Microsoft Updates Windows Live Hotmail - Still sucks

Some of us might remember the 'good ol days' back in the mid to late 90's when everybody was getting a Hotmail address. Back then, Hotmail was an independent startup that was doing something nobody else was, giving away web-based email for FREE.

Fast forward 15 years, and since Microsoft bought the platform, barely any real changes have been made. It took Microsoft years to offer a similar amount of storage on Hotmail that Gmail had been offering for years, they still don't have an IMAP option, and up until recently, you couldn't even auto-foward emails to a non-hotmail address!



So Microsoft have announced today that they are "re-inventing' Windows Live Mail. Watching this little video is meant to inspire you to realise that the future is NOW with the new Microsoft Windows Live Mail. Despite the horrible name (which seems to be a wonderful trend with Microsoft lately, giving products appalling names), Microsoft wants to show you that they are doing much to ensure that your email experience is as modern and useful as you expect it to be.

Sadly, much like the last few updates of Hotmail, this one will no doubt leave a lot to be desired. When it comes to web-mail, Microsoft seems to have been lagging behind Yahoo and Google for quite a few years now, and I'm not certain that this update will do anything to fix that.

To read up some more on it, hit up the Windows Live Preview site for 'inspiring' videos on "people like you".

Kindle for Android coming this summer

After making itself on practically every other platform with a screen and a keyboard, Amazon has announced that Kindle Reader will be made available on Android this (American) Summer. So we should hopefully expect something to come out by June/July (No doubt to compete with Apple potentially releasing it's iBooks platform onto the iPhone this coming WWDC.

Being a Kindle owner, and having used Kindle Reader on the Mac, iPhone and iPad, I welcome Amazon making their reader app available on Android as well. Look forward to seeing how it stacks up to the iPhone version.

(Via Engadget.)

Where cursors come from

Awesome piece of art on where cursors come from.

Where cursors come from

(Via swissmiss.)

Telstra HTC Desire Reviewing begins

My new Telstra HTC DesireSo, as you may or may not have read, Telstra have very nicely named me one of their 25 Social Reviewers for the HTC Desire (which Telstra is exclusively distributing for the time being).

I've been given a handset, and a pre-paid SIM card with a bunch of data loaded onto it, to try out the device, and record my thoughts on it all.

I thought I'd start it all off by giving my very first impression of the device when I opened the box and held it in my hand.

It's pretty. Like, very pretty. As in purrrdy.

It feels wonderfully solid, has a great industrial build to it, and makes you want to start using it immediately. Turning on the screen for the first time and booting up the phone is a great experience, if for nothing else but the absolutely gorgeous screen that it has.

People say this puppy has a brighter and smoother display than the iPhone, but until you see it in person (and let me tell you, the iPhone's screen looks totally washed out by comparison) you really don't get the full effect.

Stay tuned for more over the coming weeks. I just thought I'd start it all out with a first glimpse thought.

Oh, and...

“I have been given a HTC Desire handset by Telstra free of charge to review. The comments expressed by me reflect my user experience and personal opinion.”

Just FYI 

YouTube adds Unlisted Videos option

After god-knows-how-many requests from users of one of the most visited sites on the web, YouTube has finally added an "Unlisted" option for videos.

Up until now, videos could either be Public (which means, anybody can search, find, view) or Private which would prevent a video from being indexed for search, but you can allow up to 25 people to view it.

This new mode allows you to upload the video, not have it indexed in the search (and assumably, not be listed as a related video) but viewable by anybody with whom you've shared the link.

I'd say this is a welcome option by many (including many businesses) who want to be able to share a video with more than 25 people, but not have it exposed to the whole world.

Great work YouTube.

[Read the YouTube announcement]