If Google’s angle is that it actually works really well, Bing’s is that it’s a “social search engine“. And the latter’s new Friend Tagging feature lives up to that promise, tapping the social network you actually use to aide your search results.
With Friend Tagging, you can now tag your Facebook friends in any given Bing search, directing your query at them, in addition to just Bing. You do it in the Bing social bar, right on the page, which makes it a little more convenient than picking up a phone, or sending an email in the heat of the searching moment. Best of all, it means you don’t have to rely solely on Bing for your answer.
The feature could serve as a handy way to make sure your friends know you want their input, especially Internet friends who you might not be able to call or text. Granted, Google’s also trying social search with its (awful) Google+ results, but Facebook integration could make for social search you might actually want to use. Bing might still be trailing in the search engine race, but keep an eye on it. It might be doing some things you’d be surprised to find you like. [Bing Search Blog via The Verge]