Microsoft has big plans for the future. As Windows Phone 8.1 rolls out around the world, we’re starting to see more of those plans come to light.
Windows Phone 8.1 adds Cortana to Windows Phone. Cortana is Microsoft’s virtual assistant who aims to answer your search queries, change settings, text and call people, and perform other essential tasks.
Like Google Now, Cortana also features information cards that display info Microsoft thinks you’ll like: including today’s weather in your current location, stock prices for companies you’ve recently looked up, and flight information.
If you go to Bing.com, you’ll see a similar interface. Bing.com recently unveiled its own personalized information card. Microsoft announced the changes at its official Bing blog.

You can only see the information cards if you sign into your Microsoft account on Bing. If you do not have a Microsoft account, then Bing Search just looks the same.
From your Microsoft account, you can see a growing list of topics and categories that Microsoft thinks you’ll enjoy. Popular topics are separated into categories like Finance, News, Travel, and Weather.
Google currently doesn’t offer this on Google Search, so it will be interesting to see if more users take advantage of this tool. I’ve started using Bing for a few searches where Google doesn’t turn up great information, and there are some unique features that are easy to love: like the beautiful and interactive backdrops.
Most people will continue using Google, but Bing is turning into a more and more viable alternative.