Microsoft brings more Web data to Bing results; teams up with WolframAlpha

November 11, 2009 By JESSICA MINTZ , AP Technology Writer
Bing logo

(AP) -- Microsoft's Bing search service will pull more information and tools from other Web sites as the company tries to distinguish itself as part of its challenge to market leader Google.

Traditionally, search engines from Inc. and others respond to users' queries by offering links to other sites that Web surfers can go to for information.

Corp., whose search engine ranks third behind those from Google and Yahoo Inc., introduced several changes Wednesday aimed at answering people's questions without sending them to an outside page.

Microsoft will show on the results page more information on travel options, events and attractions in destination cities, in-depth weather reports, product details and even hospital reviews, often culled from multiple sources, including some with which the company has forged deals.

The software maker also improved the preview window that pops up when a user rolls the mouse over a link. Instead of just a text description, a smaller, thumbnail image of the Web site appears.

Microsoft also announced a partnership with WolframAlpha, which bills itself as a "computational knowledge engine." Now, when people type in certain types of information, including math problems and searches for nutritional information, Bing will use WolframAlpha's data-crunching power to deliver answers at the top of the page, in addition to a list of regular search-results links.

The improvements will begin to appear on Bing in the next few days.

Bing's share of U.S. searches totaled 9.4 percent in September, a slight gain from the month before, according to comScore Inc. Yahoo captured about 19 percent of searches, and Google took about 65 percent. Stephan Weitz, a director in Microsoft's search division, said is "on the right trajectory" and making "good progress."

But it's tough going, Weitz acknowledged, saying, "We really know we have to go win one query at a time."

©2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

2.7 /5 (3 votes)  

Rank 2.7 /5 (3 votes)
Related Stories
Relevant PhysicsForums posts
  • How to tilt a object
    created8 hours ago
  • How to calculate total compressibility in liquid porous solid system
    created14 hours ago
  • Need help reading 3-D
    createdFeb 11, 2012
  • A way to send and receive wireless data
    createdFeb 11, 2012
  • Calling function with no input argument
    createdFeb 10, 2012
  • Force free body diagram problem on gym equipment
    createdFeb 10, 2012
  • More from Physics Forums - General Engineering

More news stories

Hacker claims porn site users compromised

A hacker claims to have compromised the personal information of more than 350,000 users after breaking into a disused website operated by pornography provider Brazzers.

Technology / Internet

created 16 minutes ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

AT&T customers surprised by 'unlimited data' limit

(AP) -- Mike Trang likes to use his iPhone 4 as a GPS device, helping him get around in his job. Now and then, his younger cousins get ahold of it, and play some YouTube videos and games.

Technology / Telecom

created 1 hour ago | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Japan's Fukushima reactor may be reheating: operator

Temperature readings at one of the crippled Fukushima nuclear reactors have risen above Japan's stringent new safety standard but there was no immediate danger, its operator said Sunday.

Technology / Energy & Green Tech

created 1 hour ago | popularity 3 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Google might launch Drive for cloud storage soon

(PhysOrg.com) -- Google's next big move, according to the Wall Street Journal, is a cloud storage service called Drive. Hardly first to the plate, Google is simply catching up to introducing its cloud reposi ...

Technology / Internet

created 22 hours ago | popularity 4.2 / 5 (6) | comments 5 | with audio podcast report

Iran blocks email, restricts net access: reports

Iran has further restricted access to the Internet and blocked popular email services for the past few days, in a move a top lawmaker said could "cost the regime dearly," media reports said on Sunday.

Technology / Internet

created 15 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 5


Rapunzel, Leonardo and the physics of the ponytail

(PhysOrg.com) -- New research provides the first mathematical understanding of the shape of a ponytail and could have implications for the textile industry, computer animation and personal care products.

Cognitive impairment in older adults often unrecognized in the primary care setting

A new study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society reveals that brief cognitive screenings combined with offering further evaluation increased new diagnoses of cognitive impairment in older veterans two to ...

Climate change causes harmful algal blooms in North Atlantic: study

Warming oceans and increases in windiness could be causing of an abundance of harmful algal blooms in the North Atlantic Ocean and North Sea, according to new research.

Primary care program helps obese teen girls manage weight, improve body image and behavior

Teenage girls gained less weight, improved their body image, ate less fast food, and had more family meals after participating in a 6- month program that involved weekly peer meetings, consultations with primary care providers ...

Scientists discover molecular secrets of 2,000-year-old Chinese herbal remedy

For roughly two thousand years, Chinese herbalists have treated Malaria using a root extract, commonly known as Chang Shan, from a type of hydrangea that grows in Tibet and Nepal. More recent studies suggest that halofuginone, ...

Integrated pest management recommendations for the southern pine beetle

The southern pine beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann, is a chronic insect pest within pine forests in the southeastern United States. Under favorable environmental and host conditions, it is an agg ...