Been a lot going on with Windows Live in the past few weeks, with Events, and new Live Search and Maps features, Linked IDs, and Gallery. Unfortunately when we're scrambling to keep up with the big stories (not that we're complaining, bring it on!), some other interesting stuff gets overlooked. Hopefully this will get us caught up:
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First, and this has been floating around for at least a couple of weeks - the Inside Windows Live Messenger blog posted yesterday on a site that will help you build a little gadget to add to your website or email signature to let people add you to Windows Live Messenger:
You can add a button to:
Spaces
Blogger
Facebook
MySpace
Outlook 2003
Outlook 2007
MSN Hotmail
Windows Live Hotmail
Windows Live Mail beta
...or add the code to your own website
Unfortunately in reading through the comments the Messenger blog apparently posted the wrong URL (hey it happens, been there, done that). Here's the correct one:
http://www.gowindowslive.com/messenger/button/Default.aspx
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Next, Windows Live Developer Evangelist Catherine Heller presented at Mix07 Boston on Windows Live ID web authentication - the service we use here at LiveSide to allow you to sign in with your Live ID. What was fun for us is that Catherine used LiveSide to demo how the web authentication works. You can watch a series of videos on her presentation (we're at the end of #2 and the start of #3), or read her blog entry on Live ID web authentication.
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The OneCare Family Safety blog noted an upgrade to their service, mostly bug fixes, but including a website that "will convert your MSN Premium Parental Controls family to Windows Live OneCare Family Safety" if you choose to do so.
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As usual there's lots of information on new stuff on the Virtual Earth/Live Maps blog. Congrats to the team there for continuing to ship interesting stuff, continuing to innovate, and continuing to blog. They are a model for what all Windows Live teams should be doing. If you only have two blogs in your feed reader, the other one (besides LiveSide, of course) should be the Virtual Earth/Live Maps blog.
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John Thornton over at the Microsoft Photo Blog posted a nice little screencast on organizing your photos on Windows Live Photo Gallery. Take a look.
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Geez I need a calendar to keep up with all of this!