Welcome to the newly designed Bing.com search engine:

OK, I’m teasing. The above is a screenshot of the much rumored–and now officially launched–new interface for Google.

Look, I know. Google didn’t just roll out this new design because of the interface Bing uses. I know this is not in response to Bing gaining market-share. I know that Google has been testing this interface for a while.

But, that’s not the story I’d be telling the media, if I were Bing. Nooooo!

I’d be on the phone, sending email, and doing just about everything and anything to ensure that the media makes the–somewhat tenuous–connection between Google’s new interface and the one Bing launched last year.

Why not?

Google rarely serves up its competitors an opportunity to make the claim that an old dog can learn new tricks. In this case, Google learning a thing or two from Microsoft. And, even if you stand by the claim that Google did not make any of these changes in response to Bing, then you have to tip your hat to Bing for launching this interface way before Google. Heck, why not even throw some kudos to Ask.com–they sure could use it!

So, back to the new interface.

It’s basically a more aesthetically pleasing version of the collapsable “Search Options” Google has been testing for months. It provides tools for refining your search–all dynamically generated based on your query and intent. Google’s even gone ahead and incorporated Google Squared–an interface that I have never personally found of value, but that’s just me.

So Pilgrims, what do you think of the new interface? Do you like it? Hate it? Think it looks like Bing, or not?

PS. Bing, you’re welcome!