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Meanwhile, on the non-video-search side of the house …

While most Web 2.0 watchers are fixated on when/why/whether Google will buy YouTube -- and what else, beyond partnering with video-search vendor Blinkx, Microsoft will do about it -- Microsoft has been rolling out new betas and releasing final versions of some of its other Live services.
Written by Mary Jo Foley, Senior Contributing Editor

While most Web 2.0 watchers are fixated on Google buying YouTube-- and what else, beyond partnering with video-search vendor Blinkx, Microsoft will do about it -- Microsoft has been rolling out new betas and releasing final versions of some of its other Live services.

(If you missed all the Microsoft Live excitement, don't think it was you. Microsoft's Live strategy seems to incorporate the belief that making old-school announcements, where you reach out and touch the press, are a thing of the past. Proactive Live marketing? Ha!)

Sorry for the rant. Back to listing some of what Microsoft has unveiled on the Live side over the past few days.

Windows Live Local, Microsoft's souped-up mapping service, has moved from beta to final, as has the Windows Live Safety Scanne, its PC tune-up service, according to LiveSide.net.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has launched a public beta of the 1.5 version of its Windows Live OneCare service, as noted by Brandon LeBlanc on MSTechToday.com. The 1.5 release adds Vista support, as well as the ability to back up a number of new devices, including the iPod. Warning: If you want to test-drive the all-in-one backup/security service, the first step you must take is to remove all other antivirus and firewall products from your PC.

Finally, on the mail and messaging fronts, Microsoft has made available the final 8.0 release of Windows Live Mail, which is the update to Hotmail. The company also has added an Office Live tab to Windows Live Messenger -- further evidence of the cross-Live service integration about which I blogged recently.

Anyone hearing about any more Microsoft Live unveilings worth tracking? 

 

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