Teching It Easy: Windows Vista & 7: MSN Spaces

How to Add Categories to Windows Live Space - Anyone?

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:36:33 GMT

The Windows Live Writer team details Windows Live Writer 2 BETA supports adding categories. I have been unable to find this functionality in the application or in the Windows Live Space service itself. If you are able to, please leave a note. I use to be able to do this in previous versions of the service when typing a post in the blog part of MSN Spaces, but this has been grayed out ever since.

Thanks,

Andre

Seasons Greetings from Teching It Easy

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 22:36:16 GMT

I would like to wish Happy Holidays and a Happy/Prosperous 2008 when it comes to all readers of Teching it Easy.

Andre

Yahoo! Web Mail now supports Windows Live Contacts

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 08:24:17 GMT

I logged into my Yahoo email address this morning to catch up on some email. In addition to noticing a new look and feel and removal of the BETA Tag, Yahoo! Mail notified me I can import my Windows Live Contacts so I could also chat with them online. Previously, only Yahoo! contacts were supported for chatting. I love Yahoo's web mail interface, which I believe loads much quicker than Windows Live Hotmail and features integrated instant messaging and just a more flexible experience when it comes to email in the web browser. Its definitely a winner in my book. Check out some of the screenshots I took.

I was notified if I would like to import my Windows Live contacts into Yahoo!, too bad I didn't get the dialog that appeared after with the contact listing.

Windows Live and Hotmail addresses import successfully, no effort at all. Love the floating modal dialog btw.

The Chat experience is amazing, blazing fast and of course instant - Windows Live Hotmail are you learning?

IM conversations can also be saved as email messages.

Even Windows Live Mail or Hotmail IM Contacts Personal Messages show up - pretty cool!

An exceptional update, I hope they improve on the alerts part when it comes to IM part. I notice when my browser was not the active window, I missed a received message. Overall, this is quite an amazing, seamless integrated experience Yahoo has created here that provides a very cohesive experience for users in the Web 2.0 world. Fast, feature rich, powerful, simple, effective!

Technorati tags: Windows Live, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo!, Windows Live Contacts, Instant Messaging, IM, Web 2.0, Email

New Windows Live Spaces User Home Page - more Facebook like?

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 16:57:36 GMT

I logged in this morning to my Windows Live Space Home Page and was greeted by a new look that had a familiar feel to the popular Facebook user home page with quick overviews of what is going on with your Friends in your Windows Live Space social network. Some familiar features include, friends making new friends and updated photo albumbs or changes made to a persons space. Because Live Space is a blogging service, you still get some old features enhanced and rearranged in a more convenient layout, such as comments on your Space now on the right side, so you can see the latest responses. Its a very nice change thats not only convenient and productive, but just visually richer and connecting. Now this is what I call Social Networking. Check out the screenshots:

New Windows Live Spaces User Home Page

Friends can see whats going on in their social network, manage and respond to comments on their blog much easier.

New Windows Live Spaces 'Friend Request' email

Speaking of updates to Spaces, the Friend Request email has also been updated to be more simplified and get to the point. Check it out:

You can simply click Be Friends or No, thanks or check out the persons Space before you grant request as before.

The old Windows Live Spaces Friend request email

Some nice improvements I definitely like and appreciate. Windows Live Spaces is becoming more robust, reliable and offers a more integrated experience that makes blogging, expressing your self and interacting with your friends a treat.

Technorati tags: Windows Live Spaces, Windows Live, Facebook, Social Networking, Blogging, Friends, Windows Live Space Home Page

My Live Hotmail Storage - Its Huge!

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 16:23:50 GMT

I was just checking my email on Windows Live Hotmail and decided to see whats going on around the world, so I clicked the Today link. There I saw my Live Hotmail storage which is now at a whopping 5 GBs! Previously it was at 2 GBs which I barely scratched the surface. Check it out:

Windows Live Hotmail Mailbox storage

This is definitely an enticing value for users who are sharing large files or just plain email a lot. I love Live Hotmail (except for the banners), I plan to do a review of the entire suite of services soon. The services and technologies are just getting better and better, not to mention well integrated. Microsoft should just purchase Facebook and replace the Friends feature in Windows Live Space and we will be good to go.

Technorati tags: Windows Live Hotmail, Storage, Hotmail, Email, Integration, Windows Live, Windows Live Spaces

New Updates for Windows Live Spaces

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 17:02:05 GMT

Microsoft's Blogging service got some nice updates yesterday, but still missing important ones that the service badly needs I believe. But here is a list of some of the new features in this update courtesy of the folks over at LiveSide.net

Birthdays
List Ordering
New Photos Features
Templates and Live Blog Titles

You will find more detailed information here

All are nice, welcome changes that truly enhance the user experience when browsing and managing Windows Live Space, but the issue remains sticky in one area, Search. I have come to realize, Microsoft still does not get or understand Search and what it means to have it setup right and work right. You can see the faults in Live Services such as Hotmail and Spaces. Why can't I search within an individuals Space, instead of across Spaces? I would like people to find the content they want within my space, because they know its there. I notice I can't search by Folders either in Live Hotmail or Category for instance on my Space, that's something the Live Search folks need to think about fixing.

Another thing is, why isn't Live Space taking advantage of tags to produce more relevant Search Results? I did a search for my recent Microsoft Wireless Entertain Desktop 7000 review and it was almost at the bottom of the Search results, Google does a way better job when it comes to finding information on my Space. Also, an option to have vertical banner ads would be nice instead of horizontal. I also wouldn't mind a Tag Gallery, so many websites and blogs use it these days, its like an integral part of every blog. It would be nice if the Spaces Team in the future phase in updates to certain blogs with more priority. My blog still has not gotten the new look regardless I blog on a regular basis (this is just a personal thing), but I feel really left out.

There is so much more spaces can fix, but these are only some of the changes I wouldn't mind seeing enhanced in the Live Services.

Technorati tags: Windows Live, Windows Live Spaces, Update, Windows Live Header, Branding

Talking about Download Windows Live OneCare Beta 2.0 (EN-US)

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 16:36:56 GMT

Volkan notifies us about the release Microsoft's Windows Live One Care 2.0 security service which you can now download from the Connect website.

Quote

Download Windows Live OneCare Beta 2.0 (EN-US)

Nun ist die neue Version (2.0) von Windows Live OneCare für den US-merkanischen Markt veröffentlicht wurden.
Download: Windows Live OneCare Beta Home

Weitere Informationen

Registrieren Sie sich für Windows Live OneCare Beta (v2.0)!

Previously:
Talking about Windows Live Onecare 2.0

Talking about Top 10 Features that Windows Live Spaces needs

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 20:24:59 GMT

Brandon Leblanc gives us his top list of features Live Spaces users would definitely appreciate. My favorites in particular are 3. Tag Gallery 2. Theme Customization, I just want to add a unique look and feel relating to what I cover on my blog and 5. Better social networking relating to groups and interest. Brandon, you have definitely hit the money!

Quote

Top 10 Features that Windows Live Spaces needs

I'm compiled a list of features I think Windows Live Spaces needs at its next BIG update. The list is in no particular order:

Option to allow comments from non-Windows Live ID users.
Better theme customization for making my Space stand out more.
Tagging (instead of Categories). Enough said.
Enhanced Windows Live Profile options. Ability to add more information (like favorite movies, music, etc).
Groups. I've found that Facebook uses groups to associate with friends with common interests. Spaces should adopt something similar but expand on the concept.
Allow for private photo galleries. Let me designate based on my Windows Live Contact list who can see specific photo galleries and who cannot.
Better digital photo support. Let me upload a image taken from a digital camera without Spaces altering the image in anyway. Let folks download or view original image.
Better stats. Let me see page views VS RSS views, link referrers, etc.
Improved Friends List. Friends List too basic in its current form compared to other social networking services.
Custom Domain support. I want to use my own domain for my Windows Live Space just like I am able to do with email.

If the Spaces Team can swing many of these features at their next big update - I'll be one happy camper.

Technorati Tags: Windows Live, Windows Live Spaces

Windows Live Hotmail about to Launch

Wed, 02 May 2007 00:27:05 GMT

I just received this e-mail and it looks like Windows Live Hotmail which first started out as Kahuna is close to launching according to the following message. Included are offers for BETA Testers who participated in testing the email service which has gone through many changes from appearance to its name. Looking forward to reviewing it in its final form, this was fun and at times frustrating BETA, but its a great release that many users will be pleased with. :)

Technorati tags: Windows Live Hotmail, Windows Live Mail, Live Mail, Email, Kahuna, Beta, Announcement, Launch, BETA, Windows Vista Ultimate Edition, Free Beta Badge, Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, Windows Live

New Live Spaces Update - with welcome improvements

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 15:31:20 GMT

Sorry about not blogging for a while, but I was busy with work and started preparing for courses to get my CCNA. But I am now back in the fold, with new content ready for blogging. So Live Spaces has been updated with features that are more visitor friendly. I think the best feature so far is the Category based RSS feeds which allows you to basically subscribe to a category on my space. I post a lot of content to my Vista Tips & Tricks and Windows Vista categories, users will probably find this feature a nice improvement.

Added are also improvements to Photo Tools with Vista style slide navigation and the ability to add comments. Another long awaited improvement is a GuestBook feature which I had created ages ago, but will be replacing with the new built in one, I wish there was a way to migrate existing guest comments to the Live Spaces Guest Book link. Live Spaces now includes the ability to e-mail to the owner of a Live Space delivering directly to the persons inbox, really cool. :)

Overall, great improvements, I hope future updates provides the ability to customize more and go beyond the built themes so users can add their unique style to their space.

Technorati tags: Live Space, Updates, MSN, Windows Live, Teching It Easy, Spaces Central

Hey, Teching It Easy is 2 Years Old!

Sat, 30 Dec 2006 17:41:36 GMT

I just realized that my blog anniversary had passed me by on Dec. 9th. Wow, how time flies. So far things have been going well with Windows Live Spaces, the service could do better in the customization department. I also hope to see better integration with Windows Live Writer.

Once again, thanks for all the support. :)

Andre

Seasons Greetings from 'Teching It Easy'

Thu, 28 Dec 2006 13:22:48 GMT

I would like to wish Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year when it comes to all readers of Teching it Easy.

Andre

The Year that was 2006.

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 20:12:48 GMT

All of you must be wondering if I have abandoned my Live Space. Yeah, you are right, I did (temporarily), but worry not, I am back for good so get ready for the new content that’s coming!

The year 2006 I would best describe as being a bitter-sweet one. I got to be a part of a community of millions of testers who helped to shape the next version of Windows; Vista which I must say is awesome and will define a decade of user empowerment through improvements and new features in areas such as communication, collaboration and entertainment. With a significantly enhanced interface that puts the user at the centre, Vista will create new opportunities for users to be productive and agile in a world where time means money and precious memories are priceless.

Don’t forget to check out the ActiveWin Windows Vista RC2 review.

The bitter part of this year for me is the recent tragic loss of my father who I consider to be my hero and mentor. A person who was always there when I needed him for encouragement and advice. A man who was the epitome of strength and endurance faded away without us knowing really how unhappy he was. Still I will honour his memory by appreciating his love for family and the dedication and loyalty he gave to the rights of Workers throughout Jamaica. Rest in Peace Dad until that day we meet again.

Going forward, I am looking to 2007, to new beginning’s and opportunities. Some of my resolutions for the blog are to focus on getting out more Vista related content and more reviews, because it’s obvious the fun really begins with the release. I hope your year was great and let us enter the New Year with peace and love for one another.

I would like to extend special thanks to all the readers of Teching It Easy, online friends, Beta Testers and friends in the Windows Community for their out pour of love and support during what was a rough time.

With Love & Respect,
Andre Da Costa

Technorati tags: Family, New Year, 2007, Windows Vista, Microsoft.

Public Release of Windows Live Messenger 8.1 BETA Available for Testing

Mon, 30 Oct 2006 23:55:43 GMT

Connect and share instantly on the world's most popular IM network - Download

What’s new with Windows Live(TM) Messenger 8.1 Beta
Check out the features we’ve added:

• Redesigned, smarter contact cards give you more data about and easier access to your friends
• Your display name, status and personalization roam with you to any computer
• Try PC-to-phone calling with two free calls to virtually any phone in the world*
• Better server performance
• Automatic updates
• Improved sign-in performance

Technorati tags: Windows Live Messenger 8.1, WLM, BETA, Instant Messenging, IM, MSN Messenger, Communication, Windows Live, Online Services.

Just got upgraded to new Windows Live Mail

Thu, 12 Oct 2006 19:11:45 GMT

A couple months ago I revealed an interesting Windows Mail survey I received from MSN Research showing a glimpse of the possible final interface for Microsoft's Hotmail successor. Today, I checked my Windows Live Mail inbox for a surprise, take a look:

The new Windows Live Mail interface using the Windows Vapor theme (click to enlarge).

Not much has changed except for better look and feel throughout the UI, with more accessible tools such as Today page, Address Book and Calendar. The Windows Live Mail themes also sync up with other Windows Live services such as Spaces and Live Desktop Mail. Its a refreshing look that makes e-mail fun again.

Previously
Interesting Windows Live Mail Survey

Resources
LiveSide.net
MSTechToday

Technorati tags: Windows Live, Windows Live Mail, E-mail, Microsoft, Hotmail.

Sorry for not blogging consistently.

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 15:40:31 GMT

Been so busy at work and also working on upcoming reviews for Windows Vista and Office 2007. Thanks for baring with me. I hope to start publishing more tips and tricks for these apps.

LiveSide.net - Sign Up for the Windows Live Messenger 8.1 Beta

Thu, 24 Aug 2006 23:33:05 GMT

From LiveSide.net

Just saw this:

Quote

"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."

Go to Microsoft Connect here to apply for the WLM 8.1 BETA and other BETA software from Microsoft.

Check out LiveSide.net here

This is needed right now, the performance on the 8.0 release has been disappointing. Log in times are very long and launching Live Mail from the Messenger takes forever, which means the integration and speed with other Live Services is still below quality.

Microsoft's blogging software available in BETA

Mon, 14 Aug 2006 17:26:22 GMT

Microsoft has released a beta version of Windows Live Writer, a new blogging software designed for users with no HTML skills.

Most blog-authoring services--including Blogger, LiveJournal and WordPress--assume a bit of HTML knowledge on the part of their users. But now that it seems as if everyone has a blog or two these days, the market has opened up for software that allows Web users who are less tech-savvy. That's the niche that Microsoft's Windows Live service hopes to fill with Windows Live Writer, now available for a free beta download to Windows users who have installed XP's Service Pack 2.

Read the rest here

Very cool, this same entry was published using Windows Live Writer, a very convenient app, makes it easy to insert images publish them right away, no more need to open up Live Spaces. Do it right from the desktop. I wish there was an option to paste text from the context menu in the Title field. It pretty much looks like Office 2003 but still feels unfinished, overall I love it.

Resources:

Exclusive: Interview with J.J. Allaire, Architect for Windows Live Writer
Live Writer Space

Interesting Windows Live Mail Survey

Mon, 14 Aug 2006 16:52:49 GMT

I got an MSN Research e-mail this morning asking if I would like to take a survey, here is the letter in its entirety:

Here are some picture screenshots of demos during the survery, featuring a unique IE window. (Click to enlarge)

"Dear Windows Live Mail User,

Thank you for being one of the first users of the Windows Live Mail Beta programme. We are constantly working to improve the service and love to get your feedback.

Please take a moment to complete the following survey on the design of the Windows Live Mail environment and the advertising opportunities within it. This questionnaire should take no more than 10 minutes to fill out and you must be 18 years or older to participate.

Click here to go to the survey. If the link does not work, please copy and paste the following URL into your browser.

Thank you in advance for your time. And keep your eye out for new features in the Beta based on YOUR feedback!

Yours sincerely,

The Beta Mail Research Team

The survey responses you submit will not be used to contact you for the purpose of promoting any product or service. Any information gathered through this survey will be treated as confidential. All analysis and reporting will only be done on the survey group as a whole. No reporting will be created on an individual customer basis and results will be used solely for market research purposes."

The Windows Live Mail preview does look lovely indeed, better than what I am currently using, I am definitely forward to the final release.

Windows Live Spaces - So Far

Wed, 02 Aug 2006 18:53:58 GMT

I don't know what just happened to my MSN Space but I am definitely not feeling it, the performance is lousy, some modules and list refuse to move, customization is pretty much bad.

Hey Brandon and Imran, thanks for socializing with me.

Windows Live Messenger Final UI Screenshots from LiveSide.net

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 19:54:51 GMT

From LiveSide.net

Quote:

"Yes I'm posting yet another screenshot, this time of the expected Windows Live Messenger final UI.

- Yes the UI looks must better, no bleaching!
- Note the new status icons, a cross between old and new.
- The two new icons at the top of the contact list refer to the new VOIP and VoiceMail features coming to Windows Live Messenger. I'll be posting more information on this shortly :-)"

Read the rest here

Cool screenshots, I am finally having confidence in this release of Messenger.

Bright Ads Said my MSN Space is useless!

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 19:45:51 GMT

Received an e-mail today from Kanoodle.com BrightAds Service telling me that my space has not matched their criteria for generating enough revenue and clicks. Read the letter:

Quote:

"Hello Andre,

Although BrightAds may have already been activated automatically on your MSN® Space, we find now that we must suspend publication. After a routine review, our editors have determined that your MSN Space isn't the good fit for BrightAds that we hoped it would be. Be assured, however, that any payments due you prior to this change will be honored.

In order for BrightAds to work for you it's important that the ads we serve match the content on your MSN Space. A good match means Web surfers are exposed to products and services that we know they may be interested in, while our advertisers receive traffic from qualified consumers. So, despite the quality of your MSN Space, it's just not a good match for the BrightAds program at this time.

As we expand BrightAds in the future, new opportunities may open up for your MSN Space to be successful using BrightAds. If they do, we'll let you know.

Thank you for your interest in BrightAds.

The BrightAds team"

Well, thanks so much for believing in me, I hope I get my $8.09 soon.

Talking about BIG update to MSN Spaces

Fri, 27 Jan 2006 01:10:33 GMT

The changes are rolling in baby, and Mike Torres, list them right here. This is so exciting! Woohooooooo!

Quote

BIG update to MSN Spaces

Today begins a new era of computing. Your life will never be the same. Seriously.

Well, OK... not really. Your life will probably be the same... and today may not really indicate the start of a new era of computing - but it's still a very exciting day for the MSN Spaces team and (hopefully) for our users. We've just released a bunch of new features today, many of which we've been working on for quite some time... and most of which were suggested by you guys!

Here's an overview list of everything I can think of. The Space Craft has a summary of the release as well. Take a look and leave some feedback for the team! Of course there are hundreds of other fixes and modifications that aren't on this list. I'd be typing all day if I tried to capture it all...

Spaces Search. This is an incredibly cool feature that lets you find interesting spaces based on keyword, a user's profile information, or by clicking on most popular interests across all of spaces. You can also run a search from any space just by clicking "Search Spaces" in the header above. One thing to mention about the search feature is that it will be ramping up for a few days - but you can help make it better! Learn more about this on The Space Craft.
Mobile Search from Mobile Spaces! Search for spaces from your mobile device. Mike Smuga will be talking about this more over on his space soon.
Your own advertising on your space (as an option) to make money from clicks - powered by Kanoodle! (This feature is only available in the United States and Canada at this time.)
Book lists with Amazon integration. Automatically insert information from Amazon.com directly into your book list - and again, make money through Amazon Associates when people end up buying the book! It's very cool (by the way, our book is called Share Your Story if you want to add it to your book list :)
Better blog navigation. This feature is one of those things we needed to do. You can now "view more entries" at the bottom of the page, and navigate through Previous and Next pages while looking through blog entries.
Customized blog entry display. Choose how you want your blog entries to appear, by date or entry title. This is a great feature for people who write essays or incredibly insightful posts once a month. Date isn't really important in this case, whereas sorting by entry title may make more sense.
Integrated Help. Confused? Click the Learn link in the header above to figure out what to do next!
Enhanced Profile including General, Social, and Contact Info sections. Each section will have it's own permissions so any part you would like to limit access to (say your personal contact information), you can do it. There's also an updated profile module for the homepage with an actionable photo; anytime you see someone's picture anywhere you can right-click (or click on the down arrow) to view their contact card, space, profile, and more.
Live Contacts Beta! Brand new feature which you'll see popping up throughout Windows Live in time. Wha

Experiencing New Changes to MSN Spaces

Fri, 27 Jan 2006 00:52:46 GMT

Well, there are some changes taking place in MSN Space right now.

First notable one, is URLs have been changed to http://spaces.msn.com/username instead of http://spaces.msn.com/members/username

XBOX integration with Game Cards, you can enable this under, Customize > Modules

New Help System - searchable too

Bright Ads integration, you can make money off your MSN Space - COOOOOL

New Photoalbum, more convenience

Personal photo under comments

And lots more!

Resources:

http://www.liveside.net

http://spaces.msn.com/mike

Spaces moves towards becoming Live

Tue, 24 Jan 2006 20:04:50 GMT

From LiveSide.net

Quote:

"This week MSN Spaces moves closer to the portfolio of Windows Live services with the launch of its 10.5 release. This long overdue upgrade touts many user-requested features as well as introducing several major additions, including a social networking module, a revamped Profiles service and the introduction of Live Contacts.

Read the rest here

5 Windows Live Messenger 8 Invites To Give Away!

Sun, 08 Jan 2006 01:07:37 GMT

Thats right, five Windows Live Messenger 8 Invites To Give Away! Want one? Here's your opportunity, be one of the first five to post a comment and your wish is my command.

Qualifications:

You must have a "Hotmail" address, I don't want to see any G-Mail or Yahoo Addresses being posted for request. So if you don't have a "Hotmail" account yet, sign up here

To learn more about Windows Live Messenger 8, click Here

Check out the Windows Live Messenger Blog, Here

Merry Christmas Everybody

Sun, 25 Dec 2005 01:25:27 GMT

I just would like to wish everybody a Merry Christmas, may this special time of the year bring you and yours peace and joy.

Sorry I haven't posted

Thu, 22 Dec 2005 14:24:17 GMT

Sorry I haven't updated my MSN Spaces in the past few days, but I have been so busy with work here at the Office plus investing some time throughout the day to test Windows Vista build 5270. I will be writing a pre-view soon, so stay tuned.

Thanks Imran for the correction, I will post it later to day. Merry Christmas everyone.

Talking about Try Out Windows Live Messenger Beta!

Sat, 10 Dec 2005 21:30:00 GMT

Here is your chance to possibly get a spot on the Windows Live Messenger 8 BETA. Its worth try, I hope I get on, pleassssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, Ines. :)

Quote

Try Out Windows Live Messenger Beta!

I haven't had much time to Blog lately: it has been pretty busy at work. I guess it never lets down at MSN!

Anyways, I just read Overdo's post and ran across this statement:

"So to all you Microsoft employees with unused WLM beta invites, make someone's Christmas and donate them to a worthy Beta Tester."

Well, Merry Early Christmas. I do have a few "unused" Beta invites that I am willing to share with deserving Messenger users, pending:

Blog About Messenger: Blog about Messenger and trackback to this post.
Blog About Sharing Folders: If you receive a Beta invite, you promise to try out the "Sharing Folders" feature and Blog about it, in good and/or in bad .

UPDATE: If you left a comment and/or trackback link to this post and haven't received an invitation, send me a mail (ines_khelifi [at] hotmail [dot] com). In the meantime, donations are closed. Enjoy the Beta and be sure to send your feedback!

Peace Out!

One Year - My First Anniversary on MSN Spaces!

Fri, 09 Dec 2005 16:02:29 GMT

It seemed like only a month ago I started using MSN Spaces which launched in December 2004. I tried blogging before with Googles Blogger, but I always considered it to be a bit too complex (especially when it came to adding an image to a post) and I just eventually neglected that blog and blogging until MSN Spaces came along. At first I started out with basic general information that soon evolved into my passion, technology. The blog had a technology oriented name from the beginning, but it never really focused much on that area or what I was really all about at first.

Overtime, I decided to make it relevant to the stuff that really matters to me, and one of them as should you probably already know is Microsofts next generation operating system, Windows Vista formerly codenamed Longhorn. There is strong emphasis on Vista here at Teching It Easy, mostly because of what the product has to offer in terms of new user experiences that will make computing a whole lot easier for the masses, and when I say masses, I mean people who have never sit in front of a PC before. Not to mention that finally it will have a decent interface on par with Apple's Mac OS X or even better. So, I want to be a part of that experience, that journey seeing it evolve and at the same time relay my feelings about whats taking place throughout the course of its development, giving you my perspective about the stuff that really matters to me in Windows Vista.

I have written a few articles, but I think I need to write a whole lot more, so thats gonna be one of my New Years resolution for my MSN Space and more emphasis on areas such posting more information about Security and Windows 64-Bit, although I already have a 64-bit Blog, you can check out here. But expect a lot more on topics such as those from this corner of the web next year.

I just would like to say thanks to all the folks who paid a visit to my MSN Space over the past year, wishing you all the best for the coming new year and hope to hear more from you on my space, never hesitate to leave a comment saying hi or just leave a suggestion about what you like to see here, thank you very much for your support. Finally, I would like to thank the MSN Spaces Team for really making blogging easy and not require a Rocket Science Degree. Your hardwork and dedication has paid off, and the millions upon millions of MSN Spaces users is perfect example of that. As for the future of the Service, I hope to see more innovation greater ease of use and integration with other Microsoft technologies.

Thanks again,

Andre

MSN.com Portal BETA

Sat, 05 Nov 2005 18:31:37 GMT

Thanks to Lapytsh for linking me. The MSN.com BETA is just beautiful! The simple yet elegant user interface makes it a welcoming experience for someone using the web for the first time or an existing MSN.com user who wants more customization capabilities.

Check it out at http://beta.msn.com

Signing Up for the Windows Live Messenger BETA

Sat, 05 Nov 2005 18:14:03 GMT

Persons have been commenting to a post I made about signing up for Windows Live Messenger BETA a couple weeks back, this was before the name change. Well, I stumbled upon another way to sign up and its been under our noses:

Sign up for Windows Messenger Live BETA here, you will be added to a waiting list.

Fix: http://ideas.live.com/signup.aspx?versionId=0eccd94b-eb48-497c-8e60-c6313f7ebb73

Microsoft buys FolderShare

Thu, 03 Nov 2005 18:29:23 GMT

From CNET

Qoute:

"Microsoft said on Thursday that it has acquired an online file-sharing service that it will incorporate into the Windows Live service announced earlier this week.

The software maker purchased the FolderShare service from Austin, Texas-based ByteTaxi. Financial details of the deal were not announced.

The technology offers an alternate way to send large files that are too big to easily be e-mailed."

Read the rest here

Talking about Windows Live Spaces - coming soon!

Wed, 02 Nov 2005 21:56:04 GMT

Well, this one caught me by the surprise, I didn't know that MSN Spaces was also moving to the Windows Live Services brand. Microsoft has definitely killed the butterfly. It was in my brain but I never pondered on it too long, might as well anyway.

Quote

Windows Live Spaces - coming soon!

From: Microsoft’s Live Offerings

Explore and Find New Interests
Windows Live will deliver new ways for customers to discover and explore:

Social Networking. Social Networking features for Windows Live will be based on the people whom customers know rather than strangers who may visit their blog or Web site. Social Networking in Windows Live will be centered on a customer’s unified contact list, enabling the user to find and connect with people who have similar interests, but may be new to his or her social circle. Customers will be able to choose and control who has access to discover and connect with them.
Windows Live Spaces. Microsoft will continue to invest in services that help people express themselves, and find, connect and nurture deeper relationships with others around the world. MSN Spaces will transition to Windows Live Spaces as Microsoft adds new features to the service next year.

Windows Live Messenger Live Beta - Correction

Wed, 02 Nov 2005 20:47:13 GMT

The Download is only available to invited individuals BETA Program, unfortunately someone posted a link to the download when they should not done so. In the mean time, check out some great Flickr photos of the new Windows Live Messenger and Live Services here from Nial Kennedy.

All the Live MSN Spaces

Wed, 02 Nov 2005 16:09:06 GMT

Here is a link to all the Windows Live Services MSN Spaces:

Live.com BETA

- http://spaces.msn.com/members/livecom/

Windows Live Mail BETA

- http://spaces.msn.com/members/mailcall/

Windows Live Safety Center BETA

- http://spaces.msn.com/members/safetycenter/

Windows Live Messenger BETA

- http://spaces.msn.com/members/MessengerSays

Windows OneCare Live BETA

- http://spaces.msn.com/members/windowsonecare/

Introducing Windows Live Messenger

Tue, 01 Nov 2005 21:40:11 GMT

From MessengerSays

Qoute:

"A few months ago all the members of the MSN Messenger team were shut into a room (lured there by cookies and free frappaccinos) to hear the announcement. "MSN Messenger had a good run. It's time for change. Then next time our users upgrade, it will be to Windows Live Messenger"

Read the rest here

Looks like MSN Messenger is no more.

MSN Messenger 8 Beta Fake

Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:33:18 GMT

From TechTree

Qoute:

The latest version of MSN Messenger 8 Beta has started showing up on popular BitTorrent sites on the web, but on closer inspection, it has been found to be a fake.

The recent few versions of MSN Messenger had all been leaked out of the labs, several weeks or even months prior to the actual public beta release date, but this time, the download has been unanimously nuked as fake, by all who downloaded it.

Read the rest here

Talking about Bill Gates talks about Messenger v8 and more

Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:26:04 GMT

I suspect we will be finally be hearing about the next version of MSN Explorer software version 10 and the recently leaked MSN Messenger 8 IM Client and Office 12 productivity software. Learn more over at Overdo and PJB

Quote

Bill Gates talks about Messenger v8 and more

Talking about MSN Messenger 8 leaks [Update 2]

Sat, 29 Oct 2005 15:32:47 GMT

Overdo confirms the rumors about the next version of MSN Messenger, 8.

Quote

MSN Messenger 8 leaks [Update 2]

Usually I'm a big sceptic, however there are a few giveaways here that confirm it's real.

Firstly the options panel has Shared Folders in it. If you read my blog earlier in the week then you might like to re read this post and the comments: Sharing Rocks

Secondly I know the build number was one from earlier this week, although the current build number is quite a bit higher.

Thirdly as the people with the beta have found out, signin is being prevented by MSN CNI. So unless you sign in with an authorised passport, you can not do a lot :)

Oh and the UI is just an alpha skin, which explains why nearly everybody who is viewing these declaring them as fake.

Edit: Office 12 has some nice collaboration features in v8, remember those new PSM icons from a while back? ;)

Edit2: It has VOIP included too.

It looks like MSN Messenger 8 has leaked

Fri, 28 Oct 2005 18:57:52 GMT

From NeoWin Forums

MSN Messenger Build 8.0.0290

Well, it looks like MSN Messenger 8 has made it into the wild somewhere in China. A member of NeoWin is leaking screenshots of the next version of Microsoft's popular instant messenging client and Office productivity suite code named 'Office 12'. As you can see not much has changed yet except for a new theme, I am not sure but its possible that Messenger 8 BETA could be integrated with Office 12, at least it looks that way. Could this mean the Company beginning to take advantage of the recent integration of the MSN and Windows divisions? I think its for the better, which means their is no more need for Windows Messenger which is bit anorexic.

Check out the thread here

Sign up for MSN Messenger 8 BETA

Tue, 18 Oct 2005 17:21:15 GMT

via NeoWin Forums

Qoute:

A lot of talk about MSN Messenger 8 has been flowing from news sites lately, and we have just received more information on it from some VIP. There is now a URL in which you may sign up for the MSN Messenger 8 BETA. The site is not yet active, but the input form SEEMS to work. And the URL is: http://www4.imagine-msn.com/minisit...px?locale=en-us

We have also been told that the BETA has been targeted to start mid-November. We will be reporting a lot more MSN Messenger 8 stories over the next few weeks (Including MSN Circles!).

Sign up for MSN Messenger v8 BETA

source

Sounds interesting, I signed up anyway, I really would like to see what the MSN Messenger Team has up their sleeves for this release. Wouldn't mind providing some suggestions too.

Sign my guest book

Tue, 04 Oct 2005 20:26:04 GMT

I don't know why I never did this, but I'm doing it now. If you would like sign it, go ahead, be my "guest". Tell me what you like and don't like about my space, also tell me if you link to me, so I can link to you. :)