Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Bing Partners with Wolfram Alpha

Geoff Duncan
By
Bing logo
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Microsoft is expanding the capabilities of its Bing search engine by tapping into the computations, algorithmic, and data capabilities of the Wolfram Alpha computing engine, using the service as a way to deliver more-relevant information to search uses right from the get-go, rather than merely referring them to a list of sites. Wolfram Alpha—launched back in May by Stephen Wolfram and the folks who make Mathematica, Wolfram Alpha aims to not just find information, but make it “computable” to users—that is, Wolfram Alpha not only lets users find information, but do useful things with it. Bing plans to leverage Wolfram Alpha’s capabilities to enhance Bing’s search results: the collaboration will start with bringing nutritional information and tools into Bing’s search results, along with some genuine “math” to make those last-minute homework sessions a little more tolerable.

“This notion of creating and presenting computational knowledge in search results is one of the more exciting things going on in search (and beyond) today, and the team at Bing is incredibly fired up to bring some of this amazing work to our customers,” Microsoft wrote in its Bing blog. “You will begin to see the benefits of this unique partnership over the next several days as we roll it out in the U.S.”

Recommended Videos

Wolfram Alpha already hosts a deep cache of tools and collated information, but Microsoft plans to initially start its integration of Wolfram Alpha tools with genuine hard math and something that appeals more directly to everyday consumers: diet and health information. Using Wolfram Alpha, Bing will be able to bring detailed nutritional facts and health information. For instance, users will be able to bring up nutritional information on various types of food and calculate their Body Mass Index—Microsoft plans to roll out more features as the collaboration progresses.

Related

No financial terms of the partnership have been disclosed.

The move emphasizes Microsoft’s efforts to differentiate Bing from traditional search engines, providing usable information and results right in the results page instead of referring users to other sites. However, Google and other search providers are not resting on their laurels either: the next frontier of Internet search is not really letting users find a site with the information they’d like, but presenting that information without forcing the user to go to that site at all.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Geoff Duncan
Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
The most common Windows 11 problems and how to fix them
Person using Windows 11 laptop on their lap by the window.

With Windows 10 officially losing support next year, Windows 11 is poised to take over as the dominant operating system. Many users have already switched over to the latest Microsoft OS – and while it's not perfect, most are finding it to be a nice step forward from Windows 10. Of course, there are a few quirks people will have to get used to, but most of the bugs and technical issues have already been ironed out.

That's not to say Windows 11 is perfect. In fact, there are still a handful of common Windows 11 problems that people are encountering, including ones that cause no sound to play, network connections to be laggy, and games to run at less-than-optimal speeds. Thankfully, many of these issues are easy to resolve without extensive troubleshooting or the need to contact customer support.

Read more
The 6 best tablets for college in 2024
Using the Apple iPad Air 5.

If you pick the right tablet, there's a good chance it'll last you all four years of college –possibly even into grad school or your first job. However, narrowing down all the options can be a challenge. Not only do you need something reliable and portable, but you'll want it to support all the programs you'll be using on a daily basis. And unless you want to be staring at a muddled screen, it should also come with a vibrant screen and high-quality resolution.

Before starting your search for a tablet for college, you'll want to figure out how you want to use the device. Will you be taking notes on it? Attending classes remotely? And what sort of software do you need it to run? Once you've answered those questions, you'll then have to set a budget, as tablets run the gamut from affordable to ultra-expensive.

Read more
The most common Microsoft Teams problems and how to fix them
A close-up of someone using Microsoft Teams on a laptop for a videoconference.

Microsoft Teams was introduced in 2017 as a unified communication and collaboration platform aimed at helping businesses and organizations get things done. Microsoft leveraged the company's existing Office software experience and created a unified experience between Teams, Office 365, and Skype for Business. However, as with all software, things don't always go according to plan. Sometimes you can run into Teams problems.

We're big Teams users here at Digital Trends -- it's our go-to communication and meeting tool -- and we've come across a few issues ourselves over the years. In the event you're having Microsoft Teams issues, here's how to fix some of the most common problems.

Read more