After months of beta-testing, Microsoft has announced the official release of Windows Live OneCare, its Windows security and maintenance suite. OneCare includes anti-virus software, firewall, a backup utility, and spyware protection via Windows Defender, plus disk defragmentation, cleanup, and Windows Update features. OneCare is now available through the Windows Live web site and will cost you $49 per month year to protect up to three PCs.

Yesterday Microsoft rolled out a new version of Windows Live Local that includes quite a few new features. The most major improvements are real-time traffic information for major metropolitan areas via Traffic.com, Windows Life Messenger integration which allows several people to interact with the same map in real time, and "Collections," which let you add "pushpins" to mark locations, e.g. favorite restaurants, and recall them later (assuming you're signed in to a Live.com account) or share them with others. Also on the menu is Bird's Eye Views for much of the U.K. and integration with Outlook Calendar. While Google keeps making incremental improvements to Google Maps, Microsoft, Yahoo!, and Ask.com have really taken their challenge and run with it.

At long last Microsoft has opened beta-testing of Windows Live Messenger, formerly known as MSN Messenger 8, to the public. The biggest new features are Sharing Folders, the fruits of Microsoft's acquistion of FolderShare, which aims to simplify sharing photos and files with your contacts, and Windows Live Call, a pre-paid service that lets you call regular phones, a la SkypeOut, via Verizon. Also new is a simplified interface, integrated MSN Video (I'm still not sure who wants this), and a semi-customizable GUI. To get in on the beta you'll have to have a (free) Passport account, natch.

[Via TechCrunch]

To be honest, I'm starting to get confused. It's been known for some time that the next version of Outlook Express, the one that will ship with Windows Vista, is going to be called Windows Mail. Windows Live Mail, on the other hand, is Microsoft's web-based successor to Hotmail. We've got the web and the desktop covered, right? But now here comes Windows Live Mail Desktop. Uh.. wuh? Fortunately the product has its own blog which gives us some hints, in particular this post that has a handy chart comparing Mail and Live Mail Desktop. Here's what (I think) I know: Windows Live Mail Desktop is going to be a free desktop e-mail client that will sort of be the missing link between Windows Mail and Windows Live, offering support for multiple e-mail accounts in separate folders (including webmail from AOL and Gmail, they say), a new contacts interface that has something to do with Live Messenger, RSS and blogging features, emoticons and inline spell-checking, and a UI that matches Windows Live. And it's currently in a very small managed beta.

Okay, so it looks like there's some interesting work going into Windows Live Mail Desktop, but if it's so much better than Windows Mail, why have two different free e-mail products? Why not offer one really great product with one name rather than confusing the hell out of consumers (and bloggers)?

[Via Slashdot]

Microsoft is taking a whack at Craigslist, and to a lesser extent Google Base, with Windows Live Expo, which it describes as "an online marketplace and social networking site." It's in private beta right now, but touts some interesting features like like the ability to restrict your listings to your personal network, integration with MSN Spaces, and "detailed maps and directions for things like garage sales, homes for sale or concerts." You can keep track of the the project on the Live Expo team blog, or try to get on the beta at the Windows Live Expo site.

[Via Paul Stamatiou]