During the exceptional Internet Explorer 9 beta launch, Microsoft decided to demonstrate how Bing would take advantage of HTML5 features in modern browsers like IE9. The company also took the time to explain how the Bing app for IE9 on Windows 7 could be pinned to the taskbar, where it could show a Jump List for the most important search tasks and be used to cycle through search tabs.
The HTML5 improvements in IE9 allow for neat visual effects: an animated Bing homepage (the demo showed one where water moves across a beach in the background), hovering over tabs to show content at a glance, as well as smooth transitions from the search page to the search results, and back, all without reloading the page or using browser plugins. Furthermore, a smooth scrolling feature takes advantage of screen real estate by keeping navigation panes and the search box in place while you scroll through search results. If the feature list seems like too much to digest, just go ahead and watch the video:
The new homepage is expected to launch in preview form for users of the IE9 Beta later this month, though Microsoft would not say when a full rollout was scheduled. The company did note, however, that it would take advantage of HTML5 on Firefox, Chrome, and Safari as well.