Microsoft to Offer Froogle Competitor

As part of its Windows Live Shopping initiative, Microsoft is testing out Live Product Search, a service similar to Google's Froogle that offers price comparisons. According to LiveSide.net, users will be able to refine a search by category, brand, seller or specific keywords.

A slider will show and hide product metadata in real-time like Windows Live Search. Unlike Froogle, Windows Live Product Search will also link to external articles and reviews of products. Microsoft may include user-provided buying guides as well, sources tell LiveSide. However, the Redmond company has not yet said how it intends to roll out the service.