Microsoft's presentation app Sway gets Bing Image Search to help find content ...

Microsoft today announced Bing Image Search has been integrated into its Office presentation app Sway. The addition will not only allow users to search for images and add them to their Sways without leaving the app, but it will also improve the app's Suggested Source feature, which uses machine learning to surface relevant images based on the content that's already been added to a given Sway.

For context, Sway launched in preview on October 1 as the first new product joining the Office product family in years. The premise is simple: Let users create presentations for the Web using text, pictures, and videos, regardless of what device they're using.

Sway already lets users collect content from a variety of built-in cloud-connected sources, including OneDrive, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Users simply navigate to a source, tap or click the content they want, and then drag and drop it into their Sway.

Microsoft says users (particularly in the education space) have been asking about being able to add Creative Commons licensed images. The Bing Image Search integration lets users do just that: search for content and then review any applicable license terms.

To use the feature, click the source dropdown, select Bing, type your query into the search bar, and hit Enter. The Bing Image Search results include a URL to the source of each image, which allows you to navigate to the original image and review the license terms to make sure your use is permitted.

You can expand your search by clicking the 'Show all results' button, but Microsoft warns 'you are still responsible for respecting the rights of others.' Just like with Sway's other sources, you can simply drag and drop any image from the Bing Image Search results right into your Sway. Any viewer with whom you've shared your Sway can see the source of included images and applicable license terms by clicking or tapping the image to view it in full-screen mode.

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