Microsoft will pay you to use Bing

By Kim Komando

November 2, 2017

You probably knew that Microsoft had a search engine called Bing. It is also likely that you have seen this search engine running on a store display computer model. Maybe it was set as the default search engine on that laptop you just bought, right before you changed the default to Google.

Everyone knows that Google has become the ultimate leader in online searching.

The company name itself is often used as a verb when you ask a question that you should’ve probably just looked up yourself. Everyone is familiar with the answer, “Just Google it.”

Yes, you can get paid to search the web

Google is not the only search engine out there. Many would argue that it isn’t even the best search engine out there. But Google is so dominant, how does a competitor grab the spotlight for long enough to have a significant foothold in the online search engine space? Microsoft has an idea. They will pay you to use their search engine, Bing.

Companies like Microsoft and Google use their search engines to collect enormous amounts of information. This information is used to fuel improvements in their AI platforms, provide more accurate map data and advance something called ambient computing efforts.

Ambient computing refers to how electronic environments respond to human presence and interaction, and that’s what Microsoft is most interested in. The improvement of their ambient intelligence is the reason why Microsoft is willing to pay consumers to use Bing.

So how does it work?

Something called Microsoft Rewards. The Microsoft Rewards program pays users in the form of Amazon, Starbucks, Burger King, Xbox, Microsoft Store or other types of gift cards (or sweepstakes entries).

After signing up for a Microsoft account, sign into Bing using the account and begin searching to earn reward points.

The system tracks your points in the upper-right part of the screen, so you can keep track of your earnings while you do what you normally do anyway: search.

If you want a passive way to earn some dough, the next time you need to search for something online, “Just Bing it.”

And speaking of Google, here’s how to listen to and delete everything you’ve ever said to the site

Google’s “OK Google” voice-activated assistant is helpful, but its also storing everything you ask. Here’s how to stop it.

Tags: Amazon, computer, Google