class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/featured-xbox-dashboard-update-winter-2011-6.jpg?323f2c" alt="xbox dashboard" />The latest update to the Xbox system has been released, bringing tighter integration with Kinect and voice control, a shiny new Metro look, and a slew of new media capabilities (with more promised in the coming months). Read on for a full and honest review of everything it brings to the table.

The New Dashboard

The dashboard layout has gone all Metro, and I’ll be the first admit it’s quite nice. While I’m not a fan of the style for a general computing experience, it does look beautiful on a 50″ HDTV. The previous incarnation of confusing and hidden layers has been broken down into clear sections that you can switch through effortlessly. Additional functionality is provided by apps.

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/homescreen-xbox-dashboard-update-winter-2011-.jpg?323f2c" alt="xbox dashboard" width="580" height="337" />

Kinect

Voice control is now across the board without needing to jump into a separate Kinect area. Say “Xbox” and speak whatever’s on-screen, or jump to a specific tab. I found it works well – it’s responsive and accurate. It stays in a listening state for a while, so you needn’t preface everything you say with “Xbox”.

The cross-media Bing voice search also seemed to work pretty well, pulling up a liberal torrent of content from all areas of the system – the Zune marketplace, live TV, movie contents, game tie-ins, videos – they’ve really worked on getting the Kinect stuff down and done well.

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/bong-christmas-searchxbox-dashboard-update-winter-2011-2.jpg?323f2c" alt="xbox live dashboard update" width="580" height="314" />

Gesture control is very much as it was before – clunky in my opinion – and unless you’ve got your Kinect set up in just such a way, you will find that your gestures will bounce all over the place making fine control for any kind of useful selection almost impossible. That’s obviously specific to my setup too – but I prefer voice control anyway.

Movies

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/video-xbox-dashboard-update-winter-2011-4.jpg?323f2c" alt="xbox live dashboard update" width="580" height="335" />

In the UK, the streaming movie service is supplied only by href="http://lovefilm.com">Lovefilm, but I gather it’s basically the same thing as Netflix. After downloading the app, you enter your credentials and everything seamlessly integrates – voice control, Bing search, pulling content into the main dashboard – it’s nice, and best of all it doesn’t feel like an app – it just feels like part of the complete XBox dashboard experience.

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/lovefilm-player-xbox-dashboard-update-winter-2011-5.jpg?323f2c" alt="xbox live dashboard update" width="580" height="342" />

I think with a little more choice in the way of apps and integrated services, this could really become the ultimate family media environment. As it is now, it’s a premium on top of your Xbox Live Gold membership (LoveFilm starts from about £8/month), but there are more free options like Crackle coming out soon also.

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/apps-xbox-dashboard-update-winter-2011-8.jpg?323f2c" alt="xbox life dashboard" width="580" height="328" />

Unfortunately, there’s no full integration with media centers – it’s just running the same old tired Media Center Extender experience as before. Rumor has it that we may see some tighter integration with a Windows 8 Media Center, but that has yet to surface in the real world – and Microsoft has gone so far as to say that fewer than 6% of it’s customers even use title="The Best PVR: Windows Media Center!" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/pvr-windows-media-center/">Media Center.

Live TV

I’m afraid I’m not able to test this in the UK as the only option is Sky TV – and that’s at least £20/month. If you’re able to test this out in either the UK or US, do leave a comment and let us know how it works out for you. We’ve been promised both BBC iPlayer later this month, and 4OnDemand next year, so hopefully this is one area that will really improve with time as more services come on board.

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/livetv-xbox-dashboard-update-winter-2011-3.jpg?323f2c" alt="xbox life dashboard" width="580" height="348" />

Lack of Customization

As far as I can tell, the content displayed on the various tabs is not customizable at all. I am therefore destined to see Zune crap on the videos screen, despite the fact that I have deleted the app and would never pay to rent a movie when I have LoveFilm.

What I would like is for the LoveFilm app to give me multiple views on the video tab, one for a highlight movie, maybe one that suits my favourite genre, or trending this week – instead, the app is limited to one ‘tile’, and that one single tile will display whatever the LoveFilm developers want it to.

I can’t even access the LoveFilm app from the videos tab without saying the name of the highlighted movie – instead I have to go via Apps – LoveFilm. A minor irritation perhaps, but the lack of any real tile customization is very disappointing.

Advertising? Seriously?

On every single tab, in the bottom right, is a small video advertisement that rudely starts playing if you hover your selection there.

class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/advertising-xbox-dashboard-update-winter-2011-6.jpg?323f2c" alt="xbox dashboard" width="580" height="388" />

Frankly, I’m kind of disgusted that this is even here is the first place. Since when is it ok to randomly insert advertising onto my console? Remember – I’m already a paying XBox Live Gold Member. The live TV feature requires a paid Sky license; the Lovefilm service is paid too; everything on the Zune marketplace needs to be purchased; when they eventually add BBC iPlayer that’ll be paid for by my TV license money – so why the hell are you showing me advertisements Micro$oft? What additional content are you providing me with that warrants advertising on every screen?

Verdict

In summary – it’s a fantastic update that really demonstrates Kinect voice control done right, even if the gesture based controls are still sketchy. For accessing media content, I don’t think we could ask for more at this point and the choices will only improve with time.

Has it made me rethink my opinion that Metro UI sucks and will be removed from Windows 8 faster than you can say “desktop gadgets”? Not in the slightest – what works for my TV is very much not going to work for my personal computing experience.

I also think including advertising was really a low blow, considering that making use of all the functionality provided would already mean upwards of £50+ ($100) per month anyway for various services. And yes, I realise the Xbox already had advertising before, but it was fairly hidden away in the multitude of menus – now it’s on every damn screen.

Have you upgraded yet? What do you think of it? Let us know in the comments, if you can pull yourself away from title="3 Reasons All Gamers Need To Play The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim [MUO Gaming]" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-reasons-gamers-play-elder-scrolls-skyrim-muo-gaming/">Skyrim for long enough.

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class="align-right" title="sound sunday" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/images/recurring/sound-sunday.png" alt="free music" width="210" height="210" />Sound Sunday is a weekly feature promoting free album downloads. Every edition invites you to explore various genres and artists from around the world. Live performances often reveal the true skill and heart of an artist. This edition of Sound Sunday focuses on live albums.

Please share your thoughts and post your feedback in the comments. Album submissions, suggestions, and genre requests via email [tina at makeuseof dot com] are most welcome!

Free Stream: title="Maria Coma Homepage" href="http://www.mariacoma.com/">Maria Coma – Linòleum En Concert

Genre: instrumental, piano, classical, pop

style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=1163180965/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" frameborder="0" width="400" height="100">

The album was recorded during the tour supporting Maria’s album Linòleum. Unfortunately, the live recordings are not available as a free download. However, you can stream them from Bandcamp and enjoy the wonderful music.

Linòleum En Concert is a free stream via title="Maria Coma - Linòleum En Concert" href="http://mariacoma.bandcamp.com/album/lino-leum-en-concert">Bandcamp.

title="Two Cent Revival Homepage" href="http://www.twocentrevival.com/">Two Cent Revival – Live at Rockwood

Genre: amerciana, folk, rock, roots music

style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=303581752/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" frameborder="0" width="400" height="100">

From Two Cent Revival’s website: “Brooklyn’s Two Cent Revival, the new project from Brazilian-born, Texas-raised singer/songwriter Matt Jones, mixes folk-tinged Americana and classic country elements with dark lyrical themes and an acoustic-focused rock band. Driven by Jones’ baritone vocals, the songs hint at wooden barrooms and dusty churches, walking the line between failure and redemption.”

Live at Rockwood is a free download from title="Two Cent Revival - Live at Rockwood" href="http://twocentrevival.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-rockwood-june-15-2011">Bandcamp.

title="Awake! Awake! Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/awakeawake?v=info">Awake! Awake! – Live Acoustic Covers

Genre: indie, acoustic, cover songs, new wave, rock

style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=756487457/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" frameborder="0" width="400" height="100">

From their Bandcamp page: “These are live acoustic versions of songs we love by other artists. You can watch us play them live on title="Awake! Awake! YouTube" href="http://www.youtube.com/awakeawakeband">YouTube. If you’ve never heard of these artists then please give them a listen on their respective sites. They are all great!” /> The covers include songs from Coldplay, U2, Death Cab For Cutie, Imogen Heap, and Phoenix. Awake! Awake!’s 2007 debut album We’ve Been Strangers was previously featured on title="Sound Sunday Edition January 30 2011" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-free-mp3-albums-download-sound-sunday-23/">Sound Sunday.

Live Acoustic Covers is a free download from title="Awake! Awake! - Live Acoustic Covers" href="http://awakeawake.bandcamp.com/album/free-live-acoustic-covers">Bandcamp.

title="Whiskey Chief Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/WhiskeyChief">Whiskey Chief – selftitled

Genre: instrumental, fusion, jam, rock, funk

style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=1207218814/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" frameborder="0" width="400" height="100">

From their Facebook page: “The Whiskey Chief lives a life of no fear. On his warpath of instrumental funk and and rock fusion he leaves behind a wake of sweat and awe. Formed in the summer of 2011 as an improvisational funk project, Vancouver’s Whiskey Chief has since grown to be a slick rhythm machine of epic proportions, fronted by a dizzying horn section that will trample you over with it’s cascading melodies. Whiskey Chief will make you dance, laugh, sing, and perhaps even lose your mind.”

Whiskey Chief is a free download from title="Whiskey Chief - Whiskey Chief" href="http://whiskeychief.bandcamp.com/album/whiskey-chief">Bandcamp.

title="The Ataris Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/theataris">Kristopher Roe – Hang Your Head in Hope

Genre: alternative, indie, rock

style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=452786363/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" frameborder="0" width="400" height="100">

Kristopher Roe is the lead singer of the Indianapolis, Indiana based band The Ataris. This November he recorded Hand Your Head in Hope “live in one take, no edits, no overdubs, just me and a 1948 Gibson J-45 acoustic guitar. All songs mixed to analog tape.”

Hang Your Head in Hope is a name your price download from title="Kristopher Roe - Hang Your Head in Hope" href="http://theataris.bandcamp.com/album/hang-your-head-in-hope">Bandcamp.

title="Laetitia Shériff Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/laetitiasheriff">Laetitia Shériff – Chapelle de Vendôme

Genre: alternative, indie, pop, rock

style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=1909249996/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" frameborder="0" width="400" height="100">

Laetitia Shériff is a singer/songwriter from Lille/Rennes, France. She started performing solo with texts by William Butler before she started writing her own material. Laetitia recorded her first album with guitarist Olivier Mellano and Gael Desbois in 2004. In 2007, she accompanied the dance company Hervé Koubi and composed the music for the documentary community of Helena Desplanques. She also plaid bass for the group Trunks. In late 2007 she recorded the second album with Olivier and Gael. The live album Chapelle de Vendôme was in summer 2008.

Chapelle de Vendôme is a free download from title="Laetitia Shériff - Chapelle de Vendôme" href="http://laetitiasheriff.bandcamp.com/album/live-chapelle-de-vend-me">Bandcamp.

title="Justin(e) Homepage" href="http://www.justinepunkrock.com/">Justin(e) – Concert à La Scène Michelet de Nantes

Genre: punk, punkrock, rock

style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=465287904/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" frameborder="0" width="400" height="100">

Justin(e) is a punk rock band from Nantes, France formed in 2002. They have released three albums, appeared live at more then 200 concerts, have split up, but as they say themselves, there is no reason to stop for a band that follows an amateur DIY approach without goals.

Concert à La Scène Michelet de Nantes is a name your price download from title="Justin(e) - Concert à La Scène Michelet de Nantes" href="http://justinepunkrock.bandcamp.com/album/concert-la-sc-ne-michelet-de-nantes-le-22-02-2009">Bandcamp.

title="Lost in Blue Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/lostinblue666">Lost in Blue – Live at Swing State

Genre: experimental, instrumental, metal

style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=3814003574/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" frameborder="0" width="400" height="100">

From their title="Lost In Blue - Reverbnation" href="http://www.reverbnation.com/page_object/page_object_bio/artist_262288">Reverbnation page: “Started in 1998, Lost in Blue is an instrumental metal band that has risen up from the depths of the Chicago underground. Exploring beyond the boundaries of its genre, the band forges new paths as they create a powerful mix of dark, original and intelligent music. Intricate arrangements and exceptional musicianship fluidly combine different elements including blues, black metal, jazz, all the while maintaining the dark and commanding sound that defines their craft.”

Live at Swing State is a free download from title="Lost in Blue - Live at Swing State" href="http://lostinblue.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-swing-state-1-9-09">Bandcamp.

title="Arbiter Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/arbitermusic">Arbiter – Live Judgement, Vol. 1

Genre: death metal, deathcore, hardcore

style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=2343457247/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" frameborder="0" width="400" height="100">

From their Facebook page: “Arbiter is a metal band known worldwide for impressive breakdowns, a powerful and energetic attitude and an INTERESTING blend of metal, death metal, hardcore, and groove in their music.” The band hails from Charlevoix and Petoskey, Minnesota. The live album was released in summer 2010.

Live Judgement, Vol. 1 is a free download from title="Arbiter - Live Judgement, Vol. 1" href="http://arbiter.bandcamp.com/album/live-judgement-vol-1-2010">Bandcamp.

title="Michael Garfield Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/michaelgarfieldmusic">Michael Garfield – Glass Chrysanthemum

Genre: acoustic, electroacoustic, experimental, improv, looping, tapping, guitar

style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=1820791668/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" frameborder="0" width="400" height="100">

From Michael’s Facebook page: “Between the living warmth of acoustic tradition and the whirling electronics of festival culture, Michael Garfield is making music for which new words must be invented – fierce music for a fierce age – intimate and ecstatic, focused and raw. Not content to merely push the boundaries of guitar technique, Michael’s shows glide through percussive instrumental etudes, heart-spearing ballads, and hypnotic groovescapes with the effortless twists of a flock in flight, pulling listeners through a remix of musical idioms past, present, and future. At once totally original and strangely familiar, vulnerable and sleek, these songs are the performance of a world on its way: an age of reunion when dualisms fade in the glare of a love beyond opposites, and old categories no longer apply.” /> Glass Chrysanthemum was recorded at festivals across North America, from Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) to Austin, Texas (USA).

Glass Chrysanthemum is a free download from title="Michael Garfield - Glass Chrysanthemum" href="http://michaelgarfield.bandcamp.com/album/glass-chrysanthemum">Bandcamp.

title="paranym SoundCloud" href="http://soundcloud.com/paranym">paranym – den haze

Genre: electronic, instrumental, dub, beats, jams, hip hop

style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=1829842047/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" frameborder="0" width="400" height="100">

From their Bandcamp page: “single-pass live takes off the MPC 1000… produced in about 8 weeks whilst living in den haag, the netherlands… first i did live takes, saved as unquantised sequences in the MPC, then tracked each sound out and mixed it all… dig it!”

den haze is a name your prize download from title="paranym - den haze" href="http://paranym.bandcamp.com/album/den-haze">Bandcamp.

New to Sound Sunday? Past editions of Sound Sunday are available title="Past Editions of Sound Sunday" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/soundsunday/">here.

Feel free to get in touch with me [tina at makeuseof dot com] to share free material, suggestions, and feedback or simply add your comments below.

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class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/xbox_logo.jpg" alt="xbox dashboard" />Xbox Live is arguably the most popular online gaming platform, and for me personally, it is the one where I do almost all of my online gaming. Since Xbox Live is such a social gaming platform, it isn’t just about getting on and playing games. Sending messages and seeing what your friends are up to is just as integral a part of Xbox Live as actually playing the games.

With the href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/oobdmiffgnobnpagcjjmpcajhdaoighg">Xbox Live Dashboard extension for Google Chrome, it is easy to keep track of all your friends right from your web browser. The extension is always on as long as you have your browser open, so you will never be disconnected from all of your Xbox Live friends. You can check what games they are playing and quickly and easily send them messages. If you love stalking your friends when you’re not on your Xbox, then this is the perfect extension for you.

Set Up

Setting up the app is simple. You first need to go to the Google Chrome Web Store and download the extension. Simply go href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/oobdmiffgnobnpagcjjmpcajhdaoighg">here, click “Add to Chrome” and the extension will install to your browser.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/2011-09-08_0833.png" alt="xbox dashboard" width="551" height="269" />

Once you finish installing the application, you have to enable it to work with your Xbox Live account. When the app is first installed the icon will appear on the top right of your screen style="margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/icon2.png" alt="xbox live dashboard" width="219" height="32" align="left" />with a question mark indicating that you have not set up your account.

Click on the Xbox Live icon, and the extension will automatically send you to the Windows Live log in screen. Sign with the email address and password associated with your Xbox Live account and the application will automatically update.

Using The Extension

Once you have associated the extension with your Xbox Live account, the icon near the extension will change from a question mark to a green number. The number indicates how many of your friends are now online.

When you now click on the extension, instead of going to the Xbox Live website, the app shows a little dropdown box with all your friends, and what the ones online are doing.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/friends.png" alt="xbox live dashboard" width="402" height="420" />

To the right of each of your friends names is a little envelope. If you click that you be able to send them a message. This is done right through the extension so there is no need to launch the Xbox Live website.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/message.png" alt="xbox live friends" width="351" height="240" />

When you have a new message, the icon will change from green, which is the number of friends online, to orange. Once you read the message it will change back to the green icon and let you know how many friends are online again.

Another option in the application is the ability to check out your friends full profiles. However, for this you do need to go to the Live website. Simply click on a friend’s name in your friends list and the extension will automatically open up a new tab and bring you their profile on Xbox.com so you can view all of their achievements, avatars, and everything else on their gamer profile.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/profile1.png" alt="xbox live dashboard" width="555" height="391" />

You can also click on the options in the app and adjust whether or not the app plays sounds and shows notifications when you receive a new message or when a friend signs on or off Xbox Live.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/options.png" alt="xbox dashboard" width="409" height="321" />

Conclusion

If you are a hardcore Xbox Live gamer, and your time at home with your Xbox just isn’t enough for you, this is an extension you will definitely enjoy. It comes in handy for keeping track of what your friends are doing when you are away, and it’s also a handy way to let them know where you are and when you will be online to play some more.

Check out some other great articles about Google Chrome extensions:

href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/6-chrome-extensions-catching-latest-news-headlines/" target="_top">6 Chrome Extensions For Catching The Latest News Headlines /> href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/8-cool-google-chrome-extensions-google-services/" target="_top">8 Cool Google Chrome Extensions For Google Services /> href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/7-cool-google-chrome-extensions-guy-likes-photos/" target="_top">7 Cool Google Chrome Extensions For The Guy Who Likes His Photos

What are your favorite href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-extensions-playing-distracting-online-games-chrome/"> gaming extensions for your browser? Are you addicted to Xbox Live and do you need something like this to keep constant tabs on your friends gaming habits? Let us know in the comments!

View full post on MakeUseOf

class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/windowslivethumb.jpg?54167" alt="" />Computers are incredibly useful tools, but only because of the software they can run. On its own, a PC is just a collection of electronics that serves no purpose. The operating system, and the software that comes with it, brings it to life.

In the past, Microsoft has bundled quite a bit of software with Windows to give users the best experience. With Windows 7 however, the company changed tact and moved some useful but non-essential software into a downloadable package called Windows Live Essentials.

What’s In Windows Live Essentials?

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/windowslive4.jpg?54167" alt="" width="411" height="450" />

As of the 2011 update, class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-tips-to-maximize-your-windows-live-experience/">Windows Live Essentials contains 11 different pieces of software. Most are utilities that serve important, but not absolutely critical, functions. class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-cool-tips-tricks-in-windows-live-msn-messenger/">Messenger, Photo Gallery, class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/make-quick-professional-looking-videos-with-windows-movie-maker-part-one/">Movie Maker, class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/sync-files-access-pcs-remotely-windows-live-mesh-2011/">Live Mesh, class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/review-windows-live-mail-2011/">Mail and Family Safety are examples of this.

Bing Bar, the Outlook Connector Pack and class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/microsoft-silverlight-geeks-weigh/">Microsoft Silverlight are also a part of the download. These pieces of software are not utilities on their own, but instead work alongside other Microsoft software, namely Internet Explorer (in the case of Bing Bar and Silverlight) and Outlook.

Windows Vista users may be looking at this list and thinking “Hey, but I had that on my computer by default!” That’s true. Many of these tools, most notably Windows Live class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/make-quick-professional-looking-videos-with-windows-movie-maker-part-one">Movie Maker and class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/review-windows-live-mail-2011">Mail, were included with Vista by default. They were subsequently removed from Windows 7, so you won’t have those software utilities unless you install those using Windows Live Essentials.

What Isn’t In Windows Live Essentials?

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/windowslive3.jpg?54167" alt="" width="525" height="233" />

Not all of the basic software that comes with Windows was removed in Windows 7. You’ll still have access to classic tools like Paint, WordPad, and Sticky Notes. These are not a part of the Windows Live Essentials package and come on all Windows 7 systems by default.

Also not part of the package is Microsoft Office, including class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/microsoft-office-free-microsoft-web-apps/">Microsoft Office Web Apps, which is free for anyone to use. It seems like it could be a part of the package, but since everything runs in your browser, there’s really nothing to install. The same goes for class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/upload-sync-files-skydrive-windows-explorer/">SkyDrive, which in my opinion really could use a native app with features similar to DropBox, but that’s not currently part of the service.

Customizing Windows Live Essentials

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A decade ago, the introduction of a software pack from Microsoft wouldn’t be available for download. It’d just be there, in your face, and difficult to uninstall. I have to give Microsoft credit – they’ve learned from the days when they were branded an “evil empire”. Microsoft Windows Live Essentials is extremely easy to customize.

When you download the installer, you’re actually downloading a small package that gives you the option to choose what you’d like to install when you launch it. You’re able to select as much or as little as you’d like. Once you’ve made the choice, the installer downloads only what you’ve picked.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/windowslive2.jpg?54167" alt="" width="554" height="286" />

Removing software is also easy. Although you can uninstall one-by-one, the easier approach is to open Windows Live Essentials in the Programs and Features section of the Control Panel. You’ll be given the option to remove specific pieces of software, or everything that’s included in the bundle.

Conclusion

Windows Live Essentials is well named. Most users will find at least one of the programs that make up the Essentials bundle important, be it Messenger (used by my grandmother), Windows Live Movie Maker (used by myself) or Photo Gallery (used by several friends). The ease with which the software can be customized, leaving behind what’s not wanted, is a step in the right direction for Microsoft. Maybe the company will one day make it just as easy to customize other parts of the operating system.

Let us know in the comments what you like or dislike about Live Essentials.  Is there a piece of Windows software currently missing which should be included in the package?

href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/windows-live-essentials-customize/">What You Get & Don’t Get With Windows Live Essentials – & How To Customize is a post from: href="http://www.makeuseof.com">MakeUseOf

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Windows Live Messenger makes it easier than ever to stay connected to the people you care about.

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Writer makes it easy to share your photos and videos on almost any blog service – Windows Live, WordPress, Blogger, LiveJournal, TypePad, and many more.

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Access your e-mail, contacts, and calendar even when you’re offline. And Windows Live Mail helps you manage multiple e-mail accounts—Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo! Mail Plus, and more—in one program.

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class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/intro12.jpg?54167" alt="cross platform video editing"/>Editing video in href="../service/linux/">Linux can be a right pain in the posterior. Most software is unstable or simply not powerful enough to get the job done, for example when editing HD video. Naturally a well-specified PC is your best friend when it comes to resource-intensive processes like video editing, but that’s not to say you’ll need a showroom model to get the job done.

href="http://www.kdenlive.org/">Kdenlive is a free and cross-platform video editor that will probably mean more to your average Linux user than href="../service/windows/">Windows or href="../service/mac/">Mac types. The shortage of stable, usable and powerful editing suites on the Linux platform is the main reason for this.

If you’re searching for a decent, all-in-one solution for editing video on your Linux system then Kdenlive might just be the program you’re looking for.

Workspace & Features

If you’ve ever edited video before then you’ll probably feel instantly at home with Kdenlive, which is a typical href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-linear_editing_system">non-linear video edito href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-linear_editing_system">r. If you’re a newcomer to the world of video editing then the interface shouldn’t put you off either. /> class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/overview1.jpg?54167" alt="cross platform video editing" width="580" height="351" /> /> The editor supports capture from a variety of devices, including href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video4Linux">Video4Linux compatibles and Firewire cameras as well as screen capture from the desktop. You can check if your device is supported on href="http://www.kdenlive.org/video-editor">this compatibility list.

All the favourites are there – the timeline, a monitor window (with tabs for switching between individual clips and the whole production), file browser, transition window and a menu full of options and features. Overall the workspace is clean, attractive and responsive; if a little limited at times. /> class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/timeline.png?54167" alt="cross platform video editing software" width="580" height="256" /> /> The program has a fairly extensive range of features, including a very handy transcoder. Transcoding video is as simple as adding source files to your project with the Add Clip button, right clicking your selection in the file browser and choosing Transcode. Kdenlive can do transcode to the popular DNxHD editing codec in two clicks and completely removes the need to download href="../tag/5-easy-to-use-freeware-video-converters/">additional href="../tag/5-easy-to-use-freeware-video-converters/">converters or doing it manually via command line. /> class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/transcode.png?54167" alt="cross platform video editing software" width="343" height="444" /> /> Cutting up your freshly transcoded video into clips for arrangement on the timeline isn’t difficult, especially if you use the handy keyboard shortcuts. By default “I” is your in-point, “O” is your out-point and “Ctrl+I” creates a clip from your chosen area. Then it’s just a simple case of dragging your newly made clip onto the timeline.

Kdenlive also includes stop-motion capture, which by default worked using my laptop’s webcam. If you have a video device that is configured for use with Linux then there’s little reason you wouldn’t be able to use it for stop-motion here too.

Transitions, Effects & Usability

There’s a decent array of transitions and effects included with Kdenlive, and once you’ve read href="http://www.kdenlive.org/test-book/first-project/now-video/using-clips-your-project/removing-clips-timeline/splitting-clips--0">the how-to, adding them to the timeline is a fairly easy affair. Some users might find the naming and function of some effects and transitions confusing, as they don’t really give much clue as to what the selection does. This makes Kdenlive feel a little less user friendly than it could be at times. /> class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/monitor.jpg?54167" alt="cross platform video editing software" width="517" height="514" /> /> Another thing that makes the program seem slightly unintuitive are the effects, and their applications. Instead of being able to change the volume of a clip by default in your timeline, volume is instead an effect that needs to be selected and applied. Fortunately you can keyframe it, but it’s nowhere near as quick or straightforward as some of the more advanced (and admittedly costly) non-linear editors out there.

On the Ubuntu 10.10 system I’m currently using, Kdenlive was incredibly stable. I’ve not actually enjoyed this level of stability from a Linux video editor ever, and I’ve tried nearly all of them. Whilst editing together a 7 minute 720p video with effects, transitions, images, additional audio and a lot of source videos the program crashed once in the entire editing process (don’t hit Save whilst you’re previewing your creation).

The only “major” problem I had were my sub-clips (selections of video within other files) somehow hid themselves and there was no clear way of getting them back. Eventually I worked out that creating a new sub-clip from the same source video reveals them again, but it’s annoying all the same. /> class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/render.png?54167" alt="cross platform video editor" width="413" height="522" /> /> When it comes to rendering you’ve got plenty of pre-defined output options, so choose carefully before you commit. Rendering always takes a while, and the more grunt your PC has the less time you’ll have to wait.

There’s also a decent community sharing custom creations including href="http://www.kdenlive.org/rendering-profiles">render profiles and href="http://kde-files.org/index.php?xcontentmode=683">transitions, though these can be downloaded within Kdenlive from the drop-down Settings menu. /> class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/downloadstuff.jpg?54167" alt="cross platform video editing" width="580" height="349" />

Download

If you like the look of Kdenlive then you can download the following versions:

• href="http://www.kdenlive.org/user-manual/downloading-and-installing-kdenlive">Linux – Packages available for Debian, Ubuntu, Slackware and more as well as href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/tag/compile-install-tar-gz-tar-bz2-files-ubuntu-linux/">source code and instructions on compiling.
• href="http://www.kdenlive.org/user-manual/downloading-and-installing-kdenlive/pre-compiled-packages/mac-os-x-packages-macports">Mac – From Macports.
• href="http://www.kdenlive.org/user-manual/downloading-and-installing-kdenlive/live-demonstration-dvd-or-usb-storage">Live CD – Burn Kdenlive to a CD, DVD or USB stick and href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/tag/download-50-cool-live-cds/">boot as an OS (perfect for Windows users).
• href="http://www.kdenlive.org/user-manual/downloading-and-installing-kdenlive">VirtualBox & FreeBSD – Versions for virtual machines and the FreeBSD OS.

Conclusion

I really like Kdenlive, even though it doesn’t feel quite user-friendly enough for everyone. Whilst it does have its bugs, quirks and annoyances it is still the most stable video editor I’ve yet to use on the Linux platform. For this reason (and its decent array of features) I’d recommend Kdenlive as a very workable solution, though if you are thinking of undertaking a project then don’t forget the software’s limitations.

If you’re looking for alternative Linux video editors, Kdenlive was featured alongside href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/tag/7-free-open-source-video-editor-for-linux/">6 others in this article.

Have you tried Kdenlive? Did you like it? Any better editors out there? Anything nearly as stable around?

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href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/kdenlive-stable-versatile-free-crossplatform-video-editor-linux-mac-live-cd/">Kdenlive – A Stable & Versatile Free Cross-Platform Video Editor [Linux, Mac & Live CD] is a post from: href="http://www.makeuseof.com">MakeUseOf

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class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/livecd300.png" alt="" />It is perhaps the most useful tool in any geek’s toolkit, but do you realize all the things live CDs can help you with? If not, it’s time to read “50 Cool Uses For Live CDs”. This guide outlines just a few of the many uses live CDs can offer, and is a great resource for live CD beginners and enthusiasts alike.

There are two ways you can use this manual. The first, of course, is to read it from cover to cover. You’ll learn a lot about live CDs and what they can accomplish.

The other way to read this book is to explore the table of contents and look for any tips you might not know already. You’re bound to learn something new, regardless of how experienced you are. Either way, there’s a lot to find out here, so check it out.

style="text-align: center;"> class="vt-p" href="http://manuals.makeuseof.com.s3.amazonaws.com/MakeUseOf.com_-_50_Live_CD_Uses.pdf">DOWNLOAD 50 Cool Uses for Live CDs /> Having trouble downloading? Right-click the link, then click “Save As…”

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In this manual you’ll learn about:

• Using a computer with a busted operating system.
• Continuing to work on a seemingly broken computer.
• Recovering and editing your data.
• Finding Windows passwords.
• Cloning your entire hard drive.
• Bypassing snooping employees or parents.
• Editing your computer’s partitions.
• Setting up temporary servers.

style="text-align: center;"> class="vt-p" href="http://manuals.makeuseof.com.s3.amazonaws.com/MakeUseOf.com_-_50_Live_CD_Uses.pdf">DOWNLOAD 50 Cool Uses for Live CDs /> Having trouble downloading? Right-click the link, then click “Save As…”

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class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/livemessenger2.jpg" alt="windows live messenger" />If you are an avid user of IM messaging systems, then you will know that here at MakeUseOf, we are constantly in search of new IM apps, as well as the latest advancements in the field of messengers. Shankar’s article of href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/tools-to-use-with-your-instant-messenger/">15 IM tools is a good example of that.

For years, MSN Messenger was a well known and popular chat program a lot of folks used. With the advent of GTalk, Yahoo IM, href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/8-reasons-online-meebo-instant-messenger/">Meebo, Digsby, Trillian, and so many other chat programs, MSN really started falling by the wayside. In order to rebrand the IM app (along with grouping other social network services under the one umbrella), the app was renamed “Windows Live Messenger” and packaged along with other Windows Live apps.

id="more-67630"> /> Last year Jack did an awesome job covering a number of the best features href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-cool-tips-tricks-in-windows-live-msn-messenger/">Windows Live Messenger has to offer. In this article, I’d like to cover some some additional features, and ways you can use Live Messenger to quickly transfer photos and other files to your friend’s computer.

Integrating Windows Messenger With Everything

One of the most annoying things about most of the older, original IM applications like Yahoo Messenger and MSN Messenger is the fact that they are so isolated from other social networks where your friends hang out. This is gradually changing as these older IM apps have to compete with newer IM systems like Meebo or Yoomo that integrate multiple IM accounts into one client.

On Windows Messenger, you can now import contacts from your external social networks by clicking on the “Add Contact” icon and selecting “Add people from other services…”

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-67631" style="border: 1px solid black;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/live1.jpg" alt="windows live messenger" width="322" height="313" />

You can import contacts from all of your top social networks and email systems like Facebook, LinkedIn, Outlook, AOL Mail and even your Gmail account.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-67632" style="border: 1px solid black;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/live2.jpg" alt="msn live messenger" width="519" height="540" />

MSN Messenger will sort through the email addresses of your contacts and try to determine whether or not these people are already in the Windows Live system. You can select which people you want to connect with inside Windows Live Messenger, and the system will send a mass invite out to those friends.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-67633" style="border: 1px solid black;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/live3.jpg" alt="msn live messenger" width="559" height="402" />

Sending Files & Photos On MSN Messenger

Once you open up a chat with one of your online contacts, at any point during the chat, you can send over a file by clicking on “Files” and “Send a file or photo…”

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/live4.jpg" alt="msn live messenger" width="475" height="414" />

The file appears embedded right inside the chat itself. If it’s a photo you’re sending, Windows Messenger will now actually display a thumbnail image of the photo. A request is sent to your friend to accept the file transfer. Once they accept, you’ll see the status bar showing the transfer taking place.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/live4b.jpg" alt="messenger live" width="478" height="414" />

As you can see, sending and receiving files in Live Messenger is pretty straightforward. However there are a few things you should set up before you start receiving files from friends. Click on Tools, Options, File Transfer to access the file transfer properties.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/live5.jpg" alt="messenger live" width="526" height="372" />

Here you can set up how incoming files you receive from friends are automatically handled. You can save incoming files to a specific folder, enable automatic anti-virus scanning of those files using whatever software you prefer (or install Windows Live OneCare).

Windows Live For Mobile

If you want to send and receive files and photos from your mobile device, you can enable Windows Live for Mobile on your account by clicking on “Phone” and the “Mobile Settings” button.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/live6.jpg" alt="messenger live" width="528" height="341" />

Once you’ve set up Windows Live for Mobile, you can automatically share pictures that you take on your phone, and you can access the whole range of mobile apps now available on Windows Live Mobile.

Additional Features Available On Live Messenger

There are also a whole range of cool things you can do with Live Messenger – some have been part of the software for a while and others are somewhat new.

If you read my article on href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-reasons-msn-gaming-zone">the MSN Gaming Zone, then you will know that Microsoft is trying to compete in the online gaming industry. One way it is doing that is by integrating online games into the Live Messenger. All you have to do is click “Games” at the top of the chat window and available games you can play with your chat partner will appear on the left.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-67640" style="border: 1px solid black;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/live8.jpg" alt="" width="563" height="484" />

Another useful feature that Jack mentioned in his article is the Request Remote Assistance feature. Although I do have to report that when I tested this feature with our writer Dave, we found that the remote access component is flaky at best. It actually sent both of us offline and didn’t work. So, this feature may or may not work for you – but it seems Microsoft has a bit more work to do to get this working for everyone.

Another little feature you might not have realized exists in Live Messenger is the little “record” icon at the bottom of the chat next to the emoticons. You can quickly record yourself and send the clip over the chat session to your friend. This is useful for when you’re not really interested in an audio chat, but you did want to send a clip of yourself doing something like singing.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-67643" style="border: 1px solid black;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/live11.jpg" alt="windows live messenger" width="379" height="193" />

Whether or not you like Microsoft, it seems that Windows Live Messenger, formerly MSN Messenger, will probably be around for a long time. It does seem that Microsoft is continually improving on the IM software by adding some additional, pretty cool features like those listed above. However, whether it will be able to fully compete in the future with all of the new, jazzy IM clients coming out remains to be seen.

Do you find these features useful? What other things do you think Microsoft should do to improve their IM client? Share your thoughts in the comments section below. />
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class="align-left" style="border: 0px none; margin-left: 20px; margin-top: 5px; float: right;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/LogoText.png" alt="linux boot from usb" width="300" height="101" />Trying out Linux should be easy; with the help of Linux Live USB Creator it is. Quickly get any Linux distribution to boot from your USB key, complete with a persistent mode for keeping applications and documents in place. You can even install a portable version of href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/virtualbox/">Virtualbox to your USB key so you can run Linux comfortably from within Windows.

With support for a shockingly high number of Linux distributions and an easy-to-use Windows interface, Linux Live USB Creator makes the creation of USB boot disks effortless. From downloading the ISO to formatting your drive, there’s not much about USB booting this application doesn’t make easier than similar software.

id="more-65110"> /> Feel free to href="http://www.linuxliveusb.com/en/home">download Linux Live USB right now, and keep reading for an overview of the program.

5 Simple Steps

First things first: fire up the program. You’ll see 5 sub-windows, representing the five steps to making a Live USB key. The first is simple enough:

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/lili-1key1.png" alt="linux boot from usb" width="580" height="244" />

That’s right: you need to pick which key you want to boot Linux from. Once you’ve done this, pick the version of Linux you want to boot. If you’ve got an ISO or a CD handy you can use that, or you can pick from many downloadable distros:

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/lili-2source.png" alt="linux boot disk" width="579" height="176" />

If you select a distro from this list the program will take care of downloading the ISO for you:

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/lili-download.png" alt="linux boot disk" width="580" height="148" />

So far, so good. If you want your key to keep downloaded programs and documents in place, you’re going to want persistence mode. This is step 3; simply scroll to leave room:

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/lili-3persistence.png" alt="linux boot disk" width="577" height="123" />

Step four is optional, but includes some handy tools:

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/lili-4options.png" alt="usb linux boot jump drive" width="577" height="115" />

Here you can choose to hide the created files on your key from being seen by Windows, useful if you plan to use your key for more than just booting Linux. You can optionally format the drive you’re writing to, and choose whether or not you want your Linux distro to be loadable in Windows.

Once you’re done you can click the lightning bolt in the fifth box to start the creation of your live CD. Congratulations; you’ve got yourself a bootable USB key.

Live Virtual Machine

The options include a step for launching your key in Windows. What is that about? Well, once your disk is created, open it up in Windows Explorer. You’ll find a new file that looks like this:

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/lili-virtual.png" alt="linux boot from usb" width="170" height="189" />

You can click this to boot your Linux distro without rebooting Windows, which is handy from time to time. Naturally you’re going to want a pretty powerful computer to try this out, but it’s a nice added touch.

Supported Distros

Wow. Just, wow. This program supports the automatic downloading and installation of many different Linux distributions. Highlights include:

• href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/ubuntu/">Ubuntu and href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/versions-ubuntu-technology-explained/">Ubuntu’s many versions.
• href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/gparted-ultimate-partitioning-software/">The GParted Live CD
• href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/jolicloud-operating-system-download-for-netbook/">Jolicloud
• href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/uberstudent-custom-operating-system-students-linux/">UberStudent
• href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/xpud-quick-booting-easy-64-mb-linux-distro-linux/">xPud
• href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/free-advanced-hard-drive-cloning-solution-from-clonezilla/">Clonezilla

There’s more; check out href="http://www.linuxliveusb.com/en/supported-linuxes">Live Linux USB’s official list of Linux distros for a complete list.

Conclusion

Linux Live USB isn’t the first program to help users make live USB keys; href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/install-linux-with-ease-using-unetbootin/">uNetBootin does the same job. What Linux Live USB does better than this program is make the process painless. It’s worth checking out just for that, but href="http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2011/02/lili-for-windows-the-easiest-way-to-try-linux/">according to blog OMG Ubuntu, this program works more consistently than others. So it’s easier and better.

Do you like this tool? Let us know in the comments below. Also feel free to share other tools for the job, and to discuss your favorite Linux distributions. />
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class="align-left" style="border: 0px none; margin-left: 20px; margin-top: 5px; float: right;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/windows-live-mail-intro.png" alt="windows live mail" width="260" height="180" />How important is your email account to you? For many of us, class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/email/">email is our lifeline, which makes picking a proper client to use all the more important. Some class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/free-email-clients-windows-7/">email clients are better than others of course, but that’s all dependent on the features you’re looking for. For instance, some people prefer desktop clients over web applications, simply because you can still get to your emails in the event that your computer is offline.

class="vt-p" href="http://explore.live.com/windows-live-mail?os=other">Windows Live Mail 2011 is part of the Windows Live Essentials pack, which includes everything from class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/microsoft-silverlight-geeks-weigh">Microsoft Silverlight on down to class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-cool-tips-tricks-in-windows-live-msn-messenger">Windows Live Messenger. It helps you organize your mail, calendar, and contacts all in one place on your PC. In this article, I’m going to review the application and show you some of its newest features.

id="more-62575">

Summary

Microsoft’s latest release of Live Mail comes loaded with a lot of useful features. Since Hotmail is still one of the biggest email providers on the Internet (can you believe it? I couldn’t), the need to be able to access your email anywhere – even when offline – is very important to users.

Windows Live Mail 2011 gives you that ability. All the features you would normally have on Hotmail are present within the application, allowing you to view, manage, and send emails without having to re-learn anything.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/4-wlm2011.jpg" alt="windows live mail" width="580" height="403" />

The overall layout is very similar to Microsoft Outlook 2010, except there are a few different options and customizations. A list of your emails and folders are on the far left, your viewed messages are in the middle, and a calendar with all your important dates is on the right.

Features Of Windows Live Mail 2011

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/1-wlm2011.png" alt="windows live mail desktop" width="580" height="452" />

Windows Live Mail 2011 helps you organize your mail, calendar, and contacts all in one place on your PC. You can use it to check multiple email accounts, like Windows Live Hotmail, Gmail, and Yahoo! Mail Plus, and even see all of your stuff (emails, calendars, contacts) when you don’t have an Internet connection.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/2-wlm2011.png" alt="windows live mail desktop" width="384" height="213" />

The app makes it easier to find what you’re looking for by allowing you to group conversations together. Upcoming events appear next to your inbox, and you can quickly add things to your calendar right from your inbox. Windows Live Mail also comes with a built-in search feature to help you find important messages by title, sender, or contents of a message.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/3-wlm2011.png" alt="windows live mail desktop" width="577" height="116" />

WLM 2011 has a ribbon interface, and by that I mean the top of it looks like Microsoft Office. The ribbon has a lot of options on it, probably more than you’ll even need. Basic functions like compose, forward, and move are all there, as well as options for layout, folder management and accounts.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/5-wlm2011.jpg" alt="windows live mail" width="480" height="514" />

WLM 2011 syncs with your Windows Live ID account, so setup is very easy. It also includes a handy picture viewer right inside your emails. The picture viewer can actually be synced with class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/email-photos-free-25gb-windows-live-skydrive">SkyDrive, which will allow you to send/receive up to 10GB (25MB per email) of high-quality photos. SkyDrive also interacts with attachments by launching a slideshow preview.

Lastly, the inbox supports threaded messages for better organization. This is available in a collapsible tree-view list that will work even if your email provider doesn’t support threaded emails. WLM 2011 will automatically merge all of your similar emails together for you.

Conclusion

If you missed it, you can class="vt-p" href="http://explore.live.com/windows-live-mail?os=other">download the email client here. It basically does everything Microsoft Outlook does, for free. Sure, it’s missing a few things that Outlook has, like tasks and a full-blown calendar, but it’s definitely worth the download. It’s a strange choice by Microsoft but perhaps this is the road they’re headed down with their mail client.

I’m curious to hear what you think about Windows Live Mail 2011. Will you be downloading and giving it a try? />
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class="align-left" style="border: 0px none; margin-left: 20px; margin-top: 5px; float: right;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/radio.jpg" alt="live police scanner" width="240" height="234" />Are you always the last person to hear about the latest news? Many people buy police and emergency scanner radios just so that they can be the first ones to hear about an accident, a fire, a fight or any other event in their city or town. In certain areas of the world, the radio traffic on police and emergency scanners can be more entertaining than prime time television.

I’ve always wanted a scanner at home, but I never got around to actually buying one. So, you can imagine my excitement when I learned that the Android Market has a very popular live police scanner application offered for free called class="vt-p" href="http://www.androlib.com/android.developer.gordon-edwards-qDjD.aspx">Scanner Radio by Gordon Edwards.

id="more-60363"> /> People use a lot of tools to find out what’s happening locally, whether it’s class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/fwix-local-news-aggregator/">local news sites, local class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-websites-find-national-local-newspapers-published-world/">newspaper resources as Saikat described, or sites for discovering class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-interesting-websites-explore-city/">local events like Steven mentioned.  But if you really want to be in the loop and on top of breaking local news events, Scanner Radio provides live streaming audio from police, emergency and weather base stations all around the world.

You can search by the most popular scanners, or locate the ones nearest you. The streaming audio for each area is provided by gracious volunteers that stream their scanner audio via computer to class="vt-p" href="http://www.radioreference.com">RadioReference.com, class="vt-p" href="http://www.wunderground.com">Wunderground.com or class="vt-p" href="http://www.livefirefeeds.com">LiveFireFeeds.com. Any feeds uploaded to those sites will show up in the thousands of Scanner Radio listings.

Looking For Interesting Live Police Scanners

I have to warn you, this is one of the most addictive apps on the Android market. The cool thing about this app is that no matter where in the world you live, you can listen to local scanner radio traffic of any region where a kind volunteer is streaming the audio to the Internet. If you own a scanner in your part of the world, consider contributing to the cause!

Once you install the app, the main page lets you look for interesting scanners by region, “genre” (rail, marine, weather), or focused on one of the source websites listed above.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/dscan1.jpg" alt="live police scanner" width="253" height="450" />

The other nice feature is that you can add an alert for any scanner you find. An alert is a setting where once the listener count reaches a certain limit, your phone will alert you. Usually when there’s a significant event going on, the listener count for that scanner spikes.

If you just want to listen, click on one of the scanners you find and the player will open up in its own window. Even if you close the app at this point, the player will still run in the background, so you’ll hear radio updates out of your phone speaker whenever they occur.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/dscan2.jpg" alt="" width="253" height="450" />

If you really want to listen to some major drama, more exciting than just about any reality show you’ll find on TV, check out the “Top 50 Scanners” option from the main menu. This list displays the scanners with the highest volume of listeners, which typically means the highest radio traffic as well.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/dscan3.jpg" alt="" width="253" height="450" />

When I clicked on the NYPD scanner, I was completely mesmerized for over an hour as police pulled over a drunk driver, broke up a serious gang fight, and investigated a domestic assault incident.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/dscan4.jpg" alt="" width="281" height="500" />

When I switched to the Chicago PD scanner, it was even more enthralling – gang fights, explosions and assorted criminals getting arrested. You can’t find this level of action anywhere else, and it’s all live!

If you click on the “Details” button at the bottom of a scanner, if the volunteer included any information on the scanner, you’ll find it there. For example, the NYPD details included the precincts covered by the scanner and a few of the most popular police 10 codes you’ll hear over the radio.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/dscan5.jpg" alt="" width="253" height="450" />

Download Radio Scanner with this code:

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/scannercode.png" alt="" width="135" height="135" />

Supplement Your Scanner With Signals

Now that you’ve transformed your Android into a personal live police scanner, you’re going to start hearing a whole lot of conversations littered with strange codes. If you want to make it a lot easier to understand what’s going on, make sure to download class="vt-p" href="http://www.androlib.com/android.application.com-apklabs-android-signals-ijCp.aspx">Signals.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/dscan6.jpg" alt="" width="253" height="450" />

Signals is an insanely comprehensive list of symbols, signals and codes for things like marine, police, sign language, braille and even computer symbols! The police codes are pretty detailed – and the section that will help the most when you’re listening to your scanner is the Police Penal Codes page.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/dscan7.jpg" alt="" width="253" height="450" />

Beyond radio communications codes, Signals even helps you out with understanding electronic communications, like Text Messaging shorthand. If you think you know all of them, you won’t believe the crazy shorthand acronyms listed in this section.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/dscan8.jpg" alt="" width="253" height="450" />

Another entertaining reference is the Emoticons page – which features every emoticon under the sun.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/dscan9.jpg" alt="" width="253" height="450" />

So now, when you hear about an amazing breaking news event on your Android radio scanner, you can quickly fire off an appropriately brisk text message to a friend letting them know about the news, finished off with an intrigued emoticon.

You can download Signals here:

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/signals.png" alt="live police scanner" width="135" height="135" />

Are you a radio scanner listener? Do you listen to local radio traffic, or do you prefer live police scanners for other parts of the world? What resources do you use to listen to live police scanners on the web? Share your insight in the comments section below. />
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