Have you tried the new Windows Live Search? I have been using it as the default search on all my computers at work and home (10+ of them) and am very impressed by the improvements. While all the great new features are quite excellent, I am very pleased with the quality (relevance) of the search results themselves. The rollout was gradual, and most of you should be seeing the new search by now. If not, both the Live Search blogs have direct links to the various features.

On that note, here is some search related news for you from Andrea, your friendly neighborhood program manager for the Windows Live Translator Beta:

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Windows Live Translator Beta is now directly integrated in the newest version of Live Search. What does this mean? When a search result (i.e. web page) has been found in a language which is different than the user’s language, and the Live Translator can translate from the web page’s  into the user’s language, the search result is accompanied by a new link: “Translate this page”

(User language = English; web page language of all 4 search results = Spanish; translation offered: from Spanish to English)

A click on this link opens the found web page in Bilingual Viewer mode, allowing the user to see the original web page and its translations with all enhancements described in our previous blog entry.

You may ask: how does Live Search know “my” language? Generally, your system settings provide this information. You can change your language settings either in your browser which will influence the behavior of all language(or “market)-sensitive web sites, or you can define a “Display Language” just for your Live Search experience. Live Search’s “Options” menu allows you to select your preferred language in which the Live Search user interface will be displayed to you.

If you choose to select a display language there, it will henceforth be considered “your” language. Any web page found by Live Search that is in a different language from yours may be shown with a “Translate this page” link, provided that translations from the page language into your (selected) language are available. (Please see our introduction blog entry for a list of translation languages we currently offer).

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That was Andrea, giving you the scoop on what to expect with the new search integration. 

Many times, I find myself searching for deeper meanings for cryptic error codes that programs often throw up. Some other times I find myself searching for any information that might be gleaned about the latest Tablet PCs. These searches tend to turn up sites in other languages with potentially useful information. The new “translate this” integration into search is now a feature that I cannot live without.

Have fun searching and translating!

– Vikram