LiveSide - News blog : Windows 7

It’s Windows 7 Day!

Kip Kniskern — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:12:00 GMT

Just wanted to say congratulations to Microsoft, Windows, and Windows Live on the launch of Windows 7. We’ve been using Windows 7 since PDC last year (well since Longhorn 4051, really), are truly excited both about the stability and quality of Windows 7 and about the opportunities it presents for Windows Live, now firmly a part of Windows, and firmly entrenched on the right side of the freeway in Building 88.

We have a number of friends at the launch party in New York in the morning (Hi Chris P., Tom W., Sean, Rich, Bryant, Paul, Ed, Mary Jo!), and will be a little sorry not to be there. Thanks to another friend, Brandon LeBlanc, we’ll be able to watch the festivities live, starting at 8am Pacific. We’ll be there in spirit! (By the way if you’re looking for a good deal on Windows 7 hardware, sounds like now is a good time to shop!)

We’ll be watching the Windows 7 Bing.com/Twitter feed, too

Anyway, congratulations, Microsoft! From the opening bell on, it should be a great day!

Windows Live Wave 4 rumor mill heats up

Kip Kniskern — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 05:35:54 GMT

We know that Windows Live Wave 4 is coming, at least in beta form, and soon. We’ve already seen the first of the changes, in the form of some additions to Hotmail (zip downloads, web messenger buddy online status, etc.)The launch of Windows Live Movie Maker as a v1 product marked the end of Wave 3 development, with Wave 4 beginning now and launching formally in the spring of 2010, as outlined in a Japanese language blog post quoting a Microsoft official:

Windows Liveの次期バージョン公開は、2010年の春から夏にかけてを予定する。「今年9月から少しずつアップデートが入り、正式に（次期バージョンが）開始するのは来年の春から」とした。

Windows Live next version public, from the spring of the year 2010 in the summer over to schedule."Update from September this year entering little by little, formally (next version) is from the spring of next year to start" me.

(thanks to Bing Translator for the (rough) translation – anyone want to refine it?)

And adding a bit of fuel to the fire, some of our friends noticed an interesting tweet coming out of India:

Now of course we don’t expect that one tweet makes this anything but wild speculation and rumor at this point, but with the launch of Windows 7 in the next few weeks, some new Windows Live bits to play with on those new machines would be very sweet indeed.

Windows Live Included With Windows 7?

Sunshine — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:26:00 GMT

Reading Rob Margel’s blogpost about 5 windows 7 US college ads, I noticed something not Windows 7 specific in the list of videos: a video about Windows Live Movie Maker! Now that isn’t included in Windows 7 as far as we know…

(Please visit the site to view this media)

Curious I went to the YouTube Channel the vids are on, the Windows Videos Channel, and low and behold what I found under the Windows 7 tab! There’s vids in there about Windows Live Photo Gallery too, alongside the Windows Live Movie Maker one already mentioned: one about making panorama photos, one on how to remove red-eye and crop, and one about importing pictures from your camera:

Now notice what it says below the video:

“All the included software in Windows 7…”, so does this mean they plan to deliver a CD with Windows Live on it with the Retail versions on Oct. 22, or is there something else we (not even the Windows 7 beta testers) don’t know about…

Update: I've received the following statement which can be attributed to a Microsoft Spokesperson:

Windows Live Movie Maker and the Windows Live Essentials suite of applications will not ship with Windows 7 – these applications are available today as a free download at http://download.live.com for all Windows users to enhance their Windows experience.

That said, users who purchase a new PC with Windows 7 pre-loaded may find that their PC manufacturer has pre-installed Windows Live Essentials for their convenience. Dell is one manufacturer that will preload Windows Live Essentials on a majority of consumer and small business PCs globally.

Windows 7 RTMs: Where’s Windows Live?

Kip Kniskern — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:03:27 GMT

Our friend Brandon LeBlanc breathlessly announced the RTM of Windows 7 yesterday, surprising almost exactly no one that 7 would ship on time, ready for the holiday season. Our congratulations to Microsoft and the Windows teams that made it happen, we've been using it for some time, are thoroughly impressed, and will be buying a 3-pack as soon as they ship, maybe more.

What is a bit more surprising, however, is the distinct lack of a shiny new Windows Live Wave 4 to complete the experience. Remember that Windows Live is the replacement for features included in Windows for (software) generations: there’s no Mail, Photo Gallery, or Movie Maker included in Windows 7, clients need to be downloaded and installed to get the same functionality that you get with Vista or XP out of the box.

Of course the current version of Windows Live is ready and available, but it will be almost a year old when Windows 7 hits the shelves (Wave 3 was released as a beta in November of last year. The final version was released in February, but was actually the same build number as the beta). While Windows Live as it sits is certainly functional (well except for Movie Maker), it’s kind of like wearing old shoes with a new suit.

That’s not to say that new stuff isn’t coming. At MGX ( the Microsoft internal sales meeting/rah rah event, held this year in Atlanta) Microsoft insiders were treated to a look at at least some of what’s coming. Here’s some notes on what they saw, courtesy of a blog post by Stephen Rose, a Windows Sr. Community Manager:

What have I learned?

Day One

Some cool first looks at Windows Live. Cool stuff coming! Watch for more seamless integration between your desktops and mobile devices.

Great new photo and video sharing features in Photo Gallery and Windows Messenger.

…(some Windows 7 stuff)

Next rev of Windows Movie maker coming soon. Watched a head to head demo against iMovie. Movie Maker is back!

Microsoft has changed course on how they run betas, and we’re not expecting any private, “managed” betas for Wave 4. The shut down of the Windows Live Butterfly program, a group that had been specifically created to test and offer feedback on Windows Live offerings is a telling indication of that, and there are others. We’re hearing that a Wave 4 public beta may be arriving at or near Windows 7 launch time in October, but it won’t be the same as offering a shiny new fully ready Windows Live, ready for launch. Hopefully, however, the latest and greatest Windows Live will be worth the wait.

Microsoft SQL Services Is Now Microsoft SQL Azure, More Software + Services News Next Week At WPC09

Sunshine — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:23:56 GMT

Microsoft is updating the branding for SQL Services and SQL Data Services. From now on SQL Services will be called Microsoft SQL Azure and SQL Data Services will be called Microsoft Azure Database:

This name change doesn’t reflect a change in the products themselves; we will still be providing a powerful relational database foundation to the Azure Services Platform. By standardizing our naming conventions, we’re demonstrating the tight integration between the components of the services platform. More intuitive names also help to reinforce the relationships between our on-premises and cloud solutions. Ultimately, the goal is to drive simplicity and clarity for customers as they consider on-premises and cloud computing approaches for solving their IT needs.

More news and updates related to Microsoft’s Software + Services strategy will be announced next week at Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference in New Orleans.

Long Zheng has been digging in deeper as to what might be announced next monday: Potential announcements already on people’s minds include the announcement and subsequent availability of Windows 7 RTM code and pricing and licensing plans for Windows Azure. What also might be announced is the public release of the Microsoft Office Web application that was announced back at PDC08, Long received some information that confirms this one. Can’t wait!

We’ll keep our eyes open, that’s for sure!

The Future Of Zune, Windows Mobile & More

RyanRCRea — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 01:48:17 GMT

It’s that time of year again, every Spring & Fall the Microsoft rumors start flying (Hey, Apple can’t have all the rumors to themselves).

With so many great products in the pipeline its no wonder people are excited. Most people are expecting Windows 7, Windows Mobile 6.5, Updates to Zune & Windows Live Wave 4 all to make an appearance before the end of the year. Numerous sources at Microsoft have also confirmed to us two upcoming updates for Zune. The smaller “Spring” update and the much more comprehensive “Fall” update Which according to the gossip around Redmond will be more like a mid to late summer update.

Windows Mobile 6.5 & 7

As you already know Windows Mobile 6.5 will be arriving sometime this summer, and its a worthy stepping stone from 6.1 to 7. I’ve installed a very early beta version on a HTC Touch-Pro which you can see here. Windows Mobile 7 however promises to be the release that takes Win-Mo to the next level. With deep Zune integration and much more. There have been a lot “leaked” screenshots of the upcoming OS over the past few weeks. With even Microsoft itself teasing something or another on their “Software + Services” Web site. According to a source deep inside Microsoft, all of these “Screenshots” are ether fake, mock-ups or really really old.The source goes on to say, that Windows Mobile 7’s UI is much more radical and new-thinking then any of the screenshots that have leaked yet.

Zune

Zune has always been a touchy subject, Microsoft keeps telling us that Zune is doing well. The media and most blogs rail on the Zune like there is no tomorrow. Blogs had a field day earlier this year when Microsoft quietly broke the Zune team into two pieces. With the device team being absorbed by Windows Mobile team and the software team joining up with the entertainment and devices group. Unlike most splits, this one had good ramifications. For one thing it deeply embedded the Zune team within the Windows Mobile Dev. Team. Our source tells us that purchasers of the New Zune will see the benefit’s of this marriage 1st. Basically when the 3rd or 4th (depending on how you count generations) generation launches this late summer or fall. You will be getting a sneak peak at some of Windows Mobile 7’s features a year early. Of course this will not be the only update, The Zune team is working hard on bringing some completely new services to the Zune platform. These are services that will really set the Zune apart, trust me when I say that . One of these future updates will fill a gap in the Zune marketplace that has been a sticky spot for even for Apple & the iPod.

Are you excited yet? I know I am. Keep checking back right here on Liveside for all the latest updates. You can also follow me on Twitter for even more Microsoft news

Laptop Hunters Contest, Win A Free Skin For Your Laptop!

RyanRCRea — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 02:32:21 GMT

We here at LiveSide have really been inspired by Microsoft's new “Laptop Hunters” ads. They have really struck a nerve on the internet, whether or not they have any effect in real life, is yet to be seen.

So far we’ve have seen Lauren & Giampaolo buy HP’s. Now we want to see you and your Laptop. In return, you’ll get a chance to win a $25 giftcard from www.uniqueskins.com

All you have to do is post a comment in reply to this post, with a link to a photo of you and your laptop. Just like my silly mug above. The sillier and more creative, the better.

Sound like fun? Get to work snapping those photos!

Sneak Peek at Windows 7 Mobile & Zune?

RyanRCRea — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 14:43:00 GMT

Windows Mobile 6.5 is not even here yet, but that is not stopping Microsoft from teasing 7 so far.

In the video below, titled “software + services”. We see someone using a OS that we believe to be a mock up of Windows Mobile 7. We also see him using a music app, that looks suspiciously like Zune. Complete with Zune’s “twist” interface.

Watch the video at the link below and decide for yourself,

http://www.microsoft.com/softwareplusservices/Default.aspx

WMPoweruser also grabbed some screenshots from the video

Windows Live ID Sign-in Assistant 6.5 beta for Windows 7

damaster — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 10:19:39 GMT

Back in May 2006, we posted an article telling you about what Windows Live ID Sign-in Assistant was. Up until now this software only offered the ability to save multiple credentials (Windows Live IDs) on their machine as an Internet Explorer add-on. Microsoft recently released Windows Live ID Sign-in Assistant 6.5 beta for Windows 7, allowing users now to link their Windows Live ID with their Windows 7 user account.

Here’s what the official download page describes this product as:

The Windows Live ID Sign-in Assistant 6.5 (Beta) installs the Windows Live ID online provider for Windows 7. By making it possible to link a Windows Live ID to a Windows 7 user account, this online provider helps enable Windows 7 applications to deliver great features like sharing documents, pictures, music, and video.

Through the online provider, the Sign-in Assistant helps a Windows 7 application running on one computer identify and communicate with other computers that are associated with the same Windows Live ID. Just by linking your Windows Live ID to the user account on each Windows 7 computer you own, you enable those computers to identify each other and work together more easily than has been possible in the past. Applications can take advantage of this capability to support scenarios as in the following example:

On his homegroup, Bob wants to share certain documents with his wife but not with his kids. Simply by specifying his wife’s Windows Live ID user name, Bob can give his wife exclusive permission to access documents on his computer.

Click here to visit Microsoft Download Centre for Windows Live ID Sign-in Assistant 6.5 beta for Windows 7. Remember, this is exclusive to Windows 7 users only.

Thanks to Picturepan2 at LiveSino.net for the heads up and screenshot!

Windows Live Essentials released, more Windows Live news from CES

Kip Kniskern — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 06:04:00 GMT

Hopefully you’ve been following the news from CES, as we’ve been stuck at work (or fast asleep in Europe and the UK, hating the 6:30pm keynote time). Anyway let’s take a look at what was announced.

Windows Live

Windows Live Essentials is final, and according to information we have, is ready for download at download.live.com. However I just installed on a couple of machines and it’s the same build number (14.0.8050.1202). So either we’re just calling 1202 good enough to go, or the new build hasn’t quite made it onto download.live.com yet. We’re asking around, and will update as soon as we have more info.

Update: Just got word from a Waggener Edstrom spokesperson that yes, ver 14.0.8050.1202 is indeed the final build, so for those of us with the latest beta, no need to try to re-install.

Anyway, Windows Live MovieMaker will remain in beta, but the rest of Essentials is now (or will be sometime very soon) final.

In addition, Facebook has signed on as a Windows Live feed partner, and “in the coming months” you will be able to get content posted on Facebook, including photos, directly in your Windows Live What’s New feed. Of course this is a major coup for What’s New, as having it tied in to Facebook, who just announced some impressive numbers of their own today, will go a long way toward legitimizing What’s New and Home.Live.com.

And (ahem) One More Thing: Dell will pre-install Windows Live Essentials on all new consumer and small business PCs starting in February. While this is pretty much a no-brainer for Windows 7 machines (considering they won’t have email etc without some sort of add-in), getting Windows Live Essentials on all new machines from now until the time Windows 7 is available (if I was in Vegas at CES, I would be betting heavily on a summer RTM and availability for back-to-school and holiday sales) is a plus for Windows Live.

Live Search

Dell will also ship “a majority” of new PCs (consumer and small business) with Microsoft’s Live Search installed as the default search provider, again beginning in Feb 2009.

As we reported earlier, Verizon Wireless will offer Live Search as well as search and display advertising to all Verizon Wireless subscribers with phones capable of accessing the mobile web, applying to new Verizon feature phones and smartphones in the first half of 2009.

Live Search for Mobile is also being updated (and this update is available now, at least for me,) at wls.live.com , including location detection (for devices without a GPS), predictive query input, and Bird’s Eye mapping in Live Search for Mobile apps.

Note: You can watch a copy of the keynote, or check out some demos, at the Microsoft CES site: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/events/ces/

Steve Ballmer on Windows 7 and Azure, etc: Live from Australia

Kip Kniskern — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 04:13:59 GMT

Steve Ballmer is about to take the stage in Sydney, Australia, to speak for the first time since the announcements last week at PDC. You can watch the video here, starting at 11:30am Thursday AEST (GMT +10), or 8:30pm Wednesday PST (GMT –8). Here are the streaming links:

Steve Ballmer in Australia 750kbps

Steve Ballmer in Australia 300 kbps

Steve Ballmer in Australia 100kbps

We should have links to the replays up as soon as they are available.

New PDC sessions announced; Sinofsky, Treadwell to keynote

Kip Kniskern — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:08:23 GMT

The Windows 7 and Windows Live bits are starting to come out of the woodwork for PDC, with the announcement of 20 new sessions on Windows 7, and some additions to the keynotes, including Senior Vice President of Windows and Windows Live Engineering Steven Sinofsky, and Corporate Vice President, Live Platform Services David Treadwell.

In addition to the new Windows 7 sessions, far too many sessions have caught our attention, it’s going to be a busy week. Of course we’re most interested in the Live Mesh,Live Platform, Virtual Earth, Sync Framework, and Windows 7 sessions, but we’ll be busy poking our noses into anything Windows Live related.

Windows Live to replace Mail, Photo Gallery, and Movie Maker in Windows 7

Kip Kniskern — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 01:51:22 GMT

Windows Live is set to take a much more prominent role with Windows 7, as Microsoft made it official today that Mail, Photo Gallery, and Movie Maker are being removed from the operating system, to be replaced by the free Windows Live services.

Of course if you’ve been reading LiveSide, we’ve been telling you that since at least last March. Then in June, Bill Gates hinted that Movie Maker “is Windows Live, now”, and Mary Jo Foley put 2 and 2 together a few weeks ago.

However Ina Fried from CNET received official confirmation from Brian Hall, Windows Live General Manager, today:

In a follow-up interview on Monday, Windows Vista general manager Brian Hall said Microsoft made the decision to remove the tools from Windows for several reasons, including a desire to issue new operating system releases more quickly than it has in the past. The move also removes the confusion of offering and supporting two different programs that perform essentially similar functions.

"It makes it much cleaner," Hall said.

The move makes sense to us on at least three fronts: Windows gets physically smaller and also less of an anti-trust target; redundancy between Windows and Windows Live teams is lessened; and the Live services can move at a faster pace without being tied to operating system time frames. It will also potentially increase the reach of Windows Live, although it remains to be seen how the installation will be handled. Buying an operating system without email abilities seems almost unthinkable, but will it be as easy to hook GMail into Windows 7 as Windows Live? Lots more to come, and we expect to hear quite a bit more at PDC, coming up in a month and a few days.

Movie Maker to join Windows Live family with Wave 3

Kip Kniskern — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:57:00 GMT

We first told you about Movie Maker moving over to Windows Live back in March, and our old pal Bill Gates confirmed it to Todd Bishop of the Seattle PI at the end of June. Movie Maker, up until now a feature of Windows, will join Windows Live Photo Gallery to offer a more complete set of photo/slideshow/video management and sharing tools (and get Movie Maker out of Windows in the process).

Movie Maker will work with both photos and videos allowing users to produce simple to make videos, for free.

Then once you’ve produced a video, Windows Live Movie Maker will make it easy to upload and share to MSN Soapbox, YouTube, or most video sharing services:

Windows Live Movie Maker will offer expanded capabilities to what is already offered with Windows Live Photo Gallery, upgrade the current Windows Movie Maker offering, and move Movie Maker (and from what we hear Mail and Photos as well) out of Windows. That can only be a good thing for the teams shipping Windows 7, giving both fewer bugs and therefore fewer delays in shipping.

Getting ready for Windows Live Wave 3

Chris — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 04:03:01 GMT

With Wave 2 now well behind us, the focus of our writing is now moving onto the next set of Windows Live products - Wave 3. Kip has already talked about how Windows 7 will see a number of programs being removed from the core operating system, notably Photo Gallery, Mail and Movie Maker.

Only the last of these is not yet available as part of the Windows Live Suite, but that should change in the near future as Microsoft readies Windows Live Movie Maker (Codename Sundance). We certainly expect to see upgrades to most if not all of the other Windows Live products currently included in the Suite, as well as the much-rumoured Windows Live Groups. We've even heard that Favourites may be on the receiving end too :)

Then there has been the talk this week of the new Microsoft Value Box (Codename Albany), that makes Microsoft's current software + services approach available to home users from off-the-shelf. Office and Office Live Workspaces will combine with Windows Live OneCare 2.5, though the Windows Live Suite is also rumoured to be making an appearance as a bunclled program too. The only potential downside to this being included is the seemingly inevitable conclusion that Microsoft is going to start charging users for the Windows Live services they currently get for free (which they won't). Lets hope the PR champions are ready to take this challenge on.

And then there is the service that underpins all of the above, Windows Live ID. This appears due for an upgrade to v5.5 in the near future, with the new Delegated Authentication website already using the new version. WL ID has made great improvements in the last few releases, notably with Linked Live IDs and the new developer SDKs - it'll be good to see what else they have up their sleeves.

(To recap, consent.live.com allows users to manage the websites that have access to their information and contacts, and if they so wish, to remove this access. This is particularly relevant in light of the Microsoft + social networks sharing contact information announcement this week.)