Minor Spaces update, and more from Windows Live blogs

Kip Kniskern — Fri, 02 May 2008 22:50:44 GMT

The Space Craft, blog of the Windows Live Spaces team, just announced a minor upgrade to Spaces: you can now include the Messenger IM control and SkyDrive files in the Custom HTML module using embed codes. Some back end changes have been made to Spaces as well, “to make the service faster and more reliable”.

Two other Windows Live product teams have posted recently, too: the Live QnA blog posted Tuesday on their “new and improved refresh”, which they are apparently calling their “Renaissance release”. Of course we pointed out the refresh to you already, but the Live QnA blog goes deeper into the list of improvements (paraphrased here):

Improved Live ID signup experience
Redesigned registration page, including a required agreement to the Code of Conduct
Improved site promotion, including the MSN Election Channel, and Live Search results pages (more to come)
New look and feel
Improved site navigation and tag content
Recognition for top contributors (with high best answers to total answers ratio)

You can read more on the Live QnA (might want to change that to Live Search QnA) blog, or visit http://qna.live.com.

Then, on the Live Search blog, the Live Search Product team announced their new release, including:

One stop to research product details and find good prices You see an image and description for each product, reviews from other users, prices to help you find good deals, and spec sheets for many products.

Feature-based refinements See which products are reviewed positively or negatively for the features that interest you. View product features such as screen size, battery life, ease of use, and portability.

Sorting Sort product results by user ratings, expert ratings, and price.

Filtering Filter product results by specific brands, categories, and price ranges.

Richer product details Read expert reviews and a spec sheet describing the product.

Product search has also been added to Live Search Mobile (at http://m.live.com – and don’t forget about http://m.liveside.net! Did you know that you can access LiveSide on your iPhone at http://m.liveside.net/iPhone?), along with some more improvements to mobile search.

Live Search for Mobile improvements announced at CTIA

Kip Kniskern — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 23:00:00 GMT

This morning in Las Vegas, at the CTIA Wireless 2008 convention, Microsoft President - Entertainment & Devices Division Robbie Bach is announcing a set of new features for Windows Live Search for Mobile, available soon if you have WLS installed on your mobile device, available now in the US and UK only. For Windows Mobile devices, the new features include:

· Map a contact: For any people in your contacts list/address book, immediately view their address on a map and get directions there.

· View Virtual Earth collections: View custom maps of locations and events that are created on the PC by you, your friends, or the broader community.

· Web search: Launch web search directly from the client to find web pages, product price comparisons and reviews, news, images, and more.

· Weather: View the latest weather conditions and the 4 day forecast.

In addition, voice input functionality, already available for Windows Mobile devices, will be available this spring for the Blackberry version, currently in beta in the US only, of Windows Live Search for Mobile.

Phil Holden has more on his blog at philiworld.spaces.live.com

To download Windows Live Search for Mobile on your Windows Mobile or Blackberry device, browse on your phone to wls.live.com, or send a text with a download link (US). When the new features are enabled you will be notified of an update. You can also use Live Search on any mobile device from m.live.com.

No news yet about an announcement about Windows Mobile 6.1 (maybe this part was an April Fools joke), we'll be keeping a close eye on the keynotes (local Seattle football legend Steve Largent, now the President and CEO of CTIA, and Richard Branson, Chairman of The Virgin Group (Virgin Airlines) will also be keynoting, among others). Press releases, etc. for the show are here.

LiveSide - News blog : Windows Live Search for Mobile

Minor Spaces update, and more from Windows Live blogs

Live Search for Mobile improvements announced at CTIA