Bing Search Boosts Facebook Friends' Integration

Microsoft today revealed an update to its Bing search engine that adds more information from Facebook friends ? five times more content, according to the Bing blog.

"Starting today, five times more of your friends' content on Facebook is searchable in the sidebar ? including status updates, shared links, comments and photos from your friends," Microsoft said. "It is now easier to see who knows and what they've shared related to your search. So when your friends aren't around, Bing is the perfect stand-in."

To try it out, visit Bing.com, click on Connect to Facebook in the upper right corner, sign in to the social network, and start searching.

Perhaps you are planning a trip to New York: Search Bing for Internet-wide results about the city, but also receive information in the sidebar from friends who live there or have visited. Any status update, shared link, comment, or photo pertaining to NYC will also surface in that sidebar.

Experts who are not necessarily your friends are still factored into the equation, though, with thoughts compiled from Twitter, Foursquare, Quora, Klout, and Google+.

The revamp comes with a streamlined design that removes the need to hover over a person to see additional content in the results bar. More details are now available with a click of the "+ see all" icon.

All existing Facebook settings remain in place; nothing is shared automatically, and users only see what friends explicitly allow.

"It's amazing what you can do when friends are part of your search," Bing said.

The search engine initially added its social sidebar in May, following an Oct. 2010 partnership between Facebook and Bing that added promoted links from the social network. Later, the ability to tap into the knowledge of your foodie friend or travel guru cousin was added with the tag feature.

For more, see PCMag's review of Microsoft Bing and the slideshow above. Also, check out Bing's new sidebar in action in the video below.

For more from Stephanie, follow her on Twitter @smlotPCMag.

Source: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2414427,00.asp?kc=PCRSS05079TX1K0000993

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