Microsoft overhauls Bing with new ‘social sidebar,’ deepens Facebook ties

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Microsoft today previewed a new version of its Bing search engine, with elements including a “social sidebar” that lets users quickly tap the knowledge of their Facebook friends for advice and information related to a search — getting new insights on everything from restaurants to travel spots. The overhaul is Microsoft’s latest effort to leverage its… Read More…

Microsoft investigated Bing GM’s ties to handbag company

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When Microsoft Bing marketing general manager Danielle Tiedt was hired by YouTube in February, Microsoft took the unusual step of saying that it had decided to “part ways” with her, independent of her decision to join a division of its archrival, Google. Microsoft declined to say what actually happened behind the scenes. But GeekWire has since… Read More…

Anatomy of a news story: How Bing and Google performed when Steve Jobs resigned

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A new study out today from Seattle-based Optify attempts to get behind the scenes on how Bing and Google operate when big news breaks. Obviously, that’s an interesting topic for news hounds like us. And the results of the study show just how differently the two major search engines operate when news breaks. Optify analyzed… Read More…

Search by sketch: Microsoft seeks patent on ‘MindFinder’

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It’s a little like playing Pictionary with a search engine — drawing a sketch and seeing if the algorithm can return pictures that match it. That’s the concept behind Microsoft Research’s “MindFinder” project, which was adapted last year for a Windows Phone app dubbed Sketch Match. The technology is detailed in a patent application made… Read More…

For better or worse? Bing and Nokia marry their mobile maps

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As more people turn to mobile devices to find out where they are going, Microsoft and Nokia are spending precious resources on making sure that they have the easiest and cleanest mobile maps. The two companies — following on their strategic partnership from last year — today announced a unified mapping experience across Nokia and… Read More…

GeekWire Radio: Google glasses, Office on iPad, and a big picture of the mobile world

Ivy CEO Mary Jesse

This week on the GeekWire radio show and podcast, on the eve of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, we get some great analysis of the wireless and mobile industries from Mary Jesse, an engineer and startup entrepreneur who has been involved in the industry since its early days. Jesse, a McCaw Cellular veteran who… Read More…

Microsoft decides to ‘part ways’ with Bing GM, who joins Google’s YouTube

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Danielle Tiedt, who was the general manager of marketing for Microsoft’s Bing search engine, is joining YouTube to lead consumer marketing for the Google-owned property. A Microsoft spokesman says that the Redmond company made the decision to “part ways” with Tiedt, and that its decision was not related to her hiring by YouTube. Advertising Age… Read More…

Microsoft Bing deepens Facebook integration with ‘Linked Pages’ feature

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Microsoft’s Bing search engine today launched a new feature called “Linked Pages” that gives people more control over which websites are connected to them, leveraging Microsoft’s partnership with Facebook. The feature lets users authenticate themselves using their Facebook credentials, and then determine which pages and sites their profiles are linked to in Bing search results…. Read More…

On an upswing, Microsoft Bing tries to inspire more usage with new ad campaign

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Microsoft Bing recently became the No. 2 search engine in the U.S., surpassing the company’s partner Yahoo with 15 percent market share. Yes, everything is relative, and Google still dominates the market with 66 percent. But any momentum vs. the search giant is an accomplishment. Now the Redmond company is looking build on that momentum with… Read More…

Microsoft beats estimates even as Windows profits fall 11%

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Microsoft’s quarterly profits topped Wall Street’s expectations, thanks in part to growth in the company’s server and business software divisions, but the company’s Windows unit continued to feel the effects of a sluggish personal computer market. The company’s revenues for its fiscal second quarter, ended Dec. 31, were $20.89 billion, up 5 percent, according to… Read More…