Bing to get HTML5 update and instant search

Microsoft is set to launch an HTML5 preview version of Bing that contains a series of new features, including an instant search function akin to that offered by Google, according to reports.

A blog post on WinRumors said that the firm is readying the preview version to launch alongside Internet Explorer 9 (IE9), which is to be made available in the coming weeks.

Alongside the instant search feature, the update will include the ability to run animations and slideshows of any image search results a user generates.

V3.co.uk contacted Microsoft for comment or confirmation of the details, but had received no reply at the time of publication.

Earlier this month it was reported that Bing had passed Yahoo in terms of search queries, hitting 4.37 per cent compared to 3.97. Both, though, are long way behind market leader Google which has a whopping 89.94 per cent share of all searches.

Microsoft has also spent a long time preparing for the release of IE9, recently launching a release candidate version of the product with the final version possibly set to launch officially at its Mix 11 conference in April.

The firm also said it would be upgrading the browser on Windows Phone 7 to the full desktop version of IE9 during a future update for the platform.