Microsoft Unveils Windows Live Search Beta: "Microsoft Corp. has introduced the Windows Live Search beta, offering a new design with rich viewing and organizational tools, search categories such as image and local search, and services that help people customize results.

Other core technologies that complement Windows Live Search, including an updated version of Live.com and a Windows Live Toolbar beta, were also released by the company. These services are now available in the U.S. and in select international markets in which feature availability will vary.

Windows Live Search delivers the results via a unique design that incorporates new features such as search preview, scoping tools, a search slider bar that increases the level of result information on the results page, and smart scrolling that enables people to view search results without moving from page to page.

Within Windows Live Search, people can also search across specific search categories, including all-new image search, news search, RSS feeds, e-mail search, local search, and searching of MSN Shopping and MSN Spaces.

For example, new viewing capabilities within image search allow people to search across millions of images and receive results that feature infinite scrolling, thumbnail-image-sizing customization, filmstrip view and the ability to see the full image without leaving the results page.

All the Windows Live Search categories will offer the same user experience for viewing and organizing results. Windows Live Search will also deliver this unified search experience across all the upcoming Windows Live services, such as Windows Live Messenger and Windows Live Mail.

The new Windows Live Toolbar offers people the ability to search from any Web page using Windows Live Search. The new toolbar offers advanced protection against phishing"