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                <p>Not even Microsoft can ignore the 800-pound tablet in the room. The software giant has released a Bing search app for the iPad, hoping Apple fans will turn to the decision engine over a market-dominating Google for mobile searches.&#13;
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Bing for iPad is a free download that works to deliver an experience that goes beyond traditional search. The app is optimized to take advantage of the iPad's touchscreen and lets users browse news, movies, Bing home-page images, local business listings, and other content with a finger swipe.&#13;
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"Apple, Microsoft and Google compete and coexist at various levels. The search-engine division of Microsoft wants to make as much revenue as it can," said Avi Greengart, an analyst at Current Analysis. "You'd have to deny reality if you didn't consider (Apple's)iOS an addressable platform. Microsoft clearly doesn't want Google to get all the search revenues off of Apple's tablet success. Microsoft would like earn some of that revenue through Bing."&#13;
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<b>&#13;
Under the Hood&#13;
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The market will decide if Bing for iPad is a worthy alternative to Google. Microsoft is offering some exclusive features for the iPad app, like Trends, to woo users. As its name suggests, Trends lets users explore the latest trends on Bing by using the iPad's touchscreen interface to see what people are currently searching for. Users can tap on any trend to learn more about what's happening and why it's getting so much attention.&#13;
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Bing for iPad continues Bing's overall focus on entertainment by offering up the latest info on movies. Users can also watch trailers, find nearby theaters, see the latest show times, or buy tickets on the go. &#13;
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Not to be outdone by Google, Bing is also pushing maps on its iPad app. Bing is offering multiple map views, including road, aerial and bird's-eye. Users can find businesses and other destinations, save them to the iPad's address book or calendar, get turn-by-turn directions, and search real-time transit info. Meanwhile, MSN Weather powers weather alerts and a 10-day forecast for up to five cities at a glance.&#13;
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Zachary Gutt, lead program manager at Bing, noted some of the ways Bing for iPad works to make searching faster. "With Bing's Voice Search, just say what you're searching for and Bing will find it. Bing's autosuggest feature helps you refine your search by providing suggestions based on your recent searches and related searches done by other people," Gutt said. "And when searching for a popular topic, Bing provides the most relevant answer up top, complete with quick links to help you complete your task faster."&#13;
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Battling Google Together?&#13;
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By offering exclusive features on Bing for iPad, Microsoft is showing favor to Apple over Google's Android. And Apple is embracing the opportunity to set itself apart from Android-based tablets, even if it's in a small way. So while Apple and Microsoft continue to compete on the mobile operating system front, this deal shows solidarity toward a common foe in Google. &#13;
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"This is far from the first time Microsoft has worked with Apple. Microsoft's entire office suite originated on the Mac and Microsoft continues to create Office for the Mac," Greengart said. "So these companies have long both competed and worked together as partners. At one point, Microsoft made a huge investment in Apple which actually helped keep Apple going."</p>
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            </p></div></div><p><strong>Read more:</strong> <a class="rssreadon" rel="external" title="Microsoft Pushes Exclusive Bing iPad Search App   (NewsFactor)" href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nf/20110407/tc_nf/78072" target="_blank">http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nf/20110407/tc_nf/78072</a></p>