Unwrapping Windows 8.1: Bing Smart Search

Over the past few years, we have been working hard to deliver the capabilities of Bing to products across Microsoft. Whether you’re using Xbox, Windows Phone, Office or Windows 8, we’ve begun a journey to make it easier to find the stuff you are looking for and take action. With the worldwide availability of Windows 8.1, we’re hitting another big milestone on that path. To mark the occasion, people using Windows 8.1 will see the latest version of Bing.com starting today – this will be rolling out to everyone in the coming weeks.

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With this release, we’re also debuting Bing Smart Search which was designed from the ground up for Windows 8.1. It is a new way to experience search. Built specifically for touch, simply swipe or type from the start screen and Smart Search will find what you need – whether it’s a document on your PC, a photo album in the cloud, your favorite app, or a website.

Smart Search is the first truly touch optimized search experience. The new Windows replaces endless rows of blue-links with rich visual search results that work perfectly with touch. Full page, web previews help you see at-a-glance what the web page looks like behind each search and a simple swipe of the finger makes navigation completely app-like.   For popular searches, you’ll see a rich visual summary of the most relevant information from across the web and apps, making Smart Search the perfect companion for your new Windows device.

Here’s the breakdown:

Search Just Got Faster and Easier:From the Start screen, just start typing and Smart Search will begin showing you results. When in desktop mode, press the Windows key (or the dedicated search button that will begin to appear on some devices) and start typing to begin a search, or swipe to engage the charm from the right screen edge. It’s the fastest way to search on any device.

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A New Way to Experience Search: An intelligent summary of results pulled from the most relevant information across the web and related apps, all organized in a beautiful, compelling, and easy-to-read way.

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Take Action Before You Finish Typing:Looking to play your favorite song? Start typing, see results instantly, then tap to play. Or, find an app that is relevant to your search and tap into right from results. Bing will dynamically find the best apps over time to help you complete your tasks – so you can search and do, not just search and read.

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Advanced Search Filters:Now you can quickly and easily scope search results you’re interested in, or leave the default to “everything” to simultaneously search across your device, cloud, and on the web.

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Multi-tasking is a Snap: Keep everything in view and in context. No more jumping back and forth between search and other apps. Bing Smart Search works seamlessly with the improved snap-view feature in Windows 8.1.

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Let’s watch Smart Search in action:

If you have Windows 8, go to the Windows Store to get the update. If you don’t, but still want to check out Smart Search, you can learn more here.

– Derrick Connell, Corporate Vice President, Bing