'@Bing' your health & fitness

Your health is coming to your browser.

With Windows 8.1 (coming "late 2013"), Microsoft is introducing two new Bing "apps" — one for food and drink and the other for health and fitness.

The Bing Health & Fitness app, for desktops and tablets, will allow you to track exercise, diet and medical information. It will have 3D body maps and an interactive way to check your symptoms (Bing advises "The guide is not intended to be medical advice but simply a reference guide"). There will also be tutorials and videos to help you learn a new workout and links to articles about health (there's the search part!).

It was not clear how these apps will integrate with phones, which will be critical for long-term adoption by consumers. 

But it's encouraging to see major players continuing to try to innovate in this space.