windows live

Still using Windows Live Mesh? You won't be much longer.

Come Wednesday, the online storage and syncing service will draw its final breath, leaving Mesh users without a home. So, where can you go if you're currently using Mesh to back up, store, and synchronize your files?

A variety of online storage sites are available. Microsoft's SkyDrive is one obvious choice since it already offers some, but not all, of the features of Live Mesh.

How do you switch from Live Mesh to SkyDrive? And what are the potential pitfalls? Let's go through the process.

First, … Read more

While Google+ has been a relatively quiet corner of the Web, the site has definitely attracted some close-knit groups. Photographers, in particular, have gravitated to the site, finding it an effective way to share their work with a large, receptive audience.

Now Google is introducing a feature that the company hopes will spur more groups to make Google+ their social network of choice. Google+ Communities, which will integrate group functions into the social network, are rolling out across the site today.

"We see Google+ Communities as the next logical step for groups of people that have already formed on … Read more

On November 6, 2012, Microsoft announced that it would be discontinuing its Windows Live Messenger client. This news falls in line with Microsoft's acquisition of Skype -- making it the company's go-to instant-message client after the first quarter of 2013. Migrating to Skype will make video calling easier, allow you to share your screen, make group calls, integrate Facebook, and add better mobile compatibility.

Looking to get a head start on merging your contact lists so you don't risk missing anyone after Messenger is retired? Just follow these quick steps:

Before getting started, you'll need to … Read more

After months of leaked bits, Microsoft's Skype division is finally opening the informational tap.

We've already seen and now used the new Windows 8 Skype client. We've heard there's a Windows Phone 8 Skype client coming -- though it's still not in the Windows Phone Store and Skype reps are not sharing more on when it will be.

On November 6, the Skype team provided more information about its recently stated plans to ultimately replace Windows Live Messenger with Skype. The planned cutover date is quite aggressive: It's Q1 2013, according to a new … Read more

Microsoft yesterday released a new bundle of free services meant to complement Windows 7 and Windows 8. Now known as "Windows Essentials" rather than "Windows Live Essentials," it adds some new capabilities, but also removes Live Mesh from the PCs of those who install it.

Microsoft has used the "Windows Live Essentials" name to refer to the bundle of services that has included Windows Live Mail, Messenger, Movie Maker, Photo Gallery, Family Safety (parental controls), Writer (its blogging tool) and Mesh (its PC sync service). Microsoft released the 2011 version of its Windows Live Essentials bundle … Read more

Microsoft's perpetually confusing Windows Live branding is about to get a long-overdue clean up.

Microsoft is doing away with the Windows Live brand, according to a May 2 post on the Building Windows 8 blog. The Windows Live Essentials name for the collection of Windows add-ons -- including Messenger, Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, Writer, Live Mesh and Family Safety -- is going away. Other Windows Live services which weren't part of Live Essentials -- like Hotmail and SkyDrive -- also are getting simpler names.

Here's Microsoft's handy chart explaining the new names:

Families share: meals, money, space, telephones, computers, you name it. Depending on the circumstances, the sharing can be a source of joy or of conflict -- frequently it's a little of both.

If there's a computer in your household that more than one person uses, you can minimize the chances that the machine will breach the family peace by configuring the system to meet the unique needs of each user. If one or more of those users is a teenager, you owe it to all of us to help prevent malware from spreading by implementing some basic safety … Read more

Many of us have our favorite e-mail provider up on our computers all day long. Using keyboard shortcuts, instead of pointing and clicking, can save a couple of seconds per action, leading to improved efficiency.

Gmail If you haven't taken a look at what you can do in Gmail with your keyboard lately, you may want to check it out. Though Gmail keyboard shortcuts have been around a while, new ones have been added periodically, coinciding with enhancements and new features.

See: How to use Gmail with keyboard shortcuts

Yahoo Mail Yahoo's Webmail service hasn't … Read more