We’re pretty up on the iPhone’s Bing app; its ability to combine the useful functions of several different stand-alone apps earned it a spot on our 23 Essential Apps list for the iPhone earlier this year.
But Microsoft is apparently even more ambitious: they’ve just updated Bing with some new abilities — including location-based reminders, a Google Maps Street View-like feature and more — to the point where it seems as if Microsoft is trying to turn Bing into some kind of uber-app. The whole thing’s also been given a facelift, and the results pages are less cluttered (even though the front page still needs work). It’s worth a download, even if, at the very least, just to gawk at its application of technology. Here’s a list of all the new stuff:
- Streetside is similar to Google’s Streets View, but with a twist, as users can scroll streets seamlessly in either direction, with info popping up about buildings as they pass by. Availability by city looks very limited right now though.
- Users can set up location-based reminders through their Windows Live ID.
- Real-time public transportation transit times are now available for 11 North American cities, including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco (of course), Boston, Vancouver, B.C. and others.
- Check-in functions for Foursquare and Facebook have been added.
- The new Plans function connects through Facebook and lets users plan the evening’s (or morning’s, I suppose) entertainment — including time, venue, and participants — then shares the whole thing on Facebook and lets participants opt in or out.
- Restaurant search results now include ratings and price range.