Search smarter with new Windows Live Search

Microsoft is relaunching its search engine to try and take some of Google's massive share of the search market, and is adding some great new features.

The Live Search brand has often been criticised for lacking relevance in search results, compared to the traditional search giants. Microsoft has responded by quadrupling the amount of sites indexed by Live Search, which has involved the investment of millions of dollars to buy new servers to hold the vast amounts of data.

Other new features include an overhaul of the Live Maps service, and the introduction of an answers panel, which aims to provide information desired from the search without the user needing to visit any web sites. This panel includes data, images or videos, which are automatically edited down to 30 second preview trailers using information such as crowd noise or talking, to assertain the highlights of the clip.

In addition to the core search functions, new avenues have also been added such as Live Health, which uses only trusted medical sources to provide information on health queries, and a shopping site, which automatically aggragates user reviews of products being searched for, as well as finding possible vendors.

All the new functions will be rolled out over the next two weeks,  so check up on developments at www.live.com. For specific UK search, you can continue to use the existing www.msn.co.uk web site.