Sarah In Tampa

Live Blog TEST

sarahintampa — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:33:00 GMT

Channel 10’s CES 2009 Coverage & Live Blog

sarahintampa — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:03:00 GMT

At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show 2009 (CES), Steve Ballmer will be giving a keynote speech on January 7th at 6:30 PM PST. If you can’t make the event, don’t worry – you can watch it virtually! The Microsoft PressPass site, of course, has a virtual pressroom setup. But right here on Channel 10, we’ll be covering the event live, via a live blog. And frankly, won’t that be more fun to follow? Other content will be posted to Twitter by yours truly - just follow the Twitter user @sarahintampa for my CES tweets all week. Oh, and if you’re a true social media addict, there’s also a FriendFeed room set up which I’ll also keep up-to-date with content during CES.

CES, here we come!

Two New Microsoft Surface Apps Revealed

sarahintampa — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 18:45:00 GMT

Microsoft Surface developer Kevin Kennedy recently gave us a look at two new Microsoft Surface applications he has under development. Although neither app is 100% ready for real-world use just yet, both are great examples of Surface’s potential. The two new apps are called SplatBox and Bubble Wrap.

SplatBox is an app for video DJs that lets them create and modify videos on the fly using touch:

Splatbox, the VJ app, on Microsoft Surface

The other app, Bubble Wrap, turns the screen of the Surface into a giant sheet of bubble wrap for your popping pleasure. That may not be the most useful app, but it does demonstrate how Surface can combine physical interaction with audio and visual recordings for a unique (and fun!) computing experience.

Bubble wrap on Microsoft Surface

(via Ars Techica)

Xbox 360 Car

sarahintampa — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 04:44:00 GMT

You’ve heard of Xbox 360 mods, but have you ever seen anything like this? A gamer modded his car with Xbox 360 components including game controllers and an Xbox console soldered into the dash. According to the photo’s description on flickr, the car actually has two 360’s, two projectors, and two flat screens inside. Hopefully, the gamer doesn’t play when driving! Yikes! Still, the end result is a pretty sweet looking ride.

Microsoft Increases Donation to Creative Commons

sarahintampa — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:45:00 GMT

Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization run mostly by volunteers devoted to expanding the range of creative works for others to legally share and build on top of. They offer content creators a series of copyright licenses, the Creative Commons licenses, which allow creators to easily determine and mark their materials for sharing in whatever manner that they sees fit. There’s even an easy-to-use license building tool to help people pick out the correct license they need.

Recently, Creative Commons CEO Joi Ito put out a call on their blog for donations, saying their organization had a tough year. “It has been particularly challenging for us as corporations and major donors have had to slash, if not completely cut, their philanthropic support,” he wrote. At the time, the organization was entering the last couple of days for the Creative Commons annual fundraising campaign and was still $12,000 short of their $500,000 goal. After the blog posting, Creative Commons got word that Microsoft upped their pledge by $15,000 to put them over the top for the year. (Microsoft has been a corporate sponsor for the past four years.)

It’s great to see that Microsoft is continuing their support of this important organization. We wish the best of luck to the Creative Commons team in 2009!

A Windows 7 Taskbar for XP

sarahintampa — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:43:00 GMT

By now, you’ve surely seen the new Windows 7 taskbar which is one of the biggest UI changes in the upcoming OS. If you want to get a taste of that experience on your XP machine, you can check out Iconizer, a third party application that revamps the taskbar on XP PCs. The app changes the way the programs are displayed in the Windows taskbar from their default view of a minimized window to a view where only their icons are displayed.

Aesthetically, the effect is similar to Windows 7, although these icons are much smaller. Also, the app doesn’t offer the same kind of functionality as Windows 7 does like Aero Peek or jump lists. Still, it’s a nice way to keep a more cleaned up taskbar in XP while enjoying a bit of what Windows 7 will offer in the future. (via gHacks)

HP Gives Sneak Peek of Firefly Gaming Laptop

sarahintampa — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:43:00 GMT

Netbooks may be all the rage right now, but there’s nothing that makes us drool quite like a new gaming laptop. Although HP is making its official debut at CES, we recently got a sneak peek at their new Voodoo Firefly prototype laptop. One of the laptop’s unique features is a 4.3” secondary screen beneath the main 17” 1920x1200 screen. You can drag any window to the smaller display, which is perfect for keeping an eye on your email or surfing the web during game downtime. The multi-touch trackpad on the Firefly is located on the right-hand side of the keyboard – great for right-handed folks, but lefties will be disappointed with that choice.

Of course, this machine is designed for gaming, so the specs don’t disappoint. Firefly features a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme Quad Core CPU, 4GB of RAM, a pair of ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3870 GPUs running in CrossFire mode, and a 7,200 rpm 250GB hard drive. The Firefly spec sheet said the machine is capable of overclocking, too. For audio, the laptop uses Creative’s X-Fi audio technology, which features Dolby sound and support for 5.1 surround sound speaker sets.

One of the most innovative features is Firefly’s night vision webcam – a first for notebook computers. In low light/no light conditions, the cam switches over to infrared mode automatically.

Unfortunately, Firefly is only a concept PC, so who knows if and when it will come to market. At the very least, though, we hope to see some of its features incorporated into new notebooks in the future.

You can read the full Firefly review on LaptopMag.

OnTheFlyUnzipper for Windows Home Server

sarahintampa — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:42:00 GMT

OnTheFlyUnzipper is a an add-on for Windows Home Server whose funny name may have you thinking XYZ PDQ! But this add-on isn’t about zippers…it’s about zipping and unzipping files. Once installed, the add-on is completely automated, requiring no user input – it will simply zip and unzip files as needed by immediately unpacking any downloaded files to a subfolder. The add-on can handle .rar files, too. In a recent review on WHS enthusiast site, WeGotServed, blogger Jim Clark notes that although some users have reported difficulties with multipart rar files and very large zip files, he didn’t have a problem in his test. Your mileage may vary, of course, but this still seems like a really useful tool. (I would like a browser add-on that does this!)

Take Screenshots with Greenshot

sarahintampa — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 21:55:00 GMT

For taking screenshots on my Windows PC, I’ve been using the free software from Jing, which lets me use a hotkey combination to take a screenshot then save it to my computer or quickly upload it to either Flickr or a web site via FTP. However, I’m always on the lookout for any utilities that could improve on the screenshot-taking experience. That’s why I’m now giving Greenshot a try.

This new, open source screenshot application runs from a small executable file – no installation required. After it’s up and running, you can use keyboard shortcuts to take a shot of either a region (hit the Print button), a window (Alt+Print), or your entire screen (Ctrl+Print).

Unlike Jing, which saves all images as .PNG files, Greenshot lets you specify your image file format along with name and storage location. In addition, you can choose to just copy the image to the clipboard instead so you can paste it elsewhere.

After your screenshot has been copied, you can then add objects including rectangles, circles, and text boxes. A unique feature lets you select an element within the picture and resize it, move it, copy it, cut it, or delete it.

Unfortunately, Greenshot doesn’t let you upload photos to the web like Jing does, but you can always use Windows Live Photo Gallery or your favorite FTP program for that. Greenshot may not replace Jing for me, but it definitely has some useful features that make it a worthy addition to my everyday toolkit.

New Microphone for Rock Band Now Available

sarahintampa — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 21:45:00 GMT

There’s a new microphone for Rock Band out now called M.I.C., short for the ever-so-creative “microphone with integrated controller.” Like it sounds, this microphone offers Xbox controls built right into the mic itself. Although you might think that having buttons on your microphone would be an inconvenience during gameplay, a handy switch at the bottom will deactivate them from accidental presses. But whenever you need to make adjustments or choose a new song, you can quickly switch them back on – no need for a regular Xbox 360 controller. With a nearly 10” cord, this mic gives you plenty of slack and the price ($59.99) makes it a worthwhile buy for any serious Rock Band gamer. You can check out more details or purchase this official accessory from http://rockband.gameshark.com.

2009 Will Be A Good Year For Travelers

sarahintampa — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 19:25:00 GMT

After reviewing the ups and downs of 2008, Mike Fridgen, the Director of Product Management at Farecast, released his predictions for travel in 2009. Mainly, Mike identified three main factors that will affect airfare pricing: consumer demand, oil prices, and capacity cuts.

Because of the economy, demand for travel decreased in 2008 and he believes this will continue in 2009, which will lead airlines to lower their prices in order to fill seats. Assuming oil prices stay low in 2009 (he thinks they will), airlines will pull back on surcharges which will also allow fares to drop. Finally, he sees capacity remaining flat in 2009. All this leads to his belief that 2009 will be a good year for those looking to travel, particularly in the winter and spring months.

Says Mike, “airlines and hotels are going to have to convince people to spend money on travel, which could mean a lot of deals and sales. I think there will be a lot of tinkering with fares as airlines try to find the right mix and that will lead to a lot of price movements.” In other words, there may be deals, but you’ll have to be quick in order to catch them.

One way to stay updated on those elusive deals is, of course, to use Farecast. With Farecast Alerts, you can grab a deal the second prices drop. You may also wanted to keep the Farecast Deals page bookmarked so you can keep an eye on the deals in your market.

Manage Your Netflix Queue From Your Windows Mobile Phone

sarahintampa — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 19:25:00 GMT

If you’re the owner of a Windows Mobile phone and a Netflix subscriber, then you’re going to want to check out this new mobile application: Smartflix, from PyxisMobile, the maker of financial software for Blackberry. The Smartflix download is free, but it is in beta, so be aware of that. With the application installed, you’ll have access to the following features on your Windows Mobile phone:

Browse the entire Netflix library from your Windows Mobile device
Add to, remove from, and change position in your regular and Instant Queues
See the availability of DVDs in real time
See available formats for each title (DVD, Blu-ray, Instant)
Movie Synopsis: When looking at recommendations and search results, click to view full synopsis.
Improved “Recommendations” Support with more targeted recommendations and “Star Ratings”
Access movie and entertainment news and information, and soon, movie times, GPS directions to theaters and more.
Send-to-a-Friend: Send SmartFlicks to a friend via quick-click interface
Instant Feedback: Send the App Lab team your comments and suggestions from within the application

Note: On windows Mobile 5 devices, the application requires .NET Compact Framework 2.0.

(via WMPowerUser.com)

ICE: New Smartphone Offers Tactile Feedback to Touches

sarahintampa — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 19:25:00 GMT

Taiwan-based Mobinnova, Sony Ericsson’s new handset manufacturing partner, has just announced a new smartphone they’re calling the Mobinovva ICE. The phone, which works under GSM, WCDMA, and HSDPA networks, also introduces new touch sensitive controls, mobiToday and mobiShift. Together with the company’s unique mobiFeel technology, these controls deliver tactile feedback in response to touches on the phone’s 3” screen. The feedback is delivered through the display using a specialized touch sensitive mechanism. The company believes this will make the experience of interacting with the device even more intuitive than it is with other touchscreen smartphones.

With support for Microsoft Exchange, a 3.0 megapixel camera, built-in FM tuner, and Wi-Fi support, the ICE phone appears to offer a lot a great features, too.

The full specs are as follows:

Dimensions: 114 x 53.5 x 13mm
Weight: 120g with battery
Networks: GSM850/900/1800/1900MHz & WCDMA/HSPA 900/1900/2100MHz
HSDPA 7.2Mbps & HSUPA 2 Mbps
Display: 3” WQVGA flat TFT-LCD touch-sensitive screen
User Interface: mobiToday, mobiFeel and mobiShift controls
Camera: 3 megapixel autofocus camera with dedicated shutter control. 2nd camera for video calling
Memory: 256MB ROM / 128MB RAM. microSD expansion slot with SDCH support
Wireless: WiFi 802.11 b/g
Radio: Built in FM Radio with RDS/RBDS function
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR / A2DP for use with Bluetooth stereo headsets
mini USB 2.0 plus TV-Out CVBS + L/R audio
Navigation: Built in GPS/AGPS
Chipset: Qualcomm MSM7201ATM (528MHz)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows Mobile® 6.1 professional
Battery: 1080mAh rechargeable Lithium-Polymer battery
Talk: Up to 6 hours
Standby: Up to 160 hours

Pricing and availability have not yet been released.

How To Use PowerPoint’s “Package for CD”

sarahintampa — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 09:18:00 GMT

Have you ever needed to share a PowerPoint file with co-workers, clients, or customers but you weren’t sure if they owned a copy of PowerPoint? Or have you ever created a PowerPoint deck that included a lot of videos, but tried to play it on another computer and it wouldn’t work because the video were absolute, not relative? As it turns out, there’s an easy solution to both of these scenarios and it’s to use one of PowerPoint 2007’s built-in, but perhaps little-known features called “Package for CD.” To use this feature, just go to the Publish menu and choose Package for CD from within PowerPoint 2007. This brings up the following dialog: $0 You can then choose either “Copy to CD” or “Copy to Folder” for a redistributable package that can include all of your videos (and other multimedia) as well as a built-in PowerPoint viewer for people who don’t have PowerPoint installed. That’s really useful! (Thanks to Brian Keller for this tip!)

Make Some Crazy New Year’s Resolutions

sarahintampa — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 09:15:00 GMT

Do you think making New Year’s resolutions is crazy? Well, you have no idea how crazy they can be. A new toy called the Resolution Randomizer can help you create some really off-the-wall resolutions with just a click of the mouse. This Silverlight application spins around bits and pieces of mismatched resolutions like some Vegas slot machine matching up promises (“will abstain from,” “will learn more about”, etc.) with activities (“getting in shape,” “stealing ideas”, etc.) and then locations (“at home,” “at work,” etc.). To get your resolution, just click the “Randomize” button for a truly random resolution. Here’s mine: “Quit rolling my eyes all day long.” (Do I do that?)

After you finish having fun, you can choose to share it with a friend through the provided link.

Get your own crazy resolutions here: http://resolutionrandomizer.pop.us/ecard.aspx.

(Thanks Brad for the tip!)

Extensions for Windows: Free Utilities for XP and Vista PCs

sarahintampa — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 09:14:00 GMT

“Extensions for Windows” is a collection of tools for Windows users that bills itself as an “unofficial upgrade.” Previously, this package of tools and utilities was only available as a download which you had to pay for ($19.95). However, they’ve recently changed that. Although the full suite is still available, they’re now offering some of their products for free.

From the company’s homepage, you can download the following utilities:

1. An Extended Windows Explorer

2. A Screen Capture and Desktop Recorder

3. A Keyboard Shortcut Manager

4. An Image Converter, Resizer, and Denoiser

5. A Disk Analyzer

6. An FTP and SFTP Client

7. An Extended Task Manager

8. A File Compression Extension

Over the years, you’ve probably downloaded a few programs similar to those on this list – in fact, you may have even paid good money for them. As noted on the Extensoft site, similar programs like SnagIt, Camtasia, WinZip, Cute FTP, and others charge quite a bit once you get beyond their free trial. Buying each one of those apps piecemeal, and you could end up spending a lot of money.

If you’re someone who needed the advanced features that the professional editions of those apps offered, then your money did not go to waste. But if you only need, say, 80% functionality and none of the complex features, then Extensions for Windows says they have you covered…for free.

At first, I thought Extensions for Windows was a suite of Windows XP tools, so I didn’t try them out. However, it looks like Extensions runs on Vista, too, so now I’m definitely going to give them a shot.

Have you tried Extensions for Windows? If so, let me know about your experiences in the comments.

Hotmail Brings Back Classic Scrolling

sarahintampa — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 09:01:00 GMT

After the new version of Windows Live Hotmail was launched, some users were unhappy with some of the changes. Specifically, users with small monitors – like those on netbooks, for example - were having difficulties navigating through Hotmail. The Hotmail team reviewed the feedback and then tested the new version on many different monitor sizes and resolutions. The results of those tests? They decided to change it back. Now the new Windows Live Hotmail will scroll like Classic Hotmail, if you so desire. To turn this setting on, you’ll need to first turn off the reading pane. To do so: Click the Inbox folder. Click Options (upper-right, below the sign-out link). Under Reading pane settings, click Off. Scrolling wasn’t the only change the team made based on user feedback. Other fixes included the following: When you’re done choosing contacts to send your message to, click anywhere outside the contact picker window to close it and go back to typing your message. The issue where some users couldn’t select the last contact in the list has been fixed. Holding down the Shift key and clicking a message in the inbox now opens that message in a new window, as it did in the past. The links in the header at the top have been changed to match the rest of Windows Live and point to more Windows Live services. As always, the software and services delivered are constantly being shaped and improved by user feedback. If there’s something you would like to see, speak up! The best way to do so is through Windows Live Feedback. (Click the (?) icon in Hotmail (top-right), and then click Feedback). If you just need help with Hotmail, check the new Windows Live Solution Center instead.

Xbox 360 Virtual Fireplace

sarahintampa — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 08:16:00 GMT

If you enjoyed the Windows Media Player Yule Log visualization but don’t have a PC in your living room, you may want to check out this virtual fireplace instead. As Major Nelson reports, an Xbox LIVE Member SniperED007 used the XNA tools to create this visualization “that has all the sights and sounds of a nice wintery fireplace.”

You can see the fireplace in action here at XNA.com and you can add the demo directly to your Xbox 360 download queue.

According to SniperED007, Fireplace will allow you to “Enjoy the awesome ambiance of a crackling fireplace in your living room. With realistic smoldering embers and flickering flames it sets the perfect backdrop for a relaxing evening.” The demo is free, the full version is 400 points.

Get Your Facebook Calendar in Windows Live

sarahintampa — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 08:15:00 GMT

Jamie just taught me a cool new trick: I can access my Facebook calendar right here in the new Windows Live. To do so, you have to export your Facebook calendar via a link provided by the Facebook web site. Don’t worry, though – the process is surprisingly easy. This is a great tip for anyone thinking of using Windows Live as their new homepage or start page for aggregating their activities across the social web.

If you want to add your Facebook calendar to Windows Live, here’s how:

Open up http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/events.php which, after you login, will show you all of your Facebook events
Click the Export Events link and the following information appears (see below). Copy the link.
Make sure you don’t share that URL with anyone, it contains IDs that are pertinent to you and you only.
Head over to Live Calendar and hit the Subscribe button
Ensure that “Subscribe to a public calendar” is selected, paste in the URL that you just copied, give the calendar a name and finally pick a color for the calendar. Once you’ve done all that hit Subscribe to calendar.
Your Facebook calendar will appear at http://calendar.live.com along with any other calendars that you use.

thanks, Jamie!

Get the Windows Media Player Yule Log Visualization for Vista

sarahintampa — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 08:01:00 GMT

Ah, just in time for the holidays! Sean Alexander has released an updated Yule Log Visualization for Windows Media Player. Originally released as a part of the Windows Media Bonus Pack for Windows XP, this visualization is simply a fireplace complete with crackling logs and dancing flames perfect for bringing a bit of holiday spirit to our PCs.

Although the Yule Log was a popular visualization for XP users, it had not been updated for later versions of Windows. But now, thanks to Sean’s (unofficial) version, you can enjoy this holiday treat once again.

To install, first download the executable (works for both 32 and 64-bit versions of Windows), then go to Now Playing –> Visualization –> Yule Log. Now, just play your music!

If you want to tweak the effects, choose "Options", then select the Yule Log Visualization and click the Properties button. There you'll find a slider for sensitivity which you can adjust.

Thanks, Sean, and happy holidays to all!

Have Outlook Remind You of Forgotten Attachments

sarahintampa — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 18:35:00 GMT

The latest thing in email add-ons seems to be programs that help you to not look stupid when sending email. What do I mean by that? I mean sending out messages saying “see attachment” when clearly, there is no attachment present. Not only does this make you feel a little silly, it also wastes your time and that of your recipients as you have to resend the email with your attachment included.

Since Microsoft Outlook is still heavily used by corporate emailers, it’s in this program where forgotten attachments are probably the most common and burdensome for others. How nice it is that there’s now an option to check for forgotten attachments in Outlook. And setting it up is as easy as copying and pasting a little script.

This Outlook VB script was originally created by LifeHacker commenter Jack Stowage then was later modified by another reader, Troy (no last name provided). Thanks to both of you guys for making our lives easier.

Want to install this script yourself? Here’s how.

1. Copy and Paste the following text (don’t worry, you don’t need to understand it):

Private Sub Application_ItemSend(ByVal Item As Object, Cancel As Boolean)
Dim m As Variant
Dim strBody As String
Dim intIn As Long
Dim intAttachCount As Integer, intStandardAttachCount As Integer

On Error GoTo handleError

'Edit the following line if you have a signature on your email that includes images or other files. Make intStandardAttachCount equal the number of files in your signature.
intStandardAttachCount = 0

strBody = LCase(Item.Body)

intIn = InStr(1, strBody, "original message")

If intIn = 0 Then intIn = Len(strBody)

intIn = InStr(1, Left(strBody, intIn), "attach")

intAttachCount = Item.Attachments.Count

If intIn > 0 And intAttachCount <= intStandardAttachCount Then
    m = MsgBox("It appears that you mean to send an attachment," & vbCrLf & "but there is no attachment to this message." & vbCrLf & vbCrLf & "Do you still want to send?", vbQuestion + vbYesNo + vbMsgBoxSetForeground)

    If m = vbNo Then Cancel = True
End If

handleError:

If Err.Number <> 0 Then
    MsgBox "Outlook Attachment Reminder Error: " & Err.Description, vbExclamation, "Outlook Attachment Reminder Error"
End If

End Sub

2. In Outlook, go to Tools –> Macro –> Visual Basic Editor in the menu options. (You may need to expand the project by clicking the plus (+) sign under Project1 until you see ThisOutlookSession.)

3. Expand ThisOutlookSession by double-clicking it.

4. Paste the code into the big white empty space like so:

5. Click “Save”

New “Blog This” Firefox Add-on for Windows Live Writer

sarahintampa — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 18:35:00 GMT

If you are a regular user of the blogging software Windows Live Writer and the Firefox web browser, you definitely want to check out the new “Blog This” Firefox extension. The add-on, designed for Windows Live Writer 2.0, was updated earlier this month so it works with the latest version of Live Writer from the newly refreshed Windows Live Essentials suite. With the Blog This add-on installed, a button is added to your Firefox toolbar which will start a new blog post in Windows Live Writer pre-populated with content and the title from the current web page. You can blog the whole page (don’t steal, though, OK?) or just select snippets (do that, it’s nicer).

If you’re already using the older Blog This extension, you should first uninstall it before trying the new one. The extension is still considered experimental, so you’ll need to log with your account info at addons.mozilla.org if you want to try it out.

(Thanks, Brandon, for the tip!)

Dress Up Windows Live Messenger for the Holidays

sarahintampa — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:26:00 GMT

From MSN Italy, there is a cute emoticon pack that’s a lot of fun for those of you who celebrate Christmas. Featuring 10 animated emoticons of Santa, Rudolph and other holiday images, the pack is an easy auto-install for Messenger users. Since I don’t read Italian, the WinVistaClub offers a handy how-to on accessing the site and finding the right links to click. They say to do the following: Click on Scarica Gratis Le Emoticon Natalizie to download the emoticon installer. Run the executable and click Avanti. Remember to uncheck the 2 boxes if you don't want your default search & home page changed, during installation. Click Accetto to install.

Using IMAP in Windows Live Mail

sarahintampa — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:26:00 GMT

Do you want to configure Windows Live Mail to use IMAP? If so, all you have to do is use the auto-configuration feature when you set up your mail for the first time. That’s right – in Windows Live Mail, the desktop mail app that’s part of the Windows Live Essentials, IMAP is used by default instead of POP3. In case you don’t know what the difference is or why that’s cool, read on. With POP (Post Office Protocol), your email downloads from the mail server to your computer. However, IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) keeps everything, including your sent mail, on the server. That means when you’re at your main computer, you could use Windows Live Mail to enjoy the richness and familiarity of a desktop application, but when you were away from your computer, you could log into the web interface for your email without missing any of your messages…like your sent email, for example. In the past, your sent items would have gone missing unless you configured your POP settings to “leave messages on the server,” as most email programs will allow you to do. That’s a great setting for those of you whose ISP or email provider doesn’t offer IMAP, but for everyone else, having to configure settings like that is a real pain. So it’s great that IMAP is now the default – it’s definitely the better option. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, Windows Live Hotmail supports IMAP, of course!

Accessing SkyDrive From Windows Live Messenger

sarahintampa — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:59:00 GMT

In previous versions of Messenger, you may remember a feature called Sharing Folders which let you share files, including photos and videos, with any of your Messenger contacts. Of course, as you may have expected, most people used Sharing Folders to share files during a conversation. That worked well if both parties happened to be online at the same time, but if one was offline, there wasn’t an easy way to send them the files you wanted to share. That’s why, in the new version of Windows Live Messenger, there are now two ways to share files.

If you’re having a conversation with someone, you can go to the Files menu and choose “Send a file or photo.” However, if you would rather make file available online for them to download from SkyDrive (and perhaps make it available to several others at the same time too, even if they are not online), you can go to Files –> Publish Files online from your conversation window.

If you choose that option, you’ll be taken to your SkyDrive on Windows Live where you can upload your file(s) and choose the people you are sharing the files with.

Even if you’re not in a conversation, you can quickly access your SkyDrive from Windows Live Messenger from the “Actions” menu. Just click “View your online files” to be directed to your SkyDrive homepage.

Using SkyDrive with Live Messenger is a great way to share both individual files, photos, or entire photo galleries with your friends and family when you’re chatting online. You can even share files publicly with your whole Windows Live network or the world by sharing them on SkyDrive and choosing those options from the drop-down box. Your shared files will then get posted to everyone’s What’s New feed. It doesn’t get any easier than that.