Bing Blogs

Bing Blogs

This is a place devoted to giving you deeper insight
into the news, trends, people and technology behind Bing.

Search Blog — Apr 2012

Apr

30

20 12

Twitter Sweeps: @Bing + Death Cab for Cutie...

Attention, music fans! Alt rock group Death Cab for Cutie, will be giving a live performance at the Bing Lounge in Portland, Oregon on May 11. To share the love, we’ll be giving an exclusive meet and greet to one lucky Twitter follower and a guest to attend the group’s highly anticipated show. On April 30 th , we will ask followers to retweet specific tweets from the @Bing handle to be entered into the sweepstakes (one entry per handle). We will randomly select one lucky winner from the eligible followers who retweet the @Bing handle sweepstakes tweets during the following time period: 10 AM PT on April 30, 2012- 5 PM PT on May 1, 2012 Good luck & let’s get rockin’! Be sure to retweet the sweeps and start spreading the word so that we can get the party going! Open to US Residents 21+ only, for details on how the sweepstakes works, read the official rules here . Cheers, The Bing Team Read More Attention, music fans! Alt rock group Death Cab for Cutie, will be giving a live performance at the Bing Lounge in Portland, Oregon on May 11. To share the love, we’ll be giving an exclusive meet and greet to one lucky Twitter follower and a guest to attend the group’s highly anticipated show. On April 30 th , we will ask followers to retweet specific tweets from the @Bing handle to be entered into the sweepstakes (one entry per handle). We will randomly select one lucky winner from the eligible followers who retweet the @Bing handle sweepstakes tweets during the following time... Read More
Apr

24

20 12

Bing Desktop Brings Beauty and Convenience...

From the beginning, Bing has been a place for exploration. The Bing homepage images aspire to spark your curiosity giving you something to talk about and connect with. Over the years, many of you have requested a simple way to enjoy these images as your Windows desktop background. With today’s release of Bing Desktop, we’re introducing an easy way to do just that. Bing Desktop marries the beauty of Bing’s daily homepage with a quick and convenient search interface so you don’t have to open your browser to start a search session. Every day, your Windows Desktop Background will automatically refresh to a high resolution version of the day’s home page, drawn from the images we use around the world. Bing Desktop provides a fast and simple route to get search results. To start searching, simply click on the Bing taskbar icon and the search bar will automatically appear at the center of your screen. Type what you’re looking for and the search results will appear in your default browser. You’re off and running in a matter of keystrokes. When you’re not using the search box, it goes to the background so you won’t lose precious screen... Read More From the beginning, Bing has been a place for exploration. The Bing homepage images aspire to spark your curiosity giving you something to talk about and connect with. Over the years, many of you have requested a simple way to enjoy these images as your Windows desktop background. With today’s release of Bing Desktop, we’re introducing an easy way to do just that. Bing Desktop marries the beauty of Bing’s daily homepage with a quick and convenient search interface so you don’t have to open your browser to start a search session. Every day, your Windows Desktop Background... Read More
Apr

17

20 12

Win a Nokia Lumia 900 & Xbox 360 prize...

Bing Rewards has launched two new sweepstakes for a Nokia Lumia 900 and a Xbox 360® that will run through May 1st. Continue reading for details on these great prizes and how to enter, but first congratulations to our latest winners! We are pleased to announce, pending official confirmation, the following winners for the three Bing Rewards sweepstakes that ended on April 2nd: The five lucky winners picked in the $500 Target GiftCard sweepstake were: Matthew H. of Roswell, NM; David T. of Somerset, KY; Ryan L. of Omaha, NE; Connor D. of Redmond, WA: and, Connie L. of Santa Clara, CA. Congratulations! Nicholas C. of Marlboro, NJ was drawn as the winner of the Xbox 360 Prize Pack with Mass Effect 3. Have fun with the awesome Kinect™ integration. Our two new sweepstakes* have kicked off and will end May 1, 2012 at 11.59 a.m. ET. The prizes include: Nokia Lumia 900 - 5 Winners . The amazingly fast Lumia 900 has a crisp 4.3-inch display screen and is the first Nokia Windows Phone with 4G LTE connectivity. This beautifully designed phone also comes with cutting-edge apps such as Xbox Live and ESPN Sports Hub. We’re also including $200 cash toward a new contract... Read More Bing Rewards has launched two new sweepstakes for a Nokia Lumia 900 and a Xbox 360® that will run through May 1st. Continue reading for details on these great prizes and how to enter, but first congratulations to our latest winners! We are pleased to announce, pending official confirmation, the following winners for the three Bing Rewards sweepstakes that ended on April 2nd: The five lucky winners picked in the $500 Target GiftCard sweepstake were: Matthew H. of Roswell, NM; David T. of Somerset, KY; Ryan L. of Omaha, NE; Connor D. of Redmond, WA: and, Connie L. of Santa Clara, CA. Congratulations... Read More
Apr

17

20 12

Bing Bar 7.1 Rolling Out: Connect with...

We’re constantly looking for ways to make Bing Bar more useful. The primary way we do this is based on how you are using the product- which features are used most, which aren’t being used. You’ve told us that you love the clean look, convenience, and quick performance of Bing Bar. You also told us that the app buttons we delivered in Bing Bar 7.0 and subsequent releases were valuable and useful. Today we are excited to release Bing Bar 7.1. This new release, based on your feedback, provides richer access to your social connections, new entertainment options, and updated versions of the most popular Bing Bar apps. Below is a snapshot of the new features and benefits shipping with Bing Bar 7.1, which new users can download at the Bing Bar page on Discover Bing. If you’re already a user of Bing Bar 7.0, you’ll get the upgrade automatically delivered to you over the next few months. Can’t wait? You can always upgrade manually via the link on Discover Bing. Facebook Chat: Have you ever wanted to reach out and chat with one of your Facebook friends, but don’t have Facebook open in the browser? Now you can chat with your friends from wherever... Read More We’re constantly looking for ways to make Bing Bar more useful. The primary way we do this is based on how you are using the product- which features are used most, which aren’t being used. You’ve told us that you love the clean look, convenience, and quick performance of Bing Bar. You also told us that the app buttons we delivered in Bing Bar 7.0 and subsequent releases were valuable and useful. Today we are excited to release Bing Bar 7.1. This new release, based on your feedback, provides richer access to your social connections, new entertainment options, and updated versions... Read More
Apr

16

20 12

New Translator App for Windows Phone Powered...

Achtung! Внимание! Attenzione! Aufmerksamkeit! 注意! Attention! Today we are releasing an updated version of the Translator App for Windows Phone powered by Bing. Over the last decade, world class researchers - both at our own research labs and around the world have been working on the problem of language translation, the results of which you enjoy today on Bing . Now you can take that experience with you as you travel across the globe with the new Translator app for Windows Phone. Let’s check it out: Point, Scan and Translate With the Translator App for Windows Phone you can now translate printed language by simply pointing the camera. From street signs and posters to transit schedules and restaurant menus translating is now a snap. Well, easier than a snap – all you do is point and scan. Think of this as automatic subtitles for everyday life- a view that provides continuous translation smoothly overlaid over the original language (English, Spanish, German, French, Italian and Chinese Simplified.) To see it in action, check out this video: Offline Translation No network connection in Barcelona? No hay problema. Simply download the language pack... Read More Achtung! Внимание! Attenzione! Aufmerksamkeit! 注意! Attention! Today we are releasing an updated version of the Translator App for Windows Phone powered by Bing. Over the last decade, world class researchers - both at our own research labs and around the world have been working on the problem of language translation, the results of which you enjoy today on Bing . Now you can take that experience with you as you travel across the globe with the new Translator app for Windows Phone. Let’s check it out: Point, Scan and Translate With the Translator App for Windows Phone you can now... Read More
Apr

16

20 12

What Are You Doing for Earth Day 2012?...

Earth Day 2012 is just around the corner. We’re teaming with The Nature Conservancy to inspire you to get out and do something for the environment on April 22 nd . The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working in all 50 states and more than 30 countries to conserve the lands and waters upon which life depends. Join us this Wednesday, April 18th from 12-1 pm PT to see how you can get involved in conservation. To participate, follow @Bing and @nature_org, and be sure to include the hashtag #BingIt in all tweets to follow along and contribute to the conversation. As a special bonus, we’ll be giving away $50 gift cards to two lucky participants that will help get your Earth Day project off the ground. Can’t make it to the chat? Join The Nature Conservancy on April 22 nd for Picnic for the Planet — the world's largest and most delicious Earth Day celebration — by attending, hosting or donating to a picnic. Visit nature.org/earthday to learn more. - The Bing Team Kari Dilloo - @karidilloo Ted Roduner - @roduner Archana Ramachandran - @archana Read More Earth Day 2012 is just around the corner. We’re teaming with The Nature Conservancy to inspire you to get out and do something for the environment on April 22 nd . The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working in all 50 states and more than 30 countries to conserve the lands and waters upon which life depends. Join us this Wednesday, April 18th from 12-1 pm PT to see how you can get involved in conservation. To participate, follow @Bing and @nature_org, and be sure to include the hashtag #BingIt in all tweets to follow along and contribute to the conversation... Read More
Apr

13

20 12

@Bing “Get Things Done this Foursquare...

We’re ‘checking-in’ and kicking it into high gear on Foursquare Day! Foursquare Day was a grass-roots campaign founded by users in 2010 to celebrate the social media platform. This April 16 th (Foursquare = 4 2 = 4/16, get it?!) we’re celebrating in true mobile fashion by giving away 6 Nokia Lumia 900 Windows® Phones to our lucky Foursquare followers. To be entered, follow Bing on Foursquare and check-in to any venue with the hashtag #Bing4sq and push it out to Twitter. We will randomly select six lucky winners from the Bing Foursquare followers who complete the above steps during the following time period: 9:00 AM-11:59 PM PT on April 16th, 2012 Foursquare Day wouldn’t be the same without the hundreds of local city events! We’re pumped to have the following six official Foursquare Day events on board in support of our sweepstakes: @4sqATL , @4sqDayPDX , @FoursquareHOU , @4sqLA , @4sqdaySF , and @4sqSeattle . ‘Mayors’ and ‘tipsters,’ good luck! Be sure to follow Bing on Foursquare and lookout for @Bing on Twitter to stay updated on Bing’s Foursquare whereabouts. For details on how the... Read More We’re ‘checking-in’ and kicking it into high gear on Foursquare Day! Foursquare Day was a grass-roots campaign founded by users in 2010 to celebrate the social media platform. This April 16 th (Foursquare = 4 2 = 4/16, get it?!) we’re celebrating in true mobile fashion by giving away 6 Nokia Lumia 900 Windows® Phones to our lucky Foursquare followers. To be entered, follow Bing on Foursquare and check-in to any venue with the hashtag #Bing4sq and push it out to Twitter. We will randomly select six lucky winners from the Bing Foursquare followers who complete the... Read More
Apr

09

20 12

Nokia Lumia 900 Now Available in the US

Yesterday the first 4G LTE Windows Phones at AT&T, including the highly-anticipated Nokia Lumia 900 began to roll out. You can now go online or visit AT&T and Microsoft stores across the U.S. to purchase. Last week, we kicked off a new sweepstakes though its Bing Rewards program. To enter, go to Bing Rewards and sign up for a free account—or sign in with your existing one and click here . We are excited to get our hands on what is an elegant, intuitive experience that places the user at the center of the experience. Not surprisingly, what excites us the most about these phones is what the team has done with Bing. Local Scout: Local Scout provides local search results and recommends nearby restaurants, shopping and other activities in an easy to use guide powered by Bing. Whether you’re looking for the best brunch or live music in your area, it's all a tap away. Simply pick a result and you’ll see everything you need to know —where it's located, how to get there, who to call, when it's open, the website, and even ratings and reviews. The results are arranged by: - Highlights: Top rated and highly reviewed listings - Eat+Drink: Nearby... Read More Yesterday the first 4G LTE Windows Phones at AT&T, including the highly-anticipated Nokia Lumia 900 began to roll out. You can now go online or visit AT&T and Microsoft stores across the U.S. to purchase. Last week, we kicked off a new sweepstakes though its Bing Rewards program. To enter, go to Bing Rewards and sign up for a free account—or sign in with your existing one and click here . We are excited to get our hands on what is an elegant, intuitive experience that places the user at the center of the experience. Not surprisingly, what excites us the most about these phones... Read More
Apr

02

20 12

Start Doing More to Stop Bullying

Last week, we shared information about a new Bing partnership with The Weinstein Company in support of their new anti-bullying documentary, “Bully”. Today is the next step in our journey together to help raise awareness of the serious implications of bullying and inspire change. Starting today we will begin airing advertisements in support of the film, with the goal of inspiring people to start doing more to stop bullying. Bing is designed for doing and we’re committed to helping people find the best resources to help address this important issue. You can see the new ad during Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Apprentice on NBC, several shows on CW including 90210, Gossip Girl, Vampire Diaries, and also on FX, Bravo, E! and more. We encourage you to join the conversation with @Bing at #bullymovie. You can learn more about the film at http://www.thebullyproject.com/ . - Lisa Gurry, Senior Director, Bing and MSN Read More Last week, we shared information about a new Bing partnership with The Weinstein Company in support of their new anti-bullying documentary, “Bully”. Today is the next step in our journey together to help raise awareness of the serious implications of bullying and inspire change. Starting today we will begin airing advertisements in support of the film, with the goal of inspiring people to start doing more to stop bullying. Bing is designed for doing and we’re committed to helping people find the best resources to help address this important issue. You can see... Read More
Apr

02

20 12

Get Your Home Ready For Spring: John and...

If you’re anything like us, the warmer weather has you dusting off the patio furniture, cracking open the windows and dreaming of long, carefree summer nights. But before we can fully enjoy all that spring and summer have to offer, it’s time to get organized! To help you kick start your spring cleaning activities, we’ve brought in the experts on creating an organized, beautiful and happy home – John and Sherry of YoungHouseLove . John and Sherry are DIY aficionados who have spent the past five years fixing up their first and now second home. They like to learn as they go, and share their adventures – and misadventures – with the world via their YoungHouseLove blog. They’ve done a little of everything, including tiling, demolition, cabinet refurnishing and furniture painting, among much more. John and Sherry love bringing budget-friendly solutions to the table. From documenting how they completely gutted and rebuilt a bathroom for just a little over a thousand dollars to making a 13' double desk for their office for under $150, they definitely aren't afraid to get their hands dirty while pinching their pennies. When they aren’t working... Read More If you’re anything like us, the warmer weather has you dusting off the patio furniture, cracking open the windows and dreaming of long, carefree summer nights. But before we can fully enjoy all that spring and summer have to offer, it’s time to get organized! To help you kick start your spring cleaning activities, we’ve brought in the experts on creating an organized, beautiful and happy home – John and Sherry of YoungHouseLove . John and Sherry are DIY aficionados who have spent the past five years fixing up their first and now second home. They like to learn as they... Read More