Bing update brings details to the top of search

Microsoft has been busy rolling out some new features to its various Bing services, and newest among them is a tweak to search. As of now, Bing users who search for places or details about places — a local restaurant's phone number, for example — will see relevant information about that place above the search results. Included among this is travel information when the search query includes something related to travel, such as the distance the user is from the restaurant or how long it'll take to get there.

This simplifies the effort it takes to find out information about shops and other places, whether users are looking for an address, hours of operation, or whatever details they've made available online that customers would be interested in.

Demonstrated above is one example of the new details Microsoft has pushed to the top of Bing. Information can be pulled up through searching by name, by address, or by phone number, as well as adding in qualifiers like hours of operation and distance from a location.

This follows a recent update to Bing Maps that provides more accurate information on how long it will take to travel between two locations. With that update, live traffic information is factored in to adjust the travel time to better reflect the real-world conditions rather than a general overview based on distance.

SOURCE: Bing Blog