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Yesterday a WLID guys common some engaging things they learned from their OpenID CTP. CTPs have been mostly used to get feedback from developers, countenance ideas, and/or scold a march of an effort. Sometimes they have been even used to infer a feature/service is economically viable. Jorgen supposing an refurbish upon a destiny of Windows Live ID’s Open ID efforts:

Currently, you do not have a report which you can publicly share for when you will recover full Production await of OpenID for Windows Live ID users, though rest positive which you have been operative actively to yield OpenID functionality to all of a 500+ million Windows Live ID users!

In further to mixed entry-points, as well as being means to insist singular vs. immobile identifiers to finish users – a categorical plea was aliasing:

In a CTP, Windows Live ID users were compulsory to emanate an OpenID alias (such as “http://openid.live.com/john“) trustworthy to their account, as well as afterwards to make use of which alias not only during a OpenID relying celebration site, though additionally as a proceed to brand themselves to a Windows Live ID OP. When nearing during a OP sign-in screen, users were compulsory to come in their OpenID alias (instead of their normal Windows Live ID user name) and a cue (or a single of their alternative compared credentials, such as an Information Card) from their categorical Windows Live ID account.

We had envisaged which regulating an alias for OpenID sign-in could yield a little subdivision of a dual temperament networks. However, a usability indication for this proceed has incited out to be unfeasible and/or only solid treacherous to users!

Read some-more about it along with a alternative lessons.

Want to find only a right eventuality in your area this weekend? Worried about anticipating something fun to do with a kids when you’re upon eighth month in a brand new town? Try a extended MSN City Guides, Bing eventuality search or any of a Zvents co-branded services around a Web to find cold happenings as well as rught divided supplement them to personal or common calendars in Windows Live.

Give it a try!

1. Visit MSN City Guides during http://thingstodo.msn.com
2. Enter something similar to “concerts” as well as a name of your internal locale or city. In a e.g. below, we’re acid for concerts in Mountain View, CA

3. Click upon a single of a events in a outcome list to examination details. In a e.g. below, we’ve clicked upon “Alumni Concert.” You can right divided examination a sum of a event.

4. Now, to have certain which we don’t dont think about about a event, we can supplement it to your personal or common calendars in Windows Live. Just click anywhere we see a monthly monthly calendar idol with Save,.

5. After we click a idol with Save,, you’ll see a series of options for calendars which we can save to, similar to Microsoft Office Outlook as well as Windows Live Calendar. For a example, we’ll click Windows Live Calendar. If you’re already logged in to Windows Live, you’ll see a eventuality sum right away. If you’re not logged in, you’ll be stirred to do which first.  

6. Here have been a eventuality sum pre-populated with a eventuality calm from a MSN City Guides page. Notice which we chose to supplement a “music” appeal as well as additionally invited a chairman to a eventuality by promulgation a Windows Live Calendar eventuality invitation. we could additionally name to save this eventuality onto a common monthly monthly calendar with a spouse, poignant alternative or friend. we can additionally set a sign for a event. And, reminders can arrive by a Windows Live Alerts make use of around Windows Live Messenger, SMS upon my mobile phone, or around e-mail. 

Here’s a little some-more cold stuff. Notice which if we do a Bing poke for say, “Events nearby Santa Cruz, CA,” we will right divided see a list of arriving events nearby which location. Click an eventuality as well as we will see a eventuality sum in MSN City Guides. And, if we name to supplement a eventuality to your calendar, you’ll be means to name Windows Live Calendar from a tip of a list.

Finally, a good thing about a partnership with Zvents is which they energy eventuality poke as well as listings during hundreds of sites around a Web. So, in further to acid for events by MSN City Guides, we can additionally revisit many alternative sites with eventuality listings. Clicking events in those sites will move up a informed Save icon, too. Use it to supplement your events to Windows Live Calendar. And, when you’re ready to transport around a world, we can make use of Zvents to find events in hundreds of inhabitant as well as general cities.  

We goal to see we during concerts, plays, as well as festivals around a world!

Thanks for regulating a service,

The Windows Live Calendar team

We have been committed to upon condition that a safe, secure as good as certain knowledge for a some-more than 300 million business opposite a creation regulating Windows Live Messenger each month. To broach upon that commitment, commencement upon August 25, we proposed asking a business regulating versions 8.1, 8.5 as good as 14.0 to ascent to a newest chronicle of Messenger. The ascent will yield business with a ultimate program updates together with formula fixes as good as underline enhancements, as good residence vulnerabilities discussed in a Microsoft Security Advisory 973882 that existed in prior versions of Windows Live Messenger.

The ascent routine will take place in a phased proceed over a subsequent multiform weeks:

First Phase, Optional Upgrade:
The discretionary ascent will occur in dual stages:
Starting Aug. 25, business regulating versions 8.1 or 8.5 were asked to ascent their client.
Starting early Oct., all business regulating versions 14.0 (but not a ultimate recover 14.0.8089) will be asked to ascent their client.
The ascent during this time is optional. Customers who haven’t upgraded during a discretionary proviso will be compulsory to do so during a second phase. 

Second Phase, Mandatory Upgrade:
The imperative ascent will occur in 3 stages:
Starting mid-Sept., all business regulating Messenger 8.1 or 8.5 will be compulsory to ascent their chronicle of Windows Live Messenger.
Starting late Oct., all business regulating Messenger 14.0 will be compulsory to ascent their chronicle of Windows Live Messenger.
To safeguard that we have been safeguarding customers, those who do not discharge a ascent will not be means to pointer in to Messenger after this time.

Please Note: It will take multiform weeks for a ascent routine to be completed, as a ascent will be rolled out to business over a march of multiform weeks. 

Below have been a little examples of a prompts that we will confront during a ascent process. 

Notification to upgrade.

Want to ascent now?  You don’t have to wait for for a notification. In fact, we inspire we to download a updated chronicle of Messenger right now by upon vacation http://download.live.com .

If we aren’t certain that chronicle we have, we can go to a Help menu as good as name About Messenger.  Help –> About Messenger.  If we have a chronicle that is reduce than 14.0.8089 we will need to upgrade.

New Features as good as Improvements

There have been a ton of good brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new facilities as good as improvements in a stream chronicle of Windows Live Messenger (14.0.8089) that we know we will be tender with. In fact, Windows Live Messenger won both a Editor’s Choice eminence by Personal Computer Mag as good as a 2009 Webware 100 award from CNet honoring a people’s preference for a many appropriate Web 2.0 apps as good as services. Learn some-more about all a brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new facilities in Windows Live Messenger here.

Users upgrading from 14.0

Customers now regulating Windows Live Messenger fourteen have been already enjoying a brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new facilities of a ultimate chronicle of Window Live Messenger. We’re we do a many appropriate to minimize a stroke this ascent might have upon a business as good as swallow ones pride for any nuisance it might cause.

To answer any questions we might have, we’ve supposing a reduced FAQ about a ascent routine below.

Thanks,
The Windows Live Messenger Team

FAQ – Windows Live Messenger refurbish

What have been a changes with a brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new upgrade?
The changes change depending upon that chronicle of Windows Live Messenger people now have upon their PC. The routine will ascent business of Windows Live Messenger 8.1 or 8.5 to a ultimate version. Separately, business who commissioned Windows Live Messenger customer 14.0 prior to August 19, 2009 will embrace a formula fix, though there will be no manifest underline changes. 

What is brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new in a ultimate chronicle of Windows Live Messenger?
With a stream chronicle of Windows Live Messenger, multiform new, socially oriented facilities as good as an wholly brand brand brand brand brand brand brand new demeanour as good as feel were introduced:
• Personalization. Add a form design or video, arrangement a personal stage in a discuss window, refurbish a standing summary with your news, supplement a a one preferred link, or supplement what strain you’re listening to. 
• Integration of “What’s New” feed. With a “What’s New” feed in Messenger, we can stay in hold with a ultimate updates from your round of friends during a glance, but any need to record in opposite mixed destinations.
• Photo sharing. Photo pity lets we share as good as criticism upon cinema whilst you’re chatting.
• Favorites. Identify your many critical contacts as good as they will crop up during a tip of your Messenger window, for easy access. It’s similar to speed dial for your Messenger contacts.
• Groups. Create groups upon a fly as good as discuss concurrently with up to twenty members during a same time.              

Who will embrace a ascent notification?
All Windows Live Messenger clients with versions 8.1, 8.5 or 14.0 will embrace a ascent notification. Beginning August 25, business of Messenger 8.1 or 8.5 were stirred to ascent their client. Customers who commissioned a ultimate Windows Live Messenger customer (14.0) prior to August 19, 2009 will begin reception an ascent presentation in Sep 2009. Customers of comparison versions of MSN Messenger upon Windows 2000, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 95, Windows Me or Windows 98 will not embrace an ascent notification.

Update (Aug twenty-eight 6:30pm PST) 

Hi everyone, we’ve had multiform comments about what happens if we have been using an handling complement upon that we cannot implement a ultimate chronicle of Messenger.  In this case, we will NOT be stirred to ascent as good as can go upon to make use of a chronicle we now have.

To clarify, if you have been using Messenger 8.1, 8.5 or 14.0 upon a following operating systems: Windows XP 32bit, Windows Vista (32bit/64bit), Windows 7( 32bit/64bit) or Windows Server 2008, you will embrace a ascent notice.  See this couple for a complement mandate of a ultimate version. http://download.live.com/SystemRequirements

With summer vacations sketch to the close, you’ve substantially got the ton of cinema as well as videos, right?  Have we attempted regulating the brand brand brand new Windows Live Movie Maker to spin them in to the video to share with friends as well as family?  What have we schooled along the way?

Our Windows village has the brand brand brand new plea for the brand brand brand new chronicle of Movie Maker.  Check it out during the Clubhouse by clicking upon the Challenges couple after signing in. 

If you’re not already the part of of the Clubhouse, we’d by anxious to have we stick on the community.  You can sense some-more as well as request to stick on during http://clubhouse.microsoft.com/join. 

- Marcus, Windows Community Manager

Hi Everyone,

I longed for to give you a little critical updates upon a developer services as you hope for for a subsequent recover of Windows Live. We have been focused upon creation a subsequent recover of Windows Live a really most suitable for you. Our prophesy is to yield you with deeper entrance to a some-more than 500M Windows Live users as good as a some-more unchanging programming interface for both a services as good as controls. We wish to have it as easy as probable to devour as good as have have make have make have make have make make make use of of of of of of of of of of of Windows Live capabilities in your solutions.

At a Professional Developer Conference 2008, you gave a developer village entrance to a technical preview of a Live Framework. The Live Framework is core to a prophesy of upon condition which you with a unchanging programming interface. Now you have been operative to confederate existent services, controls as good as a Live Framework in to a subsequent recover of Windows Live. Your feedback continues to assistance us set up a most suitable probable offerings for Windows Live users, for you as good as for your customers.

There will be a little changes to services as good as controls you might have have make have make have make have make make make use of of of of of of of of of of of today, in sold a Live Framework CTP, creation them taken starting Sep 8^th. These changes might start you as good as your growth work as good as you wish to safeguard which you take suitable movement to secure your work as good as have adjustments to existent implementations of a influenced services.

Starting Sep 8^th, 2009, a following services will be unavailable:

• Live Framework CTP (Services, SDK & Tools)
  The Live Framework will be integrated in to a subsequent recover of Windows Live. Stay tuned to dev.live.com for some-more sum in a future.
• Contacts Control (JavaScript)
  As an alternative, greatfully have have make have make have make have make make make use of of of of of of of of of of of a UI Controls from Messenger Web Toolkit.
• CTP Tools/ASP.NET Controls (Contacts, MessengerChat, IDLoginStatus, IDLoginView, SilverlightStreaming)
  As alternatives use:
  • The UI Controls from Messenger Web Toolkit for Contacts as good as Messenger Chat
  • The Windows Live ID Web Authentication Service to reinstate a IDLoginStatus Control

If you have been a Live Framework record preview user, you ask you to greatfully download any interpretation and/or formula from a have make have make have make make make use of of of of of of of of before to Sep 8^th as good as mislay your inclination from a service. If you have been regulating any of a controls, you ask which you greatfully mislay them from your site before to Sep 8^th. For some-more sum see a Q&A during a bottom of this post.

There’s additionally a little updates upon a destiny of a Bing ASP.NET Map Control CTP (formerly Virtual Earth ASP.NET Map Control CTP); to sense more, greatfully revisit the Bing Maps Blog.

Please note which Live Mesh will go upon to sojourn accessible to finish users as good as is not affected.

Thanks again to everybody for your appearance as good as feedback. Stay tuned to this space for updates as good as some-more sum upon a height capabilities of a subsequent recover of Windows Live.

Q&A

Q: I’m a user of a Live Framework CTP, do you need to do anything before to a Live Framework CTP being taken offline?
A: Microsoft asks which if you have any interpretation and/or codebase/solutions regulating in a Live Framework CTP which you greatfully pierce it to a internal hard-drive. If you have multiform inclination which have been “claimed” as partial of your Live Framework CTP account, you ask which you greatfully mislay any of these devices. To do this, go to any device which you have as partial of your Live Framework CTP service, click a Start Menu, afterwards Control Panel, afterwards Add/Remove programs, name Live Framework CTP, as good as uninstall. This will mislay your device from a Live Framework, as good as keep any files and/or folders you had synchronized upon a device itself.

Q: Will you still be means to entrance my Live Framework CTP solutions after this preview is taken offline?
A: No.

Q: Will Microsoft keep any interpretation and/or solutions which have been now accessible upon a Live Framework CTP?
A: Microsoft will not keep any interpretation and/or solutions which have been a partial of a Live Framework CTP offering.

Q: What is becoming different in a Live Services developer portal (live.azure.com)?

A: The capability to emanate Live Framework-enabled web sites as good as Mesh-enabled web applications will be removed.  It will not be probable to revise a settings of Live Framework-enabled web sites as good as Mesh-enabled web applications as good as Analytics since these applications won’t be accessible any longer.  Live Framework CTP tokens will no longer be stream as good as can be discarded.

Q: What will occur to my Live Framework-enabled web sites as good as Mesh-enabled web focus Application IDs?

A: Your Live Framework-enabled web sites as good as Mesh-enabled web focus Application IDs will get re-imported a subsequent time you record in to a portal after a CTP discontinuation. You can possibly have have make have make have make have make make make use of of of of of of of of of of of these Application IDs to bond to a Live Services Existing APIs or undo them.

Q: What will occur to my web site if you am regulating a Contacts Control?

A: Starting Sep 8 a contacts carry out will describe upon your site with an blunder message. Users of your web site will see a following statement: “This carry out is no longer supported, greatfully hit your site director for some-more information.” Starting Sep 8 a carry out will no longer be accessible or render.

Q: What can you have have make have make have make have make make make use of of of of of of of of of of of in lieu of a Live Framework Contacts resource?

A: You can still have have make have make have make have make make make use of of of of of of of of of of of a Windows Live
Contacts API Beta.

Q: What can you have have make have make have make have make make make use of of of of of of of of of of of in lieu of a Contacts Control?

A: You can have have make have make have make have make make make use of of of of of of of of of of of a contacts picker control which is partial of a Windows Live Messenger Toolkit.

Q: Will a permissions postulated to my site by users for accessing contacts interpretation be lost?

A: Yes. Users of your web site will have to go by a Contact Picker control’s accede flows to reinstate entrance to their contacts interpretation from you site.

Q: What will occur to my site if you am regulating a ASP.NET server controls from Windows Live Tools?

A: The ASP.NET carry out will keep operative though you have been no longer ancillary it starting forward. If you have been regulating it in multiple with a Contacts Control afterwards a Contacts Control will stop operative upon Sep 8 (see upon top of for some-more details). All alternative underlying controls (ID Login, Messenger, Silverlight, as good as VE Maps) will go upon to work.

Q: Are a Silverlight Streaming Services being dropped or only a jacket ASP.NET controls?

A: Only a controls which hang a Silverlight Streaming Service will be discontinued.

Q: What can you have have make have make have make have make make make use of of of of of of of of of of of in lieu of IDLoginStatus as good as IDLoginView Control?

A: You can have have have make have make have make have make make make use of of of of of of of of of of of of Windows Live ID Web Authentication service. Only IDLoginStatus as good as IDLoginView carry out is being discontinued.

Q: What will occur to a Windows Live Web Role template for Windows Azure?

A: The template is no longer upheld as good as will not work with a stream chronicle of Windows Azure Tools.

Q; By Microsoft receiving a Live Framework CTP offline does this meant which my LiveID comment additionally will be unavailable?
A: You can go upon to have have make have make have make have make make make use of of of of of of of of of of of your LiveID comment to entrance a alternative Windows Live services you caring about, together with a Live Mesh beta.

Q: If you wish to stay sensitive upon updates per Live Framework, where should you go?

A: Visit http://dev.live.com to stay up to date with Live Framework.

Q: What purpose do developers fool around in a destiny growth of Mesh technologies?

A: This is an sparkling tour for all of us as good as your joining as good as feedback helps us set up a most suitable probable offerings for a business as good as for you. Our joining to a good developer village is stronger than ever, as good as you have been seeking brazen conference some-more of your feedback in a future.

Some of we might have beheld which lately, we can no longer supplement photos without delay in to a physique of a Windows Live Hotmail summary a approach we used to do. The Windows Live group is all a time reviewing Hotmail to safeguard peculiarity use to a customers. During a new review, we identified an incompatibility with Internet Explorer which caused a security flaw with print uploads, as well as we done a preference to at a moment mislay a feature. The Hotmail group takes confidence really severely as well as we design to move behind a print upload underline by a finish of September. In a meantime, we can still supplement cinema as attachments to your Hotmail messages, by clicking Attach, as well as afterwards File, and afterwards selecting a design we wish to include.

We swallow ones pride for any nuisance which this might means we until this repair is complete.

The Windows Live group

Do we live in the larger New York City area?  If so, greatfully leave me the criticism next as well as I’ll follow up with we secretly about a little internal Windows events entrance up shortly in your area.

Thanks!

- Marcus, Windows Community Manager