*Bing Bar* gives you quick access to Microsoft's Bing search tools from
inside the Internet Explorer browser. While previous versions supported both
Firefox and Internet explorer, this latest version only supports Internet
Explorer 7 and up. Once you have the tool bar installed, there will be a
bunch of shortcuts to Microsoft's services. One nice addition is Facebook
integration, which allows you to use Facebook Chat and to 'Like' webpages.
For search, the Bing Bar *auto-populates search terms* as you type. The
search bar can even be set to *show answers within the pop-up window*, rather
than having to go to the results page. Other features in the Bing Bar, like
weather, stocks, and news, can all be accessed without opening another tab. A
window drops down when clicked, and you can interact with each section
without loading a new web page. There's much more to Bing Bar than just
search. The toolbar can also be used to *check the latest news, get weather
forecasts*, and *watch the trending videos* from the web. Bing Bar also
integrates nicely with Microsoft's Live services, giving you notifications of
latest Hotmail emails, and allowing you to access Windows Live features such
as photos, calendar, groups, etc. There is also a new option to sign up for a
rewards program for using the Bing Bar. You can *download additional apps*
for your Bing Bar in the settings. You can also *enable and disable
notifications* for specific applications. Additional applications are
limited, but a few cool ones include a translator and movie times app.
Microsoft has also gotten rid of the security features in the previous
version of the Bing Bar. This makes sense as to why Microsoft now requires
Internet Explorer be the only browser to run the Bing Bar, since security
features built into IE are pretty good. Users should also note that the Bing
Bar is very focused on the United States so many news stories and features
may not be relevant in every country. *The Bing Bar is surprisingly useful,
especially with Facebook integration. There are enough applications bundled
with the Bing Bar to make it a truly great productivity tool.*Download *Bing
Bar 7.1.362.0* in Softonic
