Bing search engine goes social

In an example of the further integration between Microsoft's Bing search engine and Facebook, Bing now has gone social. (The video above provides a good overview.)

In essence, Bing takes the idea of asking friends for recommendations on things to its search engine.

In short, here's how the new tool, called Bing Sidebar, works:

• Be signed into Facebook, then go to Bing.
• In the upper right-hand corner of Bing, click "Connect to Facebook."
• Then you can post your search on your Facebook timeline, including up to five links, to ask for recommendations or thoughts from Facebook friends.
• Bing also will identify experts and enthusiasts who might know about the things you're searching for, and you can click a link to go to their website, blog or Twitter feed.
• The post can be deleted whenever you want.

As of now, to use the Bing Sidebar, you must be at least 13 years old, be a Facebook user, and live in the U.S. Here's a more detailed explanation of Bing Sidebar.