We’re excited today to announce the Bing app for Windows 8. We’ve completely reimagined search for the new experiences of Windows 8, and the RTM release of Windows 8 shows off just how far we’ve come.
Searching with the Bing app is fast and fluid, whether you use a touch device to tap and swipe or type and click with a keyboard and mouse. Visual results and images take center stage letting you quickly find what you’re looking for, so you can search less and do more. While you can still rely on the Bing web experience in Internet Explorer, we’ve optimized the Bing app to shine on Windows 8. Bing is available on almost all of the Windows markets and languages.
Let’s look at a couple of the key feature of Bing for Windows 8 as well as the new apps for Travel, Weather, Maps, News, Finance and Sports powered by Bing.
Bing on Windows 8 is fast. Based on the modern design principles of Windows 8, Bing provides elements like autosuggest, search results, and fluid navigation using tap and swipe. Fast and fluid scrolling through the continuous horizontal list of results with a swipe of your finger is immediately satisfying. Rich answers like the one below provide instant fulfillment of your search intent. Your eyes quickly pick up the differences amongst search results based on smart captions and image previews, so that the first tap or click into a result yields just what you’re looking for.
Bing for Windows 8 is gorgeous. We take pride in the craft of building a great Windows 8 app.Bing’s iconic homepage and hover points are a big part of the app experience. And Bing’s image search just got a lot more immersive. When you’re looking for that perfect photo on the web, Bing brings back a comprehensive collage listing of images. Tapping or clicking on any one of them takes you to a full-screen preview. A simple swipe of the finger lets you scroll through the next set of results.
Bing for Windows 8 is streamlined. Bing takes full advantage of the rich user experience innovations in Windows 8. Bing’s search charm means you can initiate a Bing search from anywhere in the modern Windows experience. Using Snap, Bing presents the list of search results side-by-side with your browser, allowing you to rip through web pages without ever leaving search. No more flipping back and forth to see other results! Bing’s integration with the share charm means you can share a specific result with your social network or get your friends’ help on a search with a simple swipe of your finger.
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Bing for Windows 8 complements the six Bing-powered apps that are also part of Windows 8. If your query falls into Maps, Weather, News, Finance, Sports, or Travel, these rich apps give rapid access to a depth of knowledge from across the web and our content partners.
Travel
The Travel app lets you explore more than 3,000 destinations from all over the world. Swipe or click through rich resources, such as in-depth articles, attraction information, maps, weather conditions, beautiful pictures including 360 degree panoramas, and much more. The travel app not only offers you a window to explore the world, but it also makes it easy for you to find the right flight or hotel and the right price. Simply enter where you want to go and the dates you want to travel.
Weather
The Weather app offers a gorgeously rendered preview of current weather conditions, helping you prepare for the latest conditions with hourly, daily and 10-day forecasts. Dive deep into the local weather with historical trends that capture annual temperature, rain, and snow. Designed for Windows 8 and featuring rich, engaging weather images, the Weather app puts the information you care about front and center.
Maps
Maps app makes it easy to find the places you’re looking for and helps you get there faster.
Quickly pinpoint the locations you care about, get directions, check traffic conditions and more— all with a few swipes or clicks.
News
The News app is a beautiful, photo-rich app that makes it easy for you to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in the world from reliable sources from around the web. Swipe through the app for a quick read of national, world, technology, entertainment, politics, sports, and health headlines and tap on specific headlines to read the full article. With the My News feature, you can track news stories for topics that you care about – like your favorite sports team, a celebrity, or a new gadget. And, our Sources feature makes it easy for you to see your most used news sources all in one place.
Finance
The Finance app provides a quick overview of key market indices via a live tile and helps you stay on top of fast-changing market conditions, so you can make more informed financial decisions. Swipe or scroll through colorful charts for a quick read of the day’s events. Rich graphics also help you find the latest mortgage, auto and credit card rates.
Sports
The Sports app is your personal sports companion that helps you stay on top of the sports, teams, and players that you care most about. Swipe through the app to get an overview of the top sports headlines, live scores, schedules, standings, extensive statistics and much more across all major sports. Personalize the experience, so you can track the leagues and teams you are most interested in.
The app features high-resolution pictures to give you an immersive experience that makes you feel like you are sitting in the front row.
We’re just getting started with the Bing for Windows 8. By the time Windows is fully available this fall, Bing will have additional capabilities to let you find results more quickly than ever with Windows 8. We’re excited to help make Windows 8 a great experience!
– David Lindheimer, Bing Apps and Experiences Team
