Bing and Blekko integrate Facebook ‘Likes’ and mobile check-ins

By Jeffrey Van Camp December 16, 2010

bing-search-engine-main-page — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Google can’t be happy about this news. Blekko has integrated Facebook ‘Likes’ into search results. Worse, Microsoft’s Bing, the search giant’s top competitor, is doing the same. Every user that logs into Blekko or Bing through Facebook Connect will see which search results their friends have ‘Liked,’ reports PC Mag. In addition, those who wish can filter out everything that isn’t recommended by friends.

“Millions of Facebook users are curating their web experience everyday by simply clicking ‘Like’ on the content, commerce, travel, restaurants and brands they love most,” said Rich Skrenta, chief executive of Blekko. “We’ve taken this data and applied it to Blekko’s results making them spam-free and personally relevant.”

Facebook & Bing: getting cozy

For Bing, this is its second round of Facebook integration. Earlier this year, the search engine began integrating Facebook status updates into its results. The new ‘Like’ integration was announced in October, but the changes are now beginning to roll out. Microsoft hopes to get a leg up on Google through the partnership.

“The core of our work addresses the fact that the Web is getting more complex and faceted — not less,” said Satya Nadella, online services division senior vice president, in a blog post. “We are building new technologies that help Bing figure out what people like you are trying to do, and match that with the right experiences to help get things done.”

Mobile Bing updates

Microsoft is also rolling out updates for its mobile iPhone and Android apps. Most notably, the apps now support Facebook and Foursquare mobile check-ins. Bing for Android will also add a “What’s Nearby” feature, which, like Google Places, will show you what places are nearby and split them up by category like Bars, restaurants, entertainment, etc. Support for voice search, Bing Vision (Google Goggles), Bing StreetSide, OpenTable, GrubHub, and Yelp, are also being added to both apps.

Do you use Bing on the Web or on mobile? What do you think of the upgrades and Facebook integration?

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