Bing Watch . . . Just Bing It!

Bing shows a new Metro-styled homepage with dark grey background, in conjunction with the announcement of Windows 8 Release Preview

Windows Chief Steven Sinofsky announced the release of Windows 8 Release Preview this afternoon.  The updated software is now available in 14 languages.  Click here to download.

In conjunction with the announcement, Bing also released a new Metro-styled homepage with dark grey background and with a larger daily photo (today's photo shows cable cars at Ocean Park, Hong Kong). 

The Bing team moved the Facebook Like button from left to right near the "i" (information) link.

The team also improved the Metro-styled tiles on the bottom of the homepage with clear background.  The new homepage shows two new text links at right bottom (see red arrow).  The first text is “Images” link and shows a list of popular images for the day.  The second text is “Videos” and shows all the popular videos.

(Image: Bing Metro-styled homepage)

After iOS, now it’s your turn: Bing releases Photosynth for Windows Phone operating system and let users to capture mobile panoramas (running “mango” version 7.5)

Photosynth mobile app has been available since last year for Apple iOS users (iPhone, iPad, and iPod).  And now it’s Windows Phone turn, as the team released the panorama app and let users to capture and share interactive panoramas with their friends.

Users can store their panoramas at Photosynth site (Photosynth.net free service), then publish or share it with Facebook and Twitter friends.

Users must have smartphone running on Windows Phone “mango” (version 7.5) and install the mobile app into the device.  Click here to to get the free mobile app from the Windows Phone Marketplace.

(Image: Photosynth via msdn.com)

Top web properties in America in April 2012 include Google, Microsoft (Bing), Yahoo, Facebook, and AOL

According to comScore Media Metrix, there were no changes in term of top 5 ranking of the most popular web properties in America for the month of April 2012.  comScore’s measurement was based on the number of visitors to a particular site or group of sites.  Overall, there were 221.7 million web visitors in America in in April.

Sites owned by Google still continues to maintain the top spot in April and managed to receive 188.9 million visitors which include Google (search engine), YouTube.com (video site), Gmail (email services), and Google Plus (social networking).

At number 2 is a group of sites owned by Microsoft.  All Microsoft sites received 171.2 million visitors in total.  Microsoft sites include Microsoft.com (corporate site), MSN (news and entertainment), Hotmail (email service) and Bing (the Doing Engine).

Two of Microsoft's partners, Yahoo! and Facebook.com, rank at number three and number four.  Yahoo! received 170.9 million visitors.  The new public company and the world’s largest social networking rely on one site, Facebook.com, received 158.7 million visitors. At number five is AOL and attarcted 110.8 million visitors.  Click here for a full report (in .pdf format)
 
(Image: comScore.com)

Powered by Nokia: Bing Maps to improve its traffic features and geocoding information by integrating technology from the Finnish company

The partnership between Nokia and Bing Maps continue to produce more products and services. Bing Maps traffic results and geocoding information are now powered by Nokia.  The geocoding information from Nokia will improve traffic coverage for several countries.  The new features will be available thru m.Bing.com.  Most branded smartphones and mobile handsets can connect to Bing Maps easily. 

According to Bing team, over 25 countries are effected with the new changes and will be available within the next few days, including, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirate, United Kingdom, and the US.

(Image: Bing team)

The “Doing Engine” provides price lists for Bing Search API via Windows Azure Marketplace and urges developers to start using the service as Bing Search API 2.0 will be discontinued on August 1, 2012

As apps and web developers add search functionality to their products and services, they can use either Bing or Google to propagate search results to enhance their apps and websites.  Developers can modify search results using several types of computer languages such as XML or JSON.  The Bing Search API helps developers to implant the search functionality easily.  It was free when Bing Search API 2.0 was introduced, but now the “Doing Engine” will charge developers to use them. 

There are several pricing points.  The cheapest will start at $0 (free) for retrieving search results for up to 5,000 transactions per month.  The most expensive on the price lists will be $5,000 for retrieving search results for up to 2,500,000 transactions per month.

As per the blog post, the team also announced that Bing Search API 2.0 will be discontinued on August 1, 2012.  The team urges existing developers to start migrating their apps or websites search functionality to the Windows Azure Marketplace as soon as possible.

(Image: Bing Search API price lists)

The “New Bing” with stronger social signals goes live, but only available for users in America

Bing team just posted an announcement that the “New Bing” is officially launched on Tuesday afternoon (May 15).  Users in America can check out at www.bing.com/new. 

The New Bing is now enhanced with a “sidebar” (in grey color) containing friends and experts that relate to users via social networks.  The sidebar allows users to share, exchange info and idea, and relate with friends or experts via Facebook and Twitter accounts.

(Screenshot: bing.com/new)

New web traffic data for April 2012 shows Bing captured 18.3% of search market share in America, Google at 65.9% share, while Yahoo at 15.0% share

Last Friday comScore published their data for April 2012 and showed Bing at 15.4% share of search market in America.  This week Compete published their web traffic data for April and showed Bing at 18.3% share of search market.  While the two competing web traffic research firms showed different numbers, Bing continued to gain monthly share.

The biggest loser in April was Yahoo as it captured only 15.0% share.  The Search Alliance totaled 33.3% share which is equal to one-third of search market share in America.

According to Compete, Google maintained at 65.9% share in April 2012.  Combined with AOL, Google powered search controlled about 66.7% which is equal to two-third of search market share in America.

(Chart: Compete)

Up 0.1%: Bing gains search market share in America, so does Google, while Yahoo continues to drop

The official press release from comScore for April 2012 search engine share is now out.  businessinsider.com published the data on Thursday night (May 10) which was later cited by Search Engine Land in early Friday (May 11).  Both Google and Bing continue to grab shares of search engine market in America, while Yahoo continues to loss search traffic.  

In April 2012, Bing captured 15.4 % of the search market share in America, compared to March which was at 15.3% share, or an increase of 0.1% share.  Compared to one year ago, this was an increase of 1.3% share from April 2011.

Yahoo dropped to 13.5% share in April 2012, compared to March which was at 13.7% share, or a drop of 0.2% share.

The Search Alliance Bing and Yahoo captured a total of 28.9% share in April 2012, compared to March which was at 29.0% share, or a drop of 0.1% share.

Google’s share went up 0.1% and captured 66.5% share in April 2012, compared to March 2012 which was at 66.4% share.

(Chart data source: comScore)

 

New Sweepstakes: Bing Rewards offers two types of grand prizes, Xbox 360 Star Wars bundle and $500 Amazon gift card, will close on May 31, 2012

Bing Rewards team announced two types of grand prizes.  The first prize is for a chance to win one Xbox 360 game console bundle with Kinect controller.  The Xbox bundle is a limited edition Star Wars edition.  Each member needs 20 points to redeem this drawing.

The second prize will offer Bing Rewards members for a chance to win five gift cards from Amazon.com at $500 each.  The gift card can be used to purchase any stuffs at the ecommerce site, such as books, electronics, music, and others.  Every member needs 30 points to redeem join this sweepstake.

(Image: Bing Rewards)

Bing Maps adds more Bird’s Eye Imagery and Streetside coverage including the 2012 Olympic stadium and surrounding areas

As Bing team is slowing down to release new stuffs lately, we don’t publish as much about Bing’s work in progress.  Somehow early Tuesday Bing Imagery Technologies (BIT) team in Boulder Colorado published a blog post announcing the release of several updates regarding Bing Maps. 

There are two major updates.  First, the team added a total of 130 terabyte of Synthview data and 60 terabyte Bird’s Eye images.  Those updates include Bird’s Eye views of London (2012 Olympic stadium and surrounding areas), more cities views in America and Europe.

Second, with the help of Bing’s ultra-cam which mounted on top of a moving vehicle, the team also added 125,000 kilometers of Streetside coverage which accumulated a total of 365,000 linear kilometers of imagery.  The latest updates cover large cities in America and Europe with many beautiful ground level photos.

(Image: Bing team)

Bing and Yahoo Search Alliance Update: the combo has completed the transition of Yahoo search advertising customers to Bing’s adCenter platform in Britain, France, and Ireland

Executives from Bing and Yahoo signed a ten-year global agreement in July 2009 and formed a combo called “Search Alliance,” as the deal will allow Bing to power Yahoo search and search advertising around the world except in Japan.  Early Friday morning, May 4,  the combo announced that they have finally reached their final step of works in Europe, and transferred Yahoo search advertising customers to Bing’s adCenter platform in Britain, France, and Ireland. 

The Search Alliance received their approvals from American and European regulators in February 2010 and majority pay-per-click ads had switched to Bing in August 2011. In the latest announcement, the Search Alliance also mentioned that they are now working hard to complete transferring Yahoo’s stuffs in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, to Bing-powered engine.

(Image: Search Alliance)

Bing team confirmed a redesigned search results page which looks cleaner and whiter, including relocating the left navigation bar into right side

As we spotted so many experiments on Bing lately, Bing team has finally confirmed a redesigned search results page which looks much cleaner.  The top navigation bar is whiter by removing image that was taken from the homepage’s image.  On the new search results page, Bing team also relocated the left navigation bar which containing search suggestions and move those into right side.

Since Bing was launched three years ago, Bing has always trying to differentiate itself from Google by having a great looking homepage image, placing search suggestions bar on left, and adding part of homepage image on top of search results page.  However, the latest redesigned search results page looks more like Google.  After three years, it appears that the team is still trying to figure out how to copying Google’s look and feel.

(Image: Bing “new” and Bing “old”)