Over the next few weeks, Microsoft will roll out a brand new three-column version of Bing that incorporates a social sidebar filled with related info from your social networks and a new center column with supplemental information related to your search.

The new design follows a recent Bing makeover, where the search engine got a more streamlined Google-like look and moved the left related searches sidebar over to the right—no doubt in preparation for this major update.

Here's what you'll find in the new Bing:

Core Web Results: Your normal Bing search results will stay where they are, in the large left column. Bing emphasizes that "Instead of cluttering your results with social updates, we're honoring the purity of the core web results making it easier to focus on the links you need to get things done." Obviously, this is a jab at Google's integrated social results.

Snapshots: The center column adds details about services and other info related to your search, such as maps and reviews.

Sidebar: The right column is dedicated to social results. You'll be able to ask Facebook friends as you search and see information from "top experts" from Twitter, LinkedIn, Quora, and more. Oh, and Google+ results, too, which makes this a considerably more earnest effort at "adding social" to search results than Google's crappy Search Plus Your World. Even better: You can collapse this social sidebar at any time, and it will stay hidden until you choose to see it again.

The new Bing should be coming to you in the next few weeks, and a mobile version as well.

Introducing the New Bing: Spend Less Time Searching, More Time Doing | Bing

Microsoft revamped its free online storage service SkyDrive this week (big week for online storage, right?) with new desktop apps and better syncing—but, sadly, a reduced storage limit for new users: from the 25GB previously offered to 7GB. Existing Windows Live account users can claim the 25GB of free space for a limited time. Here's how.

First, if you're an existing SkyDrive user already using more than 4GB as of April 1, according to this MSDN blog post, you're already upgraded and grandfathered into the 25GB storage plan. You're good.

But if you're an existing SkyDrive account holder who doesn't have that much uploaded already, you should log into your account at skydrive.live.com, then click the "Manage storage" link on the left navigation pane. In the next screen, click the "Free upgrade!" button to increase your storage limit from 7GB to 25GB. It's a quick and painless process.

You may be able to get 25GB of SkyDrive storage even if you're not a current SkyDrive user. According to a Slickdeals post, if you have a Windows Live account (e.g., @live.com or @msn.com) or Hotmail the upgrade may work for you. Click on SkyDrive from within Hotmail or sign in with your WIndows Live account at the SkyDrive link below for the upgrade.

The new SkyDrive now has a 2GB per file limit rather than 300MB, new paid storage plans, and Dropbox-like single-folder syncing (read more about the changes at MSDN). As before, SkyDrive offers in-browser Microsoft Office document editing and creating capabilities, and if you grab the upgrade before this limited time offer ends (no word on when it expires), a pretty attractive amount of free storage space.

SkyDrive | via MSNBC and Slickdeals

There are plenty of reasons why you'd want to load up a digital music player and take it with you instead of streaming music from the cloud, like better audio quality, not wanting to drain your phone's battery, smaller size. Whatever your reasons are, last week we asked you which device you kept handy to keep and play your digital music (that isn't the iPod, since it's clearly the king of the market.) You answered with tons of great suggestions, and then we took a look at the top five digital music players and put them to a vote. Now we're back to highlight the overall winner.

The majority of you—45% of the overall vote, in fact, say that your smartphone, whether it's Android, iOS, Windows Phone, or something else, pulls double duty as both streaming and local music player. Why carry another device, when you already have a phone with tons of storage in your pocket? Behind that, 21% of you showed some love for the now-defunct Microsoft Zune and Zune HD. In third place with 18% of the votes cast is the Sandisk Sansa line of music players, like the Sansa Clip and Fuze. 9% of you preferred the Creative Zen series of music players, and bringing up the rear in fifth place was Cowon and its line of music players, which many of you praised for great audio quality.

Photo by Dell Inc..

Windows: The ribbon is probably one of the most highly polarizing UI decisions Microsoft has ever made (well, that and the start screen), and whether you love it or hate it, one great thing about the Windows 8 Consumer Preview is that people are already working on tools to tweak the upcoming OS so it works better for them. Ribbon Disabler, a free utility that permanently removes the ribbon from all Explorer windows, is one of those tools.

This is one of those utilities that's aimed at the person who really really hates the Explorer ribbon. It's a simple, portable app that doesn't require an installation, and when you run it you can either remove the ribbon from all Explorer windows, or restore it if you've decided you want to give it another try. Windows 8 by default allows you to show, hide, and customize the ribbon, so if you're not sure whether you like it or not, or think you could get used to it, I wouldn't suggest going all out and removing it with this tool. If you hate the ribbon, have always hated the ribbon, and blame the ribbon for the fall of modern society, it's worth a download.

How do you feel about the ribbon, either in Windows 8 or in other products, like Microsoft Office? Let us know in the comments below.

Ribbon Disabler for Windows 8 CP | WinAero via NirmalTV