Apple

Whoa Doggies! Bing Lassoes Search On The iPad

Screen Shot 2011 07 05 At 10.13.31 AMMicrosoft is updating Bing for iPad with a useful new search feature called “Lasso.” It offers a simpler way to search in context — with your finger.

On any page within the Bing app (which is effectively a Safari browser alternative) users will be able to circle a word or phrase — hence the name “Lasso” —  and it will automatically search on that term or keyword in Bing. It’s not unlike a right-click search on the PC but on a tablet using your finger.

Users can return to the original story or content they were viewing in Bing with two swipes.

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The Bing app for iPad should be available for download later today. As of this moment it’s not (1:20 Eastern). In general Bing for the iPad is a terrific application, which we discussed when it launched earlier this year.

Postscript: As Gary Price reminds me this is similar to Yahoo’s earlier “Sketch-a-Search” for the iPad, which was about designating a custom search area for restaurants on a map. And before that Ask offered similar custom map-based search on its now defunct Ask City product.

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<a href=”https://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/bing-for-ipad-update-searching-without-a-search-box/1iidd7ie7?src=v5:embed::&from=bingblogplayer_en-us_bing” _mce_href=”https://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/bing-for-ipad-update-searching-without-a-search-box/1iidd7ie7?src=v5:embed::&amp;from=bingblogplayer_en-us_bing” target=’_new’ title=’Bing for iPad Update: Searching without a search box’>Video: Bing for iPad Update: Searching without a search box</a>

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About the author

Greg Sterling
Greg Sterling is a Contributing Editor to Search Engine Land, a member of the programming team for SMX events and the VP, Market Insights at Uberall.