Microsoft released the new Bing last month, giving the search engine a fresher and cleaner look, however many of its search verticals such as Bing Image Search only received the new header, but not an actual update. Today over at the official Bing blog, Jon Noronha, Program Manager of the Bing Multimedia team, announced the roll out of a redesigned Bing Image Search. Below is a screenshot of the new-look Bing Image Search, which definitely reminds us of the thumbnail view in SkyDrive:
Below are some of the new features and enhancements according to the official blog post:
Bigger thumbnails – We’ve made our results much larger so you can find exactly what you want with fewer clicks. We trimmed out all our empty whitespace and filled it with pictures to make image search more visual.
Magnifying glass – When you hover on an image, you’ll immediately get a blown up preview that follows your mouse around. You can hold up this “magnifying glass” to any picture and see its size, title, and where it comes from. It’s smooth, fluid, and a little bit addictive.
Filter bar – You shouldn’t have to hunt to find what you want. That’s why we made it easier than ever to reach Bing’s advanced search tools. Along the top, you can find filters for searching by size, color, type, layout, and faces. It’s never been easier to find wide photographs of purple flowers.
Search suggestions – When you typed “Chicago”, did you want the city or the sports team? Are you looking for the skyline or a map? To help you search more effectively, we suggest refinements that make your query more specific so you find what you need faster. We completely revamped these related searches to make them higher quality and more relevant for everyday tasks.
Get lost in the experience – The new image search is a powerful tool, but it’s not just a tool. We also made it more fun to use. When you search for hot celebrities, funny cats, or cute puppies, it’s easier than ever to sit back and enjoy yourself. You never know that you might find. The right side of the page is devoted to discovering new things. When you search for a person, we’ll recommend similar people to check out, movies they’ve been in, etc. It works for almost anything – try Obama, Sun Chips, or polar bears.
See what’s hot – We’ve also brought our popular trending searches feature to the results page, where you can discover what other Bing users are looking for. That way, you’re always on top of the biggest trends.
To check out the new Bing Image Search, simply click here. How do you like the new look for Bing Image Search?