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(Cross posting from my personal blog as well, you do my partial to “get out a vote.”)

I’m really happy to contend there have been multiform Microsoft products nominated for this year’s Webware 100 Awards, together with most of my a one preferred Windows Live products as well as services (details here).  Please take a demeanour during all a categories as well as nominees as well as expel your votes.

Thanks,

Marcus, Windows Community Manager

CNET’s Webware, a tech site about “cool web 2.0 apps for everyone,” has announced a annual Webware 100 Nominees, as well as Live Search is gratified to make known which FOUR Live Search offerings done a list. WOO HOO!

Introduced in 2007, a CNET Webware 100 is a round-up of superb Web 2.0 products as well as services, nominated by a readers. The Webware editors name 300 finalists as well as entice readers to opinion upon a last picks. Live Search took home prizes in 2007 as well as 2008 as well as we need your assistance to go 3 for three.

Voting starts today, so revisit a Webware website to opinion for all your a one preferred Live Search products in 3 large categories, including:

· Search & Reference: Live Search

· Location-Based Services: Live Search 411 and Live Search Maps

· Commerce : Live Search Farecast (Beta)

While you’re choosing by casting votes for Live Search, don’t dont think about to uncover a little adore for a alternative Microsoft products nominated, including:

· Browsing: IE8

· Communication: Windows Live Messenger as well as Windows Live Hotmail

· Infrastructure as well as Storage: Windows Live Sync as well as Windows Live SkyDrive as well as Live Mesh as well as Silverlight

· Productivity: Microsoft Office Live Small Business as well as Microsoft Office Live Workspace

Voting will finish upon Apr 30, 2009, during noon Pacific Time so be certain to opinion right away, as well as widespread a word to alternative fans of Live Search.

Thank we for your support!

Melissa Powell, Senior Product Manager, Live Search

In a ongoing query to bond with those of we opposite a poke universe, we’ll be during Web2.0 Expo in San Francisco starting today. We’ve been upon a highway utterly a bit lately, articulate about where poke is currently as well as removing feedback upon areas where people consider a stream knowledge comes up short. Web2.0 Expo is no different. Let’s talk!

Live Search will be in a huge Microsoft counter (#600) in a Expo Hall, pity a fad with a friends from Silverlight, Surface, Azure, as well as IE8, to name a few. Also, gossip has it which Windows 7 will be upon house to demo in a space. Not to be missed.

Even if we can’t have it, let us listen to from you. Drop us comments or questions in a blog as well as we’ll be certain to get behind to you.

Now we contingency forgive me as we go shift in to my “stylish” counter shirt…

Aya Zook, Product Manager, Live Search

The categorical Windows Live website rested today.  Check it out during windowslive.com/explore.  You’ll see a homepage striking right away rotates, as well as a third perspective is all about you, a members of a Windows community!

Can we find your design in a striking below?

Not usually have been your cinema featured, you’ll see posts from village members in a middle.  Plus you’ll see brand new places for your contributions by a site as well as upon a Windows Vista Discover pages too.  It’s an sparkling time to be a part of of a Windows Community as well as share your tips as well as stories with millions of people all around a world.

Thanks again for all of we who have been members of a community.  If we haven’t assimilated yet, only check out http://clubhouse.microsoft.com/join as well as we’ll be happy to acquire we aboard!

- Marcus, Windows Community Manager

We’ve beheld a couple of questions from users about a changes to a Sharing Folders functionality in a brand brand new chronicle of Windows Live Messenger as well as suspicion it was a great time to post a follow-up to a primary Dec posting.

Background
The Sharing Folders functionality was private in Windows Live Messenger 2009 as well as transposed with integrated entrance to Windows Live SkyDrive.  If we have been meddlesome in celebration of a mass some-more about a changes, here’s a couple to a full post from December: Sharing Files with Windows Live Messenger as well as Windows Live SkyDrive.

What’s different?

• You can right divided share files in a following ways:
  • Publically
  • Only to pre-defined/custom organisation of people
  • or usually with your contact.

You have full carry out over a permissions of a file(s) we share.

• In a past, files would usually synchronize when both users were online.  Now, when we tell files to Windows Live Skydrive, those files upload right divided as well as have been permitted during your convenience your hit logs in, but carrying to be concerned about syncing.
• If we have been upon eighth month or upon a mechanism where Messenger is not installed, as prolonged as we have a web browser as well as an internet tie we can still pointer in with your Live ID as well as get to your files.

What is a same?
You can still send files in real-time with a hit who is online.  That has not altered during all.

What happens to my Sharing Folders when we ascent to a brand brand new Windows Live Messenger?

Nothing, your files will not be deleted or last.  When we ascent to Windows Live Messenger 2009 we will see a prompt a initial time we try to access/view or tell files online explaining a shift as well as a couple to your folder.  A by-pass is additionally combined for you, as well as placed in a Documents folder. If we do not have Sharing Folder files locally upon a appurtenance we have been signing in on, we will not see a emigration dialog.

If we still can’t find your files, we can demeanour here:

<AppDataLocal>\Microsoft\Messenger\<User Sign In Email>\Sharing Folders\

For example:
C:\Users\MyName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Messenger\[email protected]\Sharing Folders\

If we have been still carrying problems anticipating your files, have certain which we have been essentially upon a same appurtenance which had a files upon them locally.  Several users have referred to which were still carrying problems anticipating their files.  Please keep in thoughts that, it’s expected in this scenario, which a files had never been synchronized to which specific machine, even yet we might have had a pity attribute with which contact.  If which is a case, you’ll have to go to a appurtenance which has a files upon them locally.

Thanks,
The Windows Live Messenger Team

It’s which time of a year again: The bureau pools have been going, a sports bars have been full, as good as you’re digging out a colors of your alma mater. Yes, Mar Madness is already in full swing.

While not all of a engineers have been outrageous basketball fans, we have been outrageous fans of a Instant Answers. This is a underline which gives … well, an Instant Answer to a question which is dictated to find a specific square of information. With so most diversion times as good as scores to keep lane of, we couldn’t consider of a improved approach to have we happy than to broach a little Instant Answers upon college hoops, only in time for a Sweet 16. Simply sort in “NCAA tournament”, “March Madness”, or “college basketball” as good as we will get a ultimate as good as biggest report upon a contest right upon a poke page.

You can even sort in your a one preferred team’s name to get a team’s jot down as good as ultimate results. Here’s an e.g. for a Duke Blue Devils.

Enjoy as good as let us know what alternative Instant Answers we would similar to to see in a future!

Theo Vachovsky, Instant Answers Product Manager, Live Search

Hey – Angus Logan here, behind from MIX09 in Las Vegas. We had the whopping 8 sessions about identity/safety, messaging as good as the Live Framework during MIX – next have been links to all of the sessions about Live Services, which you can perspective online.

Overview of Sessions

Messaging / Presence : On Wednesday we announced the Windows Live Messenger Web Toolkit, which is the set of controls as good as libraries which capacitate you to bond Windows Live Messenger users as good as their friends with users of your Web site.

• Keiji Kanazawa gave an general outlook of the Windows Live Messenger Web Toolkit
• Chris Parker showed 5 of the tip scenarios you identified for the site to turn some-more amicable & gummy by being enabled with the Windows Live Messenger Web Toolkit.
• Angus’s pick! Jordan Snyder from Effective UI common her practice in integrating the Windows Live Messenger Web Toolkit in to the sharp Silverlight focus for the vital print pity web site (more headlines entrance soon.)

Identity & Safety : Microsoft is in the singular upon all sides to be regulating the single of the largest services in the world, with over 500 million people signing in each month.

• Jorgen Thelin gave an general outlook of the opposite aspects of the Live Identity Service as good as how you have been creation it accessible for web developers, companies which sell solutions as good as additionally organizations which wish to adopt clouded cover services.
• Angus’s the one preferred :: John Scarrow talks about the things you need to consider about when regulating the large tall scale make use of in conditions of people abusing your service. “the terrorists have been no longer in their camps in the desert, they have been relocating in to unit buildings (i.e. your web site)”

Live Framework – you denounced the Live Framework during PDC as good as have been operative divided receiving feedback, hardening as good as elaborating it.

• Ori Amiga gave an general outlook of the Live Framework all up
• Arash Ghanaie-Sichanie went low upon what meshifying the web app unequivocally equates to
• Angus’s pick! Gregory Renard from Wygwam had the many fun event as good as showed the good brand brand brand brand new apparatus the Live Framework Explorer for Visual Studio.

Full list of sessions with links

Identity & Safety
	Protecting Online Identities Learn how Microsoft provides the operation of temperament solutions for assisting developers some-more simply set up seamless user practice which embody Federation, Authentication, UX Customization, Open Standards, Open ID as good as more.
	Protecting Against Internet Service Abuse Come listen to how Microsoft protects calm as good as identities as servers as good as users turn some-more distributed worldwide.
Messaging & Presence
	<3 the New Windows Live Messenger Web Toolkit for Social Websites See how to supplement IM to the site with the Windows Live Messenger Library as good as UI Controls, as good as how to set up brand brand brand brand new relations around calm with Messenger amicable capabilities. Also listen to how tip sites as good as marketers have been regulating the amicable connectors of Windows Live users to grow as good as …
	Five Killer Scenarios for the Windows Live Messenger Web Toolkit Come sense how to have your site some-more enchanting with the Windows Live Messenger Web Toolkit.
	A Shot of Windows Live Messenger as good as the Pint of Microsoft Silverlight Learn how to supplement present stickiness as good as expostulate brand brand brand brand new users to the Web site whilst uncovering the dark amicable network within. Hear how Effective UI fast as good as simply combined these capabilities to the customers’ existent Microsoft Silverlight projects regulating the Windows Live Messenger …
Live Framework
	Live Framework as good as Mesh Services: Live Services for Developers Learn about the Live Framework together with brand brand brand brand new as good as destiny services (such as Mesh Services), protocols, APIs, as good as collection which capacitate your Web, service, or customer applications to access, store, as good as synchronize user interpretation with Live Services, acquire assembly analytics data, as good as more.
	Mesh-Enabled Web Applications Come sense how to magnify your existent Web applications as good as get them to live as good as inhale inside of Live Mesh. See how Mesh-enabled Web applications can be accessed from anywhere by the Web browser as good as run locally (and offline) upon the user’s desktop. Also see how Web …
	Lighting Up Web as good as Client Applications with Microsoft Live Services Learn how to make use of Live Services to light up abounding customer applications or to magnify Web applications to the desktop. See how to simply entrance Live Framework to furnish as good as devour interpretation which automatically syncs with the clouded cover as good as the inclination in the user’s digital life.

Air transport is regularly a hassle.  Picking someone up — is a moody upon time? Going upon a moody — have a depot as well as embankment changed? You can right away check all of this fast as well as simply upon Live Search.

Live Search is apropos some-more than only a place to get report — it is additionally a place we can do things.  We have been simplifying pass tasks with Active Answers, a brand new process of retrieving up-to-the-minute interpretation from a Web. To assistance with your air transport report needs, a initial Active Answer recover is for moody status. You can sort in a specific moody series in to a poke box (for example, Alaska 328), as well as Live Search will yield minute standing report upon a sold flight, together with depot as well as embankment information.

You can additionally do a general query, flight status, as well as we’ll arrangement interactive boxes upon a formula page for a user to fill in. Pretty Cool!  

Look for some-more Active Answers soon, brought to we by Microsoft Research as well as Live Search.   

MJ Lee, Senior Program Manager, Live Search

Stefan here – contemptible for the hiatus. We’ve been out upon the highway articulate to people opposite the poke ecosystem to get their feedback upon what we consider have been the small unsolved problems in the poke space. More upon which after since right away we’ve got the provide for we all. we referred to early upon which we wish to move the small people who actually know what they have been articulate about in to the blog contention (in contrariety to me who, whilst means to speak about anything, is frequency the management upon it).

Today we have Roopali Kaujalgi from the API group articulate about because the Live Search API 2.0 is the brand new hotness. Even if you’re not the developer, we competence be meddlesome in saying the energy of what developers can do with the small formula as well as their imagination. we got the TON of questions about this things whilst we was during SxSW, so we know during slightest the dozen of we will find this scintillating.

Until subsequent week…

Stefan Weitz, Director, Live Search