Get Windows Live on your mobile phone!

 

You can now take Windows Live with you on your mobile device.

All of the popular services are available and most of these are available in more than one form depending on the device you own.

 

Windows Live Messenger

You can use Messenger on your mobile phone in three different varieties.

First of all, there's Windows Live Messenger - the web version.  You can get to this from http://mobile.live.com on your mobile device.  This is ideal if you don't have a Windows Mobile phone or a Nokia handset.

The second version is the Windows Live suite for Windows Mobile.  If you have a Windows Mobile device, you should have Messenger pre-installed (or its predecessor, MSN Messenger).  You can get to this directly from the Programs menu.  Some carriers, however, remove Windows Messenger from their devices (In the UK, T-Mobile is a prime example).  For users with a Windows Mobile device, but no Messnger, you can download a ROM update at your own risk from XDA Developers.

The third version is Winodws Live for Nokia devices.  You can check if you have a compatible device here.  If you do, you can install Windows Live using the Download! application on your device and you're ready to connect. To download and install Windows Live to your device, select the Download! Folder > WinLive from the menu on your Nokia Nseries device.

Windows Live Spaces

You can also access Spaces from Windows Live on any mobile device.

Simply point your browser to http://mobile.spaces.live.com/ to see contact updates and post photos/blog entries.

If you are a Windows Mobile owner, you can also upload images to your space directly from your mobile phone camera application.  Full instructions coming soon.

Windows Live Hotmail

You can check your mail on your mobile phone using the mobile Hotmail site at http://mobile.live.com/hm/ - from here you can read your email and compose email.

Live Search

There are two fantastic ways to use search on your mobile phone.  The first is the search web site which can be accessed from any device at http://m.live.com/ - from here you can search the web, search images, search products (specific regions only).  UK and Japanese customers can also search automatically from their real time location using cellular tower triangulation.

The second way is the fantastically useful Live Search application.  The application, available for Windows Mobile and Blackberry devices can be used to search the web, get weather forecasts and, most impressively search maps.  The application also provides driving and walking directions which works with your GPS (if your phone has GPS, of course) and can be used as a dashboard Satellite Navigation device.

You can download the search application by pointing your phone's browser to: http://mobile.search.live.com/client and find out more from your PC's web browser at http://livesearchmobile.com/

 

We will be adding articles shortly regarding uploading photos from your mobile phone, and publishing Spaces blog entries via email (which you can send from your mobile device.... Stay tuned!).

How to publish photographs to Windows Live Spaces using Windows Live Photo Gallery

Windows Live Photo Gallery has a number of cool features such as panoramic views and tagging.  Another of these great features is the ability to publish photographs to your Windows Live Space directly from Windows Live Photo Gallery.

We're going to assume you already have a Windows Live Space.  If not, you can set one up at http://spaces.live.com.

Open up the Photo Gallery application (Click on Start -> Programs -> Windows Live -> Photo Gallery).

Open up the album you wish to upload, or import photos into Windows Live Photo Gallery,

Once you have done this, go through and 'tick' the photos you wish to upload by clicking on the selected photos (the selected ones will get tinted blue).

After you have done this, click on Publish on the menu bar, and select Publish on Windows Live Spaces.

You will then be asked to sign in with a username and password if you haven't used the service before - simply use your Windows Live ID (the universal passport system used by Windows Live applications and services such as Spaces, Hotmail and Messenger).

You can then chose whether to create an album (very useful if you're uploading a group of photographs, such as a party, trip or holiday) or posting to an existing album (more useful for 'profile pictures' or to add images to an existing set).

And then it's simply a case of pressing publish and waiting as the photographs are uploaded.

Tip: For the best quality photographs, tick "Optimise photos for Printing" which will upload photographs in high definition.

Tip: You can also set permissions as to who can view your album in case you wanted to make the album only visible to friends.

Once the upload process is done, your photos will be available on your space.