images, videos, or news, in addition to the web.
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On the main Bing screen below the search button, there's a series of quick tap buttons that will bring up things people often search for. "Near Me," for example, displays a list of venues that are nearby, and additional buttons like "Dinner" or "Coffee" let users drill down further in the search results without ever having to type a word.
There are also quick links to bring up local restaurants, current movies, images, videos, and maps, while scrolling down will open up a list of breaking news stories. Microsoft has put a lot of thought into the Bing search engine, and its results cover everything a person might be looking for.
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As an example, if you tap the Movie quick link on the home screen, it shows movies in theaters, but it also shows new movies that have been added to Netflix and Amazon Prime, along with popular movies on both services. Tapping on one of these movies brings up information like actors and movie reviews, along with a long list of relevant apps. From the search results, a movie like Nightcrawler can be opened in Netflix, purchased on iTunes, rented on Amazon, or opened in VUDU.
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Microsoft has made deep linking a major focal point in its new Bing app, and app-based search results that open the relevant app are available for many different types of searches. For example, searching for a popular restaurant nearby and then tapping that result will include all relevant associated apps.
A search for a local Chipotle brings up a map, a phone number, and a list of associated apps. Yelp, Foursquare, and Zomato are offered up as apps where reviews are available, while AllMenu is listed as a way to view the menu and Apple Maps, Uber, Google Maps, and Lyft are provided as options for getting there. For a restaurant with food delivery, Bing might offer up the relevant app, or for a restaurant that takes reservations, Bing will provide something like OpenTable as an option.
A search for a television show might bring up an option to open it up directly in Netflix, while searching for a particular song includes app links to watch it in the YouTube app or buy it in iTunes. In addition to helping people find things faster, Microsoft is hoping its deep linking will aid users in app discovery, helping them find new ways to do things via apps.
The new Bing app also takes advantage of Microsoft's Knowledge and Action Graph, which incorporates 21 billion facts, five billion relationships between entities, and 18 billion actions to give users answers to common questions quickly. That's been coupled with extensive work on indexing apps to build the backbone for the new Bing mobile experience.
Bing can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Top Rated Comments
(View all)Bing Is Not Google though...
Nothing coming from Google is good anyways.I'd never heard of the Bing Rewards thing until you brought it up, so I had a look. Evidently its even more of a spy than just regular search. They get metadata on people by their search habits, they get target data by click-throughs, purchase data by seeing what cards you claim, and then when/where/how you spend the cards. They'll even use the rewards to help build a shadow social profile by seeing who you give the cards to if you don't spend them personally.
Sources? and I mean article links. I work for MS and I haven't seen anything like this ever thrown around while working here. Granted, I don't work in Bing so I have no insights but from what I've gathered, Bing is just profit sharing ad revenue with users. On top of that, Microsoft fights hard to keep the Government out it's services because customer's don't want this. With that being said, Microsoft does have to abide by legally bounding court orders for information. Microsoft doesn't just go around and freely share info with the government. I can't imagine that we would show the door to the government and then open it for the ad industry.Google will be taking a lesson from this. I haven't seen something this sneaky since the whole Gmail "invite" sham.
Microsoft understands that privacy and protecting users is essential. MS has opened an entire data protection building that is staffed with legal and security experts to ensure that MS services remain safe and to educate users that our services are safe to use and used in a proper manor.
I hope you reply and attempt to back up your claims. Otherwise I'm going to have to assume that you work for Google :D
Additional MS Protection Info: http://www.microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/resources.aspx
**Important Disclaimer** While I may work for Microsoft, my above words are not officially reflective of Microsoft. I am here on my own accord and sharing my personal opinion with others. Nothing that I say represents Microsoft or it's beliefs. I have only shared my personal experiences.**Important Disclaimer**
...Are you being paid to say that....? lol :eek:
Just my opinion :)Not outside the US.
Guess you need to move to the USA :)Give up, Microsoft, seriously. Bing is the Zune of search engines.
Last I heard in July, Bing has 20.4% of market share. Why would you give up 20.4% market share? I suggest you actually try Bing. It's legit, plus you don't have to sign your soul over to Google.