Lorgor

I just get an invitation for Windows Live Folders, after waiting for long long time — I have idea lost this train. Ok, what is Windows Live Folders?

• 500 MB of free online storage, available from any computer with Internet access.
• Create personal, shared, and public folders — you decide who has access to each folder.
• Folders work well on any Windows or Macintosh computer with Firefox 1.5 or higher, or Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher.
• Your personal folders are password-protected with your Windows Live ID, so only you have access.
• When you create a shared folder, the friends you’re sharing with need to sign in with their own Windows Live ID and password.
• Just like at your online bank, all file transfers are protected using Secure Socket Layers (SSL).
• Use personal folders to back up important files that are only for you.
• Get to your files from any computer with Internet access by signing in with your Windows Live ID.
• Shared folders make it easy to collaborate with coworkers or classmates. 
• You decide how much control each person has over each shared folder. Some can just read what’s there: others can add and delete files.
• Everyone who is sharing uses their own Windows Live ID.
• With public folders, anyone on the Internet can view your files, but they can’t change them.
• Want to show your public files to others? Just send them a link! Each folder and file has its own web address.

Windows Live Folder beta is currently available for US market only and with very limit number of pre-selected beta tester, I am not sure.

Hey, still looking for @live.com address? Jacky Mok, Product Manager for Windows Live has an answer:

#1 When will it be available?

@live.ca domain launch, or for that matter, all @live.XX, will be launched in their countries in the fall. 

Another important question:

#2 What will happen to my current @hotmail addr? Will it be migrated?

NO, all @hotmail addresses will remain intact and they will all function just like today.  There will be no migration for email addresses.  For instance, even I have mokjacky [Email address: mokjacky #AT# hotmail.com - replace #AT# with @ ] today, that won’t guarantee me mokjacky [Email address: mokjacky #AT# live.ca - replace #AT# with @ ]. It’s on a first come first serve basis.

More on his blog.

Microsoft dilivered Windows Live Messenger 8.5 Beta 1 Update 1 build 8.5.1238.0601 via Windows Update. It’s seem bug fix only.

Ok, Windows Live Hotmail final is launched, Outlook Connector will be launched next months, Windows Live Mail Desktop took the name Windows Live Mail with upcoming new build. The new WL Hotmail is a part of Windows Live service and platform–well what’s the team though about new Hotmail at begriming, back to last 2.5 years.

Richard Sim, Senior Product Manager for Windows Live Hotmail posted interesting background building Hotmail from scratch.

• rearchitected the entire service from scratch,
• swapped out the backend storage infrastructure (literally swapping out old boxes for new ones)
• instrumented user actions,
• created new ways to serve advertisements,
• developed new advertising products,
• created a scalable and flexible mail platform to power email for universities and other partners,
• managed a large scale beta process with a continuous user feedback loop,
• redesigned our product development and deployment processes,
• streamlined our signup flows,
• opened up Outlook client access for ALL free users (coming very soon),
• created a Windows Live Contacts (subscribe to contact updates) service,
• created a new selection paradigm for email client applications (dynamic checkboxes) which has been eventually adopted by Yahoo Mail Beta,   
• and released a new safety bar to educate users about the context of every mail that arrives in his/her inbox

You known that official code name is “Kahuna”, but the original is “Tsunami”– the disaster over western coast of southern of my country.

After WL Mail changed the name of web mail service from Windows Live Mail to Windows Live Hotmail and continued with the launched of final version, WLMd team announced they took the name “Windows Live Mail” for mail client, previously known as Windows Live Mail Desktop or WLMd.

The new Windows Live Mail client will come with all features of WLMd plus some features of Outlook Express (of XP) and Windows Mail (of Vista). the new features are:

• New and improved UI:  Cleaner design, and now with Aero support!
• Setup and account migration improvements:  Smoother experience overall - you will now have fewer steps in order to get started with the client
• More parity with OE and Windows Mail:  S/MIME and LDAP support are just two of the features that we’ve been working on for WLM which will bring us more parity with our other free Mail clients
• Performance and stability:  The new product will be faster and more robust than WLMd.
• No Ads:  Yes, it’s true – there will be no graphical ads in the WLM beta build.

Windows Live Mail client will be released some weeks after this, and it’s seem to be final launched.

Some of you, Windows Live Hotmail user, may noticed that “Beta” tag was pulled out from Windows Live Hotmail. My previous post talk about Microsoft ready to lunched final version of its web mail service. Live Hotmail took 2 years for development with about 10 milestone launches. Read more detail for final version from Live Hotmail team blog and discover your new mail at Discoverhotmail.com.

Note to those you addicted to Hotmail, there will be not Hotmail anymore. With no choice you may need to adapt to classic version of Live Hotmail. For me, I love Live Hotmail’s UI and functionality– far above Gmail and Yahoo Mail beta.

Don’t forget, if you waiting for official availability of live.com account (like yourname @ live.com) you need to keep waiting for coming months.

Microsoft sent out email to Windows Live Hotmail beta user informing the launch of final version. There is no info from Live Hotmail team blog at the moment if there are any changes for final. Btw, there is 2 token for beta user. It’s email signature badges and Vista Ultimate PC discount, more detail here.