Home » Tag: Windows Live

Outlook connector 12.1 bring Hotmail and Live Calendar to your Outlook

When Windows Live Calendar out of beta recently, I didn’t really paying attention to it. That’s because I already have calendar in Outlook and Google Calendar for work and personal stuff respectively. Few days back, the new  Yahoo Calendar Beta released, which I’d wrote few comparisons between it with Google Calendar. So now, all major internet players has new calendar out, to win users with new looks and functionality.

Yahoo and Microsoft has their own web calendar before known as Yahoo Calendar (similar name) and MSN Calendar respectively. It is only beginning last year, they hauled their calendar to better compete with fast ajax-based Google Calendar out earlier.

But not that I want to write today, I love app interfacing (not GUI ok), just like my days job icon smile Outlook connector 12.1 bring Hotmail and Live Calendar to your Outlook

Great thing about Windows Live era is, Microsoft started paying an attention to connect their web application run on the cloud with client based application. The new Outlook connector 12.1 is one such thing. It allow users to manage Hotmail (emails and contacts) and Windows Live Calendar from Microsoft Outlook (2007 and 2003). If you want to download your Hotmail (use POP3) to other email applications, read this post.

From within Microsoft Outlook, you can edit contact, calendar, compose email  and Outlook Connector will synchronize the data between Microsoft Outlook to Hotmail and Windows Live Calendar seamlessly so your data is stay updated all the time. One thing to remember however, you can’t view (and update) your Microsoft Outlook calendar in Windows Live Calendar which is quite disappointing. Anyway let’s hope that, this is going to happen in the next release.

If you’re currently running Outlook Connector 12.0 with outgoing MSN Calendar, read this post carefully before making an upgrade.

Admin 16 February 2009 internet tool , , , , , 2 Comments

How to sync files, shared folder using Windows Live Sync

If you have more multiple computers located on different places,  but you want all of them syncronized all the time, Windows Live Sync might be the answer you need.

Live Sync is a free web application under Window Live cloud computing which allows users to sync folder across few computers, sharing folder with other users as well as remotetely connecting to other computers under your ‘sync’ network.

Get Started – Install Live Sync on all computers.

Windows Live Sync require a tiny application acting as client to be installed on each computers that you wanted to be synchronized. Once installed, sign inicon shared How to sync files, shared folder using Windows Live Sync with your Windows Live account.

Now you have 1 tiny Live Sync icon on your taskbar. From now on this is your Live Sync control panel.

As webapp, every single operation must be performed on ‘Sync Website‘ which can be accessed from the small icon at your toolbar (see the screenshot.

Synchronize your folder.

This is the main feature on Live Sync. From Live Sync website, you can begin creating a new folder, choose the folder on other computer you want to syncronize, and set the sync to start automatically whenever any new files added, modified or deleted. Or choose on-demand sync, which allow you to choose which files you want to sync. From my test on 2 different computers which I set to sync automatically, it works perfectly.

Keep in mind that this service is limited to 20 syncronized folders with each folder containing 20,000 files per folder. That’s pretty huge file to me. Check out the screen shot how the sync between 2 computer would be.

test sync How to sync files, shared folder using Windows Live Sync

Sharing folders

Beside sync, you can create folders to share with whoever you want, even with non Windows Live user.  Send invitation email to whom you wish to share with, and they will get link to the shared folder. One thing to remember is, you can’t share folders that has already been synchronized with other computers.

test shared How to sync files, shared folder using Windows Live Sync

Remote access to your PC on different location

Any computers installed with Windows Live Sync and signed in under your Windows Live ID can be remotely accessed. However, it has to be enabled prior that.  You can turn it on by opening Sync from the Start menu, clicking More, clicking Settings, and then icon shared How to sync files, shared folder using Windows Live Syncselecting Allow remote access to this computer

From any of your PC connected with your Live Sync account, the shared and sync folder can be accessed from the same link.

Give a try and you’ll love this.

Admin 13 February 2009 Promotion , , , , , , 5 Comments

Backup Gmail and Hotmail on the cloud with Zoho Mail

Folks at Zoho has posted an instruction how to backup Gmail on Zoho Mail. The concept is similar to the client based applications such as Microsoft Outlook and Windows Live Mail, where the email downloaded into that particular email client.

In case this is the first time you heard of Zoho, it is an web office suite and collaboration tool, which among other contain Zoho Mail. It is email client that ‘live’ on the cloud. That means the backup emails are kept on the cloud, which theoretically safer rather than keeping it on the local drive.

Although the post specifically mention Gmail, it is actually works for any other email that support POP3, including Hotmail, that has just got their POP3 support recently.

To get started, head to your Zoho Mail and follow this – Setting – Mail Setting – Mail Accounts.

On my testing below, I used back the Hotmail’s POP3 setup.

zoho backup Backup Gmail and Hotmail on the cloud with Zoho Mail

There you go my Hotmail in Zoho Mail.

zoho backup hotmail Backup Gmail and Hotmail on the cloud with Zoho Mail

Admin 10 February 2009 internet tool , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Experimenting new Windows Live

3033798035 fe7c3313be o Experimenting new Windows Live

Much has been talked about the new Windows Live. But is it worth your attention? It is common that Microsoft products & services garnered not very positive responds from blogsphere (you know why icon smile Experimenting new Windows Live ).

I spent some time play around with it over the weekend. Sharing here for fun and critics

Sign Up@live – It accepts all email addresses. Hotmail or live account holder can sign in using their account. This is how the Windows Live home looks like.

3031283510 e69f294ea6 o Experimenting new Windows Live

Software bundles – Among the first that I tried once signed in. It consists of the following items.

  • Windos Live Messenger
  • WIndows Live Email – Email client, just like Outlook or LotusNotes. Didn’t go through, but I managed to download my gmail emails into it
  • Windows Live Writer – Text editor, where you can post an entry to your blog
  • Photo Gallery
  • Family safery for Windows Live OneCare
  • Toolbar

Hotmail – No need of any introduction, it is a web based email, in a more simplified look. Comes with 5GB space.

Personalized page This is just like  iGoogle or My Yahoo where you can personalize your Live pages.

Spaces – Don’t confuse space with Windows Live personalized page above. With Windows Live Space, you’re allocated a URL, just like a MySpace URL, where you can choose a lot of services/tools available ‘module’ here), share with your friend just like my experiment space.

http://zakifahmi.spaces.live.com/

3031312022 397644cbf5 Experimenting new Windows Live

Apart from the default option shown above, there is a lot more you can do here. Customize the look (themes, template, layout) add more modules.

  • Windows Live Sky Drive – Of all the features offered, personally I admire this the most. Sky Drive allocates 5GB for each account. You can create folders, share it to your friend or even make it public.
  • Friends – Just like any other services, this is where you find, invite and add friends. At present, it only has 2 options, get invited by friends or your messenger contacts.
  • Photos – As the name says, this is where you can keep your photos. It is pretty slow to load photos here. I wish it has something like Flickr Uploader

Gallery

There are bunches of tools and gadgets here for your Vista, Messenger, internet browser toolbar, Space, personalized page. If you’re serious about getting your space or personalized space full with ‘useless’ gadgets and tools, this is where you should spend most of your time.

When I first opened ‘space’ and ‘personalized space’ menu, I paused awhile. Where is the gadget?? How can users make their spaces and personalized pages look crammed? The answer is here.

Once in awhile, I feel that it is the right move to put the gadgets here, and from here, put an option for users to drop these gadgets anywhere they want. It is like a ‘warehouse gadget’ for the whole Windows Live. I just wish that there is a link from ‘space’ or ‘personalized page’ linking to this, so first timer ‘gadget-lover’ users do not step out too soon when they realize there is not much gadget to offer.

3032761365 e7894708a9 o Experimenting new Windows Live

Office Live – The lite version of Microsoft Office on the net. Allows you to upload documents from your system, and create new documents online.

Conclusion

I’m not a fan with  ‘all-in-one’ portal like this or even iGoogle. But the new WindowsLive offer much more than what I thought. With single registration (except hotmail), you’ll get a bunch of applications that I had mentioned above.

Microsoft is not doing very well on its online application suite, and by putting every piece of its applications in a single place like this, I feel that Microsoft has put more effort and is serious about building a community-based business on the web. But it’s too early to conclude if Microsoft will succeed. After all, Microsoft should build its relation with blogsphere communities, so that whatever launched, bloggers would impatiently and voluntarily review the product,  just like its chief competitor, Google.

Via

Admin 18 November 2008 socialize & media , , , , 8 Comments
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