LiveSide - News blog

August 2006 - Posts

• Windows Live OneCare Family Safety beta now available!

  Following the recent Windows Live OneCare Family Safety Invites being sent out to Windows Live Butterflies and the appearing of Windows Live OneCare Family Safety on Connect we thought that this Beta would be resticted to only those who had been approved to use it. However the Windows Live OneCare Family Safety Team have announced that the Windows Live OneCare Family Safety Beta program is now live and that it is in fact a public accessible beta. And though Windows Live OneCare Family Safety Beta is still in the testing and development phase, OneCare Family Safety will offer some great features to help families create a safer and more enjoyable online experience, including:  -Content filtering. Web filtering will allow customers to choose allow, block or warn settings for a range of content categories, and unique settings can be applied for each member of the household. Parents can review and adjust settings any time from any Internet-connected PC to help meet the family's evolving needs, and your family's settings will be automatically applied to any computer that has the Family Safety software installed.  -Expert Guidance. Expert guidance from respected child organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics on age appropriate settings and online activities will provide valuable guidance for parents. For example, users will have access to guidelines on how to help a child use online communications safely or how parents should talk to children about inappropriate Web browsing.  -Activity reports. Parents will be able to access activity reports for each user in the family, anytime from any Internet-connected PC, to help them stay informed about how their children are browsing the Web. This kind of information can help facilitate important conversations between parents and children about using the Internet in a way they feel is safe and appropriate.  -Contact management. In future versions of the service, parents will be able to create "allow" lists for other Windows Live services their children might use to communicate with others - like instant messaging, for example - to help prevent their children from crossing paths with unknown contacts and instead only communicate with contacts that parents have approved. You can signup to the Windows Live OneCare Family Safety public beta (US Only) at Windows Live Ideas (http://ideas.live.com) and access the beta at the main Windows Live OneCare Family Safety Site (https://fss.live.com/) International versions are expected either at the end of this week or in the coming weeks. Posted Aug 31 2006, 11:12 AM by Darren Straight with no comments

• Office Live offers Early Adopter Program

  "Microsoft Office Live will launch an Early Adopter phase for US Partners later this year giving participants access to the upcoming version of Office Live. This new version is based Windows SharePoint Services (version 3) offering increased functionality to customers and partners. We are currently taking applications for this program from Microsoft US Partners. A list of criteria to meet is included below. If this sounds interesting to you, then please apply online by September 15, 2006! You can learn more about the partner opportunity on Office Live by downloading the Office Live Developer Guide. If you are not a Microsoft Partner, it's easy to register and join the program." (Emphasis is mine) So if you are using Office Live and want to get in on the fun, you need to visit this page and complete the Early Adopter Program application. As Dare mentioned earlier in the week, hopefully the launch of Google Apps for Your Domain will see the Office Live team removing some of the limitations they impose. Early Adopter Signup Posted Aug 30 2006, 05:38 AM by Chris with no comments

• Office Live offers Early Adopter Program

  "Microsoft Office Live will launch an Early Adopter phase for US Partners later this year giving participants access to the upcoming version of Office Live. This new version is based Windows SharePoint Services (version 3) offering increased functionality to customers and partners. We are currently taking applications for this program from Microsoft US Partners. A list of criteria to meet is included below. If this sounds interesting to you, then please apply online by September 15, 2006! You can learn more about the partner opportunity on Office Live by downloading the Office Live Developer Guide. If you are not a Microsoft Partner, it's easy to register and join the program." (Emphasis is mine) So if you are using Office Live and want to get in on the fun, you need to visit this page and complete the Early Adopter Program application. As Dare mentioned earlier in the week, hopefully the launch of Google Apps for Your Domain will see the Office Live team removing some of the limitations they impose. Early Adopter Signup   Posted Aug 30 2006, 05:38 AM by Chris with no comments

• A Post on Gadgets and Plugins

  Thomas J. points to a number of new Gadgets for Spaces, including Hangman and Pong, a Mortgage rates watch, a Technorati Search Gadget, and a Gas Prices Gadget, among others. And recently Dare pointed out problem with memory leaks in the Gadgets he's been writing. Some interesting reading for the budding developers out there. On to plugins. Jef from Jeftek says that his list of Windows Live Writer plugins  is getting out of hand, which is a good thing. He points to the list at CodePlex, to a nice post on how to write your own. And don't forget to check out wlwplugins.com, for lots more on Windows Live Writer plugins. Posted Aug 30 2006, 03:08 AM by Kip Kniskern with no comments

• Alerts goes Live

  The MSN Alerts service has now been migrated over to Windows Live, and is available from http://alerts.live.com. "Get headlines from your home town, scores and updates for your teams, stock quotes, traffic for your commute-just about anything that is happening right now. You pick it, so it's the stuff you want to know about, and nothing else." Windows Live Alerts provides notifications either via Messenger toasts, email, or direct to your mobile device. While Windows Live Alerts as a service is free to use, some of the content may not be. You can sign up at this link for Liveside alerts. (Thanks BV2312 for the tip)   Posted Aug 29 2006, 05:44 PM by Chris with no comments Filed under: Windows Live, Alerts

• QnA goes into public beta

  Windows Live Qna is now in a public beta, available at qna.live.com. Betsy Aoki has the details over at the QnA team blog. Disclaimer: USA only Posted Aug 29 2006, 12:16 PM by Chris with no comments Filed under: Windows Live, QnA

• Verizon to provide co-branded Windows Live services

  Hot off the Microsoft PR wagon is news that Verizon will be providing its high-speed internet subscribers with co-branded Windows Live services: Verizon customers will have access to co-branded information and communications services, including a co-branded Live.com home page with easy access to Verizon and Windows Live services, a Windows Live Toolbar, a co-branded Windows Live Search page, Verizon e-mail powered by Windows Live Mail, a co-branded version of Windows Live Messenger and safety protection via Windows Live OneCare safety scanner Verizon is already involved with Windows Live through the VOIP service, Windows Live Call. Microsoft Press Release Posted Aug 29 2006, 09:28 AM by Chris with 1 comment(s)

• More Live.com goodness.

  As promised, there is an update to Live.com with a new look, easier on-the-fly customization, add multiple pages and so much more. Also, Live.com can constantly update search queries for the web, news, images and feeds on the main page. You can also change the view of the search results and add RSS feeds directly from the search results. Personally I like the persistent search, although I'm having problems coming up with real life scenario where this would be helpful other than the news feed. It would be nice if the web, feeds and image search would be more random with the results. The first-run experience is much better and more inviting than before. In case you already have Live.com setup, check out the OOBE screenshot [out of box experience]. It's simply amazing what the live.com team has done since the start.com was first launched one year ago, keep up the good work guys! @Matthew Posted Aug 27 2006, 06:58 PM by Matthew with no comments

• Motorola T31 - Windows Live Messenger phone

  Motorola have now released details on their upcoming T31 series of cordless phones, designed to work with Windows Live Messenger. The T3153 and T3101 both support upto 6 handsets, with the only difference being a separate base unit for the T3151. You can also ask to be notified when the T31 is available - Signup. T31 Homepage Posted Aug 26 2006, 05:50 PM by Chris with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Windows Live, Hardware, Messenger

• Windows Live Marketplace (Agora) to launch Monday?

  A few weeks ago, Mary-Jo Foley at Microsoft watch first mentioned Agora during a roundup of the Windows Live services. It appears that Agora is the codename for the replacement for Windows Marketplace, unoriginally expected to be Windows Live Marketplace. What is surprising is that the existing site features a countdown to the new version, indicating that the launch will be Monday 28th August, 8pm BST. Through Marketplace, Microsoft can provide Windows Vista compatiable downloads straight to the desktop, with their new Digital Locker technology making this process even more transparent. Marketplace will also provide yet another route to getting Windows Live on the desktop, beyond the possibiliy of OEM's installing Windows Live Essentials. Here's waiting for Monday.   Posted Aug 26 2006, 04:25 PM by Chris with no comments

• Hotspot Locator website launches

  The Windows Live Wifi Suite blog is now public at http://nowires.spaces.live.com/, where already they have announced the Hotspot Locator website http://hotspot.live.com/. Also, if you would like to be on the client beta, you can email your Windows Live ID to BellBeta@microsoft.com and hope for the best. Surprisingly for Windows Live betas, the HotSpot website has international support already, returning back some accurate data on UK locations near me. I'm starting to like this product more and more...   Posted Aug 25 2006, 04:04 PM by Chris with no comments

• Windows Live Essentials

  Windows Live Essentials is an upcoming product that will be the Windows Live equivalent of the Google Pack; allowing for one-click installations as well as providing update notifications for the individual products. With a central control panel (Windows Live Dashboard) providing information on the various Windows Live application, Essentials should eventually allow automated installations. While the product won't necessarily be used by the more technically advanced users, especially those in the betas, it will no doubt benefit the vast majority. Essentials also has some pluses for Microsoft. Smaller Windows Live products can take advantage of increased exposure and applications are more likely to stay current. There is also the "small" benefit of getting Windows Live products preinstalled on Vista machines via OEMs, as Google have done recently with their toolbar. Update: We got confused with our names. Dashboard appears to be part of Windows Live Essentials. Post edited slightly to reflect this. Posted Aug 25 2006, 12:04 PM by Chris with no comments

• News Roundup: Video Search, Live Drive, Video Publishing

  From around the web, today - first Brandon at MSTechToday points out the link to the new video search capabilities of Windows Live Search. You can try out these beta features at beta.search.live.com/video/ There's also news about Live Drive coming from Tech-Ed in Auckland. Expect Live Drive to make an appearance soon. LiveSide readers have been telling us that interesting things are happening at http://drive.live.com, although nothing is up there yet. CNET reports that Microsoft Australia technical specialist John Hodgson says that "the basic Live Drive was likely to include around 2 gigabytes of storage for free", with additional storage capacity available for purchase. Also worthy of note is that "the new service can be mapped directly from PCs running ...Vista", according to CNET. This is the first example of a Vista/Windows Live "works better together" scenario. And finally, JJ Allaire sheds a little more light on the video publishing capabilities of Windows Live Writer. According to Allaire, "(t)here was now way we could properly support the diversity of current and future video hosting services with a feature baked directly into the product." So Windows Live Writer has exposed the necessary infrastructure to developers, who are free to build video player plugins using the Live Writer SDK. Posted Aug 25 2006, 01:58 AM by Kip Kniskern with no comments

• Sign Up for the Windows Live Messenger 8.1 Beta

  A sign up link for the Windows Live Messenger 8.1 Beta has just appeared on Microsoft Connect. To sign up, go to Connect, click on Available Connections, then find Windows Live Messenger 8.1 and click Apply. To go straight to the survey, just click this link. Jump on it now before all of the spots fill up! Thanks Scott.   Posted Aug 24 2006, 07:04 PM by Harrison Hoffman with no comments

• Read/Write Web interviews George Moore

  Richard MacManus posts an interview (today, 8/23) with George Moore, GM for Windows Live Developer Platform, who recently called Windows Live Spaces the largest blogging service on the planet, getting Robert Scoble all in a tizzy. Robert later came to his senses. Moore talks about gadgets, getting Windows Live products out of beta, Spaces, and some very impressive (well maybe not to Scoble) Windows Live numbers. From Tech-Ed in Auckland, New Zealand. Read/Write Web Interviews George Moore   Posted Aug 24 2006, 12:46 AM by Kip Kniskern with no comments