Bing Watch . . . Just Bing It!

Bing Maps updates its Streetside view with better navigation for desktop browsers and does not require Silverlight plug-in

Early this morning Bing Maps team added several new updates on its Streetside view maps.  Most of the new updates were catered for desktop browsers.  As the team blog wrote “We are doing this by providing street level panoramas so you can take a virtual walk through the streets with a view of locations and landmarks.”  The new enhancement does not require user to install Silverlight plug-in, as users can easily view a city block include seeing names of businesses and street signs.

 
(Image: Bing Maps, Grauman’s Chinese Theater, Hollywood)

Let’s say hello to Bing’s new family member, Windows 8 for tablet operating system, to be announced @D9 All Things Digital at Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, Los Angeles, May 31 to June 2, 2011

Technology leaders, visionaries, writers, and bloggers will gather at Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, Los Angeles, from May 31 to June 2, 2011.  The brand new nine-hole golf course and Mediterranean-style resort is located about 45-minutes drive via crowded freeway I-405 south of Los Angeles airport. 

@D9 All Things Digital Conference this week Windows and Windows Live Engineering President Steven Sinofsky will give an on-stage interview and will show off Bing’s new family member, Windows 8 tablet operating system (a new version of Windows OS that could one day replacing the powerful Windows 7 OS).  According D9's schedule (maybe on June 1, Wednesday night), Sinofsky will also talk about the future of Windows Azure cloud services and products offering.

Aside of Sinofsky to be lined up of speakers @D9, other top technology leaders will be on stage as well, include Google’s chairman Eric Schmidt, Bob Iger of Disney, Netflix’s Reed Hastings, and a newcomer Chinese entrepreneur Alibaba Group Founder and CEO Jack Ma.

(Image: Microsoft's President Steven Sinofsky)

It’s not too late to compete with Bing Travel for this summer vacation, Google introduces new flight search tools which is available in 10 languages

As the decision engine added more social networking features into Bing Travel section this week, the giant search engine company Google released new flight search tools this morning.  According to Google official blog post, the new flight search tools will be available in 10 languages: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Dutch, Brazilian Portuguese, Polish, Russian, Turkish, and Catalan. 

Before it's too late to fighting the recent upgrades on Bing travel section with social networking features, Google engineers also promise to enhance its travel-related search tools with ITA’s search technology.  The giant search company was finally allowed by the Justice Department to purchase ticketing company ITA Software in April 2011.

(Screenshot: Google search for flights from San Francisco to Minneapolis)

Just in time for summer, Bing added more social network features to enhance Bing Travel section include places pages and “like” flight deals in Facebook

As the decision engine users are planning to take summer vacation, Bing released more social network features to enhance Bing Travel section.  There are at least three favorites updates, include places pages, social network integration by adding wish list and flight deals into users’ Facebook account.

Aside friends could give advices on travel routes, the new flight deals feature will let travel agencies and online travel websites to supply the best flight deals into users’ Facebook account.   If users conducted search on Bing, they must click on “like” button on a flight search result (see a sample, text read “Click Like to get Los Angeles deals via Facebook") to acknowledge the decision engine to automatically delivering new deals into users’ Facebook wall.

(Image: Bing Travel)

Bing tries to grab more users thru teenagers aged 13–19 and young adults by sponsoring the Young Hollywood Awards which was held on Friday May 20, 2011

Bing was one of several sponsors (incl. HP, JetBlue, etc.) of this year’s Young Hollywood Awards which was held on Friday May 20, 2011 in Los Angeles.  The first Young Hollywood Awards was held in 1999.

Voters for the awards are teenagers aged 13–19 and young adults which is a prime target for the decision engine marketing ploy.  

After compiling all the votes, top young talent picked up their awards for categories include music, movies, sports, television, and fashion. 

An edited version of this year's ceremony will be telecasted by ION Television on Thursday, May 26, 9:00 Eastern Time or Pacific Time.  Click here to watch some video clips.

The decision engine runs on new mango fuel to become smarter and faster

Bing’s parent officially provided a sneak peek into the future release of Windows Phone dubbed as “Mango.”  The future release includes many features that benefitting the decision engine users, as the giant software company will make Bing smarter and faster. 

Smarter Bing will let the decision engine users to optimizing the use of users’ smartphone functionality include location positioning, high-resolution camera, and microphone. 

As per Windows Phone press release, the future operating system will include several enhanced features with Bing in mind such as:

(a) Local Scout: user must set their preferences in the new phone OS in order to take advantage of this local search for places to eat, drink, and shop.

(b) Visual Search: users can take a picture of barcodes, QR codes, or Microsoft Tags, and then, Bing will search and match the items with reviews and prices.

(c) Music Search: users can use the phone’s microphone to a speaker to catch a short song note or a music instrument, Bing will reply with song title, artist, and album title.

(Images: Windows Phone press release. Left: Local Scout and right: Bing Homepage)

Bing is coming to Prius versatility (“v”): the first Toyotas to be equipped with Entune multimedia system

The top trim level of 2012 Prius versatility (“v”) will be fully integrated with Toyota's new Entune system, as per the press release by the world’s largest automobile manufacturer. Prius v will go on sale sometime in the fall of 2011 (around September with price tag of $30K). 

The joint partnership between Bing and Toyota's new Entune system was announced during the first week of January 2011.   Prius v with Entune multimedia system will be the first car ever to be equipped with the new and innovative system. The Entune system utilizes driver's smartphone to provide mobile access to the decision engine, navigation and entertainment system in one of the most popular Japanese hybrid cars.  Toyota Entune for smartphone mobile app is available for Google Android, Apple iPhone, BlackBerry, and soon Windows Phone operating system.

(Image: Toyota Prius versatility “v”)

Bing and decide with your friends: two new video commercials showing the integration between the decision engine and social media networking powerhouse Facebook

 
Bing team just released two new video commercials thru Facebook fans page.  Those two videos show the latest integration between the decision engine and social media networking powerhouse Facebook. 

(a) Facebook and Bing: Chromeo: this video shows that the decision engine users can trust their Facebook friends to decide about music-related question, as a group of friends recommends a Canadian band.  Click here to watch the video.

 

(b) Facebook and Bing: Sushi: this second video shows the way Facebook friends helping the decision engine users to select a sushi restaurant in Seattle area. Click here to watch the video.

 

Me too: Google is rolling out social search in 19 languages and trying to unseat power couple Bing and Facebook

Early this week the decision engine and the social networking powerhouse released the joint partnership in social search which involved trusted Facebook friends and family advices into Bing search results.  While the power couple Bing and Facebook is still enjoying the release of their social search features, few days later Google announced that they are rolling out social search in 19 languages outside America.  In the official blog post, Google wrote that social search will add more languages later.

In order to get social search results, both Bing and Google required users to login into their Live ID or Facebook account, and Google account.

Google made its social search feature available America in late March this year as the giant search engine company introduced “Plus One” (+1) which is very similar to Facebook's "Like" button.  The +1 button is created to ask Google users to like or dislike search results and pay-per-click ads and share their advices with other Google users. 

Unlike Bing’s social datasets which were pulled from Facebook’s 700 million users, Google’s social search data were compiled from Google’s own Blogger site, Twitter, Flickr, etc.

 

(Image and video by Google)

Bing’s parent lends its PhotoDNA software to Facebook to combat child pornography and remove child porn photos from the social networking site

The largest social networking in the planet is now deploying a new type of software from Bing’s parent dubbed as PhotoDNA.  According to seattlepi.com, as both companies have a very strong partnership, Bing’s parent treated Facebook as a special client, and now is being the first mover to utilize such sophisticated technology from Microsoft.   The software can find and match images of child pornography and remove those child porn photos from the social networking site.

A team of experts from Facebook, Microsoft, and executives from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, will discuss the use of the software technology to fight child pornography in Washington DC, starting at 3:00 p.m. EST or 12:00 p.m. PST on Friday, March 20, 2011.  Click here to watch the "FB DC Live."

 
(Flow chart: Microsoft Photo DNA step-by-step)

Bing to live streaming a Hollywood red carpet premiere of a new comedy movie “The Hangover Part II” starting at 6:30 p.m. PST on Thursday May 19, 2011

To test Bing’s new features which include the personalized search results by integrating real-time data from the decision engine and social media networking, Bing team urged its users to submit questions via Bing’s Facebook page or Bing’s Twitter account #BingandWolfpack before the start of a live streaming show on Thursday May 19, 2011 afternoon. 

The red carpet premiere of “The Hangover Part II” will take place at the famous Chinese Theater located on the corner of Highland Blvd and Hollywood Blvd.  Fans and friends can watch the event on real-time as Bing will start to broadcast it live from Hollywood starting at 6:30 pm PST.

(Image: facebook.com/bing)

Bing team explains the way social media networking works with the decision engine

Just found an interesting post at Bing team blog written by Duane Forrester, a Senior Product Manager at Bing.  On this post, Forrester shows a diagram on how social works with the decision engine.  Forrester also explains the plus and minus of social networking content and data and how those dataset will benefit the decision engine.  Click here to read the full report.

The diagram starts with the source of social media data which were collected from Facebook and Twitter, as users clicking and liking content.  Later the decision engine’s robots will automatically collect, process, and index all necessary contents to give scores of important.  As users are conducting search, the decision engine will propagate data collected from friends and family and merge those information into search results pages.

 
(Diagram: Bing team blog)

Bing integrates with Facebook trusted friends and family to help the decision engine users to make more informed and better decisions

While initial Bing tests have already been performed during last year’s holiday season to help shoppers to find the best products, the decision engine has finally introduced more features to help its users to make more informed and better decisions. 

The latest updates will integrate Facebook trusted circle include friends and family advices into search results.  In order to get all Facebook friends and family advices when conducting search online, Bing users must login into their account with Live ID or with Facebook ID.

 
(Screenshot: Bing team)

B2B, or B-to-B, or Bing-to-Baidu: the decision engine to sign a partnership deal with China’s rabbit engine

The decision engine is so eager to grab more search market share in the most populous Internet users in the planet as Google was kicked out of the country about one year ago.  After launching a beta version in Chinese language which was dubbed as “biying” (or "giving answer" engine) in summer 2009, the decision engine was not able to penetrate the Great Wall of China.  “biying” continued to maintain a very small share of China’s search engine market (less than 3% search share).  At the same time, about one year ago, Bing top executives hinted that the software giant was not going to take over a very dominant local search engine Baidu or “rabbit engine.” 

While Bing executives have been partying with their new toys and in bed with Skype communication technology company since early this week, citing Chinese press several bloggers reported that Bing is in a position to sign a partnership with Baidu.  A deal is now on the table and could be signed by both companies within days.   According to the Chinese press, Baidu will control pay-per-click search ads on “biying” site while the “giving answer” engine will provide search results in English language for Baidu.

 

The decision engine introduces a new type of ad banner at the bottom homepage to promote Bing Rewards

The decision engine adds a new type of ad banner in grey color at the bottom homepage to promote Bing Rewards.  It's placed just below the Facebook "Like" button.  This grey banner at the bottom homepage with black color text read “Earns rewards while you search and explore Bing.”  Then another text in white color read “Join Bing Rewards.”  Users can click on “X” to dismiss the ad.

 
(Screenshot: Bing homepage)

No need to round up numbers: the search alliance Bing and Yahoo has exactly 30.0% search share, while Google dropped to 65.4% share in America

The decision engine has managed to grab 14.1% search share in April, compared to 13.9% share in March (an increase of 0.2%).  Yahoo meanwhile increased to 15.9% share in March, compared to 15.7% share in March (an increase of 0.2%), citing data from comScore and published early today by businessinsider.com.

The search alliance Bing and Yahoo now has exactly 30.0% search share in April 2011, compared to 29.6% share in March (an increase of 0.4%). 

Google dropped a little bit in search share to 65.4% in April, compared to 65.7% share in March (a drop of 0.3%). 

The Biggest Winners: Bing gets more eyeballs thru Skype and boosts its relationship with Facebook social network

One of the biggest winners of Bing’s parent acquiring Skype for $8.5 billion in cash could actually be the decision engine.  According to the press release, Skype has 170 million connected users which connecting friends, families, and businesses workers worldwide.  With additional eyeballs from Skype, these will help to generate huge web traffic to Bing.  As Skype users communicate with their peers, they will use the decision engine to conduct search as well.

The next biggest winner is Facebook.  By adding Skype into Bing’s family, this will also boost the decision engine relationship with Facebook social network.  Facebook could add Skype’s peer-to-peer features to help its 600 million users to communicate among their fans, friends, and families.  Facebook chatting feature will be enhanced with extra video and voice services thru Skype’s network.

Google’s four-peat has ended as its brand value dropped to number two and replaced by world’s largest mobile devices company Apple, while Bing’s parent remained at number five on BrandZ Top 100 global brands conducted by Millward Brown

The two-year-old Bing decision engine and its search alliance with Yahoo has done some damages on the world giant search engine in 2010.  Google’s four-peat or a fourth consecutive championship on the top of Millward Brown’s annual best global brands list has ended as its brand value dropped to $111.5 billion in 2011 (a drop of 2% from 2010).  Read a full report in .pdf file.

Meanwhile, Bing’s parent brand value remained at number five and has a total value of $78.2 billion in 2011.  Actually, Bing’s parent brand value grew 2% from 2010 to 2011.

The world’s largest mobile devices company Apple has taken the number one spot.  Apple’s brand value increased to $153.3 billion.  The maker of popular mobile devices such as iPhones, iPads, and iPods brand value increased 84% from 2010 to 2011.

 
(Table: BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands 2011 in .pdf file, Millward Brown)

Bing upgrades features to target local businesses with new mobile local ad offerings include radius targeting for search ads and click-to-call (for businesses with addresses in America only)

One of Bing’s people Dennis Glavin, the group product manager and lead on local search advertising, was a presenter at Social-Loco in San Francisco.  At the conference Glavin showed new Bing’s features to target local search advertising.   As the latest data showing more users access local info from their mobile handsets, Bing tries to help marketers and advertisers to target more specifically toward local consumers.  

After the presentation at Social-Loco, Glavin wrote a blog post and said that the decision engine will soon offer marketers to adjust their radius targeting for search ads, for example advertisers can choose a specific five to 100 mile radius from a local business address (for addresses in America only). 

Glavin also added that the decision engine will also add local search ad attributes.  The new features as Glavin wrote “allow advertisers to define certain attributes to their ad, such as a merchant’s address or a phone number.“  These new features include click-to-call feature. 

Other related new features include Bing Vision which allows users to take picture with their mobile devices’ camera and obtain more product info, customers and friends reviews, and comparing prices.

(Screenshot:  Microsoft Advertising Blog)

Bing to welcome Apple’s iPhone and iPad apps developers by adding Bing Maps control for iOS and kicking Google’s butt

Bing wants to help Apple’s iPhone and iPad apps developers to use its technology and urges them to utilize the newest decision engine mapping tools.  Bing engineering team has just released Bing Maps control for Apple iOS developers.  Also, at the same time Bing’s parent wants iOS developers to get hands dirty by developing apps for Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system.  Windows Phone 7 OS was released during the third week of October 2010.

The new Bing Maps control for iOS (SDK) gives iPhone and iPad developers to utilize Bing Maps features and adding the decision engine’s search listings, street directions, and REST Service (incl. geocoding and routing), as reported by Bing team blog. 

Bing tries everything to kicking Google’s butt in term of technology.  One example was the launch of Bing iPad app that Google has not been able to match.  The latest Bing Maps SDK will definitely help to welcoming many iOS developers to come on board with the decision engine team.  As the official download website wrote “The Bing Maps iOS Control is an Objective-C control for embedding maps directly into native iOS apps. With a rich, gesture-based UI provided by Seadragon, the Bing Maps iOS Control provides support for adding pushpins and other overlays to the map, allows your device location to be displayed, and provides the ability to retrieve contextual information for a given map location.”

(Screenshot: Bing team blog)

The decision engine helps travellers to find the best deals and save money during this year’s summer travel as airfare will go up at least 15%

The decision engine travel section is forecasting that airfare and hotel costs will go up this summer.  Travellers are urged to book their itineraries asap to save money.  By combining its search technology and Price Predictor to finding the best deals, the decision engine gives many choices to travellers.

According to Bing Travel blog, this year’s airfare is projected to go up at least 15% than last year’s airfare.  The average cost for airline tickets will be about $561, compared to last year’s average of $485 (an increase of $76 per ticket).  With its powerful dataset, Bing Travel also projected that price for hotel rooms will go up at least 7% than last year's price.  The average cost for room will be around $242, compared to last year’s average of $227 (an increase of $15 per room).

Bing Bold: BlackBerry users to type-in and touch screen with the decision engine, as a new alliance between Microsoft and Research In Motion (RIM) was announced during BlackBerry World 2011 conference

The world’s popular type-in keyboard and touch screen smartphones maker Research In Motion (RIM) and software giant Microsoft have announced a new alliance to pre-install all new BlackBerry devices with the decision engine.  The decision engine will also set as the default search engine.  Bing Maps will soon integrate and set as default maps for all new BlackBerry devices. The agreement between the two companies will take effect immediately for users in America and International.  BlackBerry devices remain popular in Asia countries such as India, Indonesia, and in the Middle East nations include UAE, Saudi Arabia, etc.

To gain more users starting this summer, RIM also announced two new phones which will be powered by BlackBerry 7 operating system.  The two models dubbed as BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930 will combine BlackBerry type-in keyboard and high resolution touch screen.

(Screenshot: BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930)

Google has the top one corporate reputation, while Bing’s parent has the 16th best corporate reputation

Using sample survey of 30,104 people conducted by Harris Interactive from December 30 to February 22, 2011, the brand consultant firm reported that Bing’s parent has the 16th best corporate reputation.  Bing’s parent has a total score of 80.16, which also captured as one of the top companies for investing. 

Google has the top one corporate reputation with a total score of 84.05.  The giant search engine company won due to the top one scorer for categories such as workplace environment and financial performance.  Google also has the top five scorers for categories include vision & leadership, social responsibility, and product & service quality.

Other companies in the list that was provided by Harris Interactive annually include Johnson & Johnson, 3M Company, Apple, Intel, Procter & Gamble, Sony, Coca-Cola, General Mills, UPS, and FedEx.

 
(Table: Harris Interactive, click here to download a full report which required a registration)