Microsoft has updated its Bing search engine to include an improved feature: answers from Encyclopedia Britannica.
Bing has long had an answers feature, but yesterday it began integrating Encyclopedia Britannica answers to the feature. The answers feature gives users a quick glance of information about the search query they've submitted while giving them the option to learn more about their query. With the new partnership, brief summaries of Encyclopedia Britannica articles will be shown in search results; pertinent information, such as dates of birth and death for historical figures, will also be included in the results.
The basic results featuring Encyclopedia Britannica answers will include a thumbnail of the article, a quick overview and pertinent facts about the search query. An example of an Encyclopedia Britannica answer from Bing for "agence france-presse" can be seen below. The updated answer feature will also still include links to other relevant online sources, including Wikipedia, Freebase and Qwiki.
This is the second significant update Microsoft's made to Bing over the past few days. On Wednesday, the company updated its Bing Webmaster Tools service to include new features and enhancements to previous services. The new features allow users to better understand where linked traffic is originating from and scan for best practices in link compliance (ensuring links aren't broken), among other features. Microsoft also updated the service to include an improved design.
Source: Bing
4 Comments - Add comment