Windows Experience Blog : Web Services

Updated Windows Live Web Services Rolling Out

Brandon LeBlanc — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:17:52 GMT

Yesterday, some of you took notice that your account page for Windows Live has been updated with the new Windows Live look and feel. That was just the beginning! As Dharmesh Meta, Director of Windows Live Product Management (and all around good guy), explains – over the next 24 hours you will be seeing quite a bit of changes occurring across the board for Windows Live. We’re launching updated versions of Windows Live Home, Spaces, Events, and SkyDrive and launching completely new services for Windows Live such as Groups, Photos, and Profile. Essentially we’re launching “the new face of Windows Live” on the web today.

Changes you’ll see include a brand new common header across all the Windows Live web services (with themes) as well as 25GB of *free* storage in SkyDrive and more! For an overview of what’s changing – see today’s post from Dharmesh with lots of cool screenshots.

I’ll be posting later this week about the Windows Live web services after they are all officially live for everyone.

25GB of Free Online Storage with Windows Live SkyDrive

Brandon LeBlanc — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 06:06:00 GMT

The Windows Live SkyDrive Team has posted a in-depth post offering a overview of what’s coming with their next update. First and foremost: Windows Live SkyDrive will be boosting everyone’s storage from 5GB to 25GB. Secondly, they want to give you more control over your files by offering you new features to do so:

Download photos directed to your to Windows Live Photo Gallery.
Download as a .zip file. Download an entire folder in one compressed file (initially available only in the United States, Denmark, and Ireland).
Move files between folders.
Copy files to multiple folders.

Sharing photos is huge these days. They’ve added almost 20 new features to make the photo experience on Windows Live SkyDrive even better such as supporting People Tags, bigger thumbnails, and a new online slideshow using Microsoft Silverlight.

You will be able to also keep your Internet Explorer favorites synced up with multiple PCs using Windows Live SkyDrive and Windows Live SkyDrive.

There is a lot coming to Windows Live SkyDrive! Check out their blog post for more details on what’s coming up.

Keep your life in sync with Windows Live

Brandon LeBlanc — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 06:05:00 GMT

Brian Hall, General Manager for the Windows Live Business Group, just posted to Windows Live Wire an exciting overview Windows Live today and how the pieces of Windows Live will fit together to give users a connected experience. He is sharing more details regarding the next “wave” of products and services coming for Windows Live designed to help keep your life in sync.

In September, we talked a bit about the new Windows Live products and services and released client betas for the Windows Live suite of applications – now known as the Windows Live Essentials. Those betas are still available for you to try out today at download.live.com. The Windows Live Team is working hard to ship the Windows Live Essentials out of Beta soon.

The Windows Live Hotmail Team has also recently rolled out a new update to Windows Live Hotmail as well.

On top of the Windows Live Essentials, we’ll be shipping updated versions of the Windows Live web services.

Windows Live Calendar, Windows Live Spaces, and Windows Live SkyDrive will all be updated.

We’re will also be updating the main homepage for Windows Live. The redesigned homepage for Windows Live will serve as your gateway to the Windows Live services - with a strong emphasis on the What’s New feature which consists of activities from your friends on Windows Live. You will be able to add friends to your “network” and see what they are doing via Personal Message updates from Windows Live Messenger, recent blog posts on their Windows Live Spaces, or photos uploaded to Windows Live.

What’s New also lets you pull in updates from partners such as Twitter, Flickr, LinkedIn, WordPress, and more. If you have friends on Windows Live pulling in their Twitter updates into their profiles, it will appear in What’s New.

And remember – Windows Live Messenger will now pull in What’s New directly into the client for quick access to what’s going on with your friends on Windows Live. You will be able to access What’s New through Windows Live Toolbar as well.

(Pssst… What’s New is my favorite Windows Live feature!)

A brand new Windows Live Profile page will let you update your Personal Message directly from the web, view your Network, and add “Favorite things” such as books, movies and music. Your friends can leave you Notes on your profile too.

We’re also introducing a new Photos experience for Windows Live utilizing Windows Live SkyDrive as well as Windows Live Groups.

On the mobile side – there will be new points of access to Windows Live on any mobile device with a browser. You will be able to use your mobile phone to access What’s New and see what your friends are doing, update your Personal Message, upload photos to Windows Live, and manage your email and calendar.

I’m pretty excited for what’s being done with Windows Live and I think you will be too. For all the latest and great news and information on Windows Live, you should bookmark and subscribe to the Windows Live Wire blog. You can also follow Windows Live Wire via Twitter as well.

As mentioned at PDC this year – Windows + Windows Live will complete the Windows experience as they work together hand-in-hand.