First Looks at Microsoft's New 'Live Mesh' Platform

technirvana writes "Microsoft's Live Mesh service launched today as an invite only "technology preview". It is Microsoft's attempt to tie all of our data together. Live Mesh synchronizes data across multiple devices (currently just Windows computers, but theoretically it will extend to mobile and other devices in the future) as well as to a web desktop that exists in the cloud. It can sync data across devices used by a single users, as well as create shared spaces for multiple users." And since it's run by Microsoft, you know you can trust it.

like plays for sure?

[bagboy (630125)]

"you know you can trust it" Yeah, I'm gonna trust it in about the same fashion.

Re:

[totmacher (1148817)]

pfft "technology preview"?

Try PowerFolder. It's a mature alternative:
* The software works since 2003
* It gets actively developed
* It's open source - a free Basic client is available
* There is a commercial Pro client with advanced security and connectivity features and 5 GB Online backup space

http://www.powerfolder.com/ [powerfolder.com]

Best regards,
Christian

Microsoft Passport is now Windows Live ID.

[Futurepower(R) (558542)]

"Microsoft still uses Passport for its own stuff."

Yes, but now they call it Windows Live ID [passport.net].

After several nasty vulnerabilities and extremely bad press, they changed the name. Hey, maybe Jabba the Hutt could change his name and apply for a job as a supermodel.

The description of Windows Live ID says, "Simplify your sign in". Yes, simplify, give Microsoft control, and increase the chance of vulnerabilities. If Microsoft didn't take advantage of the technical ignorance of its customers, how much profi

so it's like... ".mac"?

[phooka.de (302970)]

So they "invented" something like .mac by Apple, right? The latter is of course being overpriced and lacking compelling reasons to subscribe, but still, you can access your Mac from anywhere, it offers email, storage etc.

So, anything new here?

Re:so it's like... ".mac"?

[phpmysqldev (1224624)]

Just what I was looking for!
A way to organize all of the unethically gathered data Microsoft has collected on me!

Thank God! I thought they might actually have to look in two databases to realize I don't like Vista, but I do like pizza and bunnies...I mean first person shooters...yeah...FPS...def not bunnies

Re:so it's like... ".mac"?

[sm62704 (957197)]

So, anything new here?

Apple invented it but Microsoft INNOVATED it!

Re:

[pallmall1 (882819)]

Apple invented it but Microsoft INNOVATED it!

While the quote is funny, I fear that the truth may not be. Microsoft's announcement times neatly with the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) move to windows-only:

OLPC to scrap Linux for Windows [theinquirer.net]

The OLPC XO laptop has developed very effective Mesh Network [laptop.org]. To see how it works, click on the demo on this page [laptop.org].

This technology was made usable by the same "open source fundamentalists" that Nicholas Negroponte now marginalizes [computerworld.com] now that he's benefited from their ti

Re:so it's like... ".mac"?

[nvivo (739176)]

So, anything new here?

Yes. Now you can share all your viruses and spyware with your friends and family on your online desktop.

Actually, you could do it already. Microsoft is just making it easier.

Interface by KDE

[alcmaeon (684971)]

Plus, from the look of the website, they stole all the icons from KDE.

Re:

[abigor (540274)]

Haha, you are correct - I had to see this for myself, and they sure do look familiar. That is absolutely hilarious if true.

Re:Interface by KDE

[xerxesVII (707232)]

This part of their effort to embrace OSS.

Re:Interface by KDE

[freemywrld (821105)]

If by "embrace" you mean "grab by the throat and squeeeeeeeze..."

Looks interesting

[Zeinfeld (263942)]

Its an interesting idea, the limitations of synctoy are quite apparent. There is no reason why backup should be a separate operation these days it should all be automatic. Be nicer when they support mac as well.

Re:Looks interesting

[just_another_sean (919159)]

Be nicer when they support mac as well.

Maybe they can get ISO to turn it into a standard so we can get an open source implementation as well. I hear MS has a nice, tight relationship with ISO so it's possible. :-)

Re:

[voice_of_all_reason (926702)]

Maybe I don't want all my desktop shit backed up to the psp or ipod. Then I leave it on the subway and can spend the next 20 years innovating against identify theft. No thanks.

Live BAIT is more like it (nt)

[Jerry (6400)]

nt

Yeah, that's great.

[khasim (1285)]

In one proof-of-concept demo, a photo that was taken via a cell phone camera, was automatically synced to a Mesh that pushed the pictures out to a Facebook photo album.

It was certainly impressive to see data -- in this case a cell phone camera picture -- almost instantly synced across multiple devices and saved to a web service immediately after it was created.

Prepare yourself for the flood of home-made porn (BAD home-made porn) that is "synced across multiple devices".

And for the first people fired for "up

Re:Yeah, that's great.

[just_another_sean (919159)]

Prepare yourself for the flood of home-made porn (BAD home-made porn) that is "synced across multiple devices".

And for the first people fired for "uploading" their porn collection to their workstations at their jobs.

Prepared. Can't wait!

Antitrust?

[AKAImBatman (238306)]

Am I the only one who thinks of the movie Antitrust [imdb.com] when I hear this? I wonder if Microsoft bumped off a few OSS developers to get the code for Synap-- err... I mean... Live Mesh? And now that I think about it, is my wife really my wife or actually a Microsoft spy? Hmm.... /insert paranoia and tinfoil hats

Re:

[styryx (952942)]

One of the best Hollywood 'puter movies ever:

"Check it out, I programmed it in code!"

Re:

[rmadmin (532701)]

HA! I tip my hat to you sir. :)

Microsoft's naming policies...

[owlnation (858981)]

MS needs to fire the marketingdroid they have working out the names of things.

From the people who brought you "squirt" as a verb, now you have "mesh". A word that most people immediately associate with the word "trap".

I suspect the marketingdroid may be a saboteur.

Re:Microsoft's naming policies...

[Thanshin (1188877)]

The entire marketing team is trapped in a basement and the only way they have to ask for help is through the product names.

Hmmm, let me see... Office visual studio enterprise vista team...

...

...

Bah, let them rot.

Re:

[Aram Fingal (576822)]

WinCE and WUS (Windows Update Server) are good examples too although both have since been replaced with other names. Just pronounce the acronyms as words.

sorry your wrong

[peragrin (659227)]

It will only work with Windows Mobile devices. Compatibility with any other OS is strictly prohibited by military MSFT doctrine.

This mesh won't work with generic phones, Linux phones, the iPhone, or any one else. Remember it took the EU years in court and a billion dollar fine to just get MSFT to release Networking Protocols.

*note some sarcasm was used above, if you can not detect it your sarcasm meter is broken, or running windows and constantly pegged*

Could be great.

[SkankinMonkey (528381)]

Despite the source, this could be a great tool for people if implemented correctly (and free). I already find myself using addons for firefox like FoxMarks to synchronize myself across several desktops/OS`. If this had even limited cross-platform support, or an open-API I'd imagine it could go pretty far.

Re:Could be great.

[Uncle Focker (1277658)]

If this had even limited cross-platform support, or an open-API I'd imagine it could go pretty far.

Did you miss the part where it's a Microsoft product?

Re:

[SkankinMonkey (528381)]

Notice I had a caveat at the beginning of my post. I do not believe Microsoft will completely open it up, but if a rival company (say google) were to break open with a competing suite, they (MS) may be forced to open up their API, to an extent, so they can compete.

What if it were Google?

[spazoid12 (525450)]

"And since it's run by Microsoft, you know you can trust it."

I wonder if we'd get that comment if it were a Google service. Can we trust Google any more than Microsoft? Around here it sure seems like Google gets a free pass on everything and can do no wrong...

Re:

[Uncle Focker (1277658)]

Around here it sure seems like Google gets a free pass on everything and can do no wrong...

Then you must not read much of the responses in Google threads. They get bashed all the time for their "privacy" policy among other things.

Re:What if it were Google?

[WhiteWolf666 (145211)]

While I don't think they are saintly, Google hasn't pulled half of the shady shit Microsoft has. In terms of business ethics, Microsoft is really right up there with the uglier oil companies and tobacco company. They don't think in terms of what is legal; they think in terms of opportunity cost to illegal actions, with a healthy dosage of risk.

One should suspect all companies, as they are built on profit motives, however, Microsoft has a very very shady track record to boot.

This will be great...

[igotmybfg (525391)]

... until they turn the servers off. Yesterday's PlaysForSure debacle comes to mind.

We've seen this before

[IGnatius T Foobar (4328)]

Microsoft has tried this before, and the industry already told them "Go away, Microsoft. We don't want HailStorm [nytimes.com] acting as the official Microsoft Big Brother of our technology lives."

I don't think it's necessary to RTFA

[jimicus (737525)]

Live Mesh synchronizes data across multiple devices (currently just Windows computers, but theoretically it will extend to mobile and other devices in the future) as well as to a web desktop that exists in the cloud.

Extend to other devices? Unless they're running Windows Mobile, pull the other one.

To my mind, this is an attempt to create a killer app which will tie everyone to Windows for another 5-10 years much like "I want shared calendars in Outlook and I'm prepared to pay a lot of money to get it" has tied businesses to Exchange for so long.

Re:

[jimicus (737525)]

So?

OOXML is all XML, that doesn't mean it's particularly usable as a standard for others to implement right now.

Activesync

[esocid (946821)]

So I'm guessing activesync is going to be abandoned in the future for Live Mesh in terms of mobile devices? I never personally used activesync but I wonder if LM will absorb its responsibilities, and compatibilities. As long as there is no phoning home, I can see this having some good applications, but skepticism is always healthy.

Yeah right

[by Anonymous Coward]

Firstly to things:

1. I can't see the demo's, why? Apparently to "install Microsoft Silverlight to have a 'better' experience"... So no experience at all then.

2. I just must have a "Windows Live" account to sign in.

If these two small examples of Microsoft hubris, lock-in and lack of anything resembling open standards are to go by, then, no. No I shall not be partaking in their oh so, 'Wow' experience.

This just in...

[cloudkiller (877302)]

Microsoft announced today that the Live Mesh servers are going dark on June 1. Any data that users stored in the Opens Fo' So' Live Mesh format will no longer be accessable. Microsoft would like to remind its customers that its users should begin printing and re-keying any important documents before the g-dark date.

Is it I$O spec yet?

[Akita24 (1080779)]

Now that everybody is pre-bought it should only take a week or 2.

Is it just me, or is it a good idea

[WhiteWolf666 (145211)]

To avoid any Microsoft product with the term "Live!" in the title?

Sure, actually, you should avoid all MS products, period. But especially the "Live!" Products. There's like... 200 of them on Wikipedia, and I've heard of maybe 10.

Thank god for CmdrTaco..

[stubear (130454)]

And since it's run by Microsoft, you know you can trust it. ...and the rest of the Slashdot staff for telling us how to think. I was afraid I was going to have to RTFA but that little quip at the end spared me from having to do anything other then clear away some space in front of my leg so I don't stub my toe.

give it up, Microsoft

[nguy (1207026)]

The days of single platform computing and lock-in are over. After Vista and "Plays for Sure", even the most die-hard Microsoft fans must have figured out that betting on all-Microsoft solutions is a sure way to lose.

Re:

[mweather (1089505)]

And I'm sure this service will be popular for the exact same reason those products are: abuse of Monopoly.

Now you're in for it!

[Chas (5144)]

Just for that snide remark, you get to provide Ballmer with some chairs...

Re:Intergrated service

[zappepcs (820751)]

This is probably the most compelling reason to avoid it until after SP3 or equivalent. With Vista soaring to the top of the OS charts, IE and Office losing ground to competitors... well, things don't look so good for MS. Add the Yahoo! games, impending class action Vista Ready lawsuits, all they need now is one disgruntled employee to blow the whistle on nefarious dealings with the NSA regarding your web surfing habits and we can finally begin to smell the rot on the corpse that is MS.

IANAL nor a veteran of synch software coding but I'm willing to bet that MS will NOT support Mac or Linux with this product. I also do not beleive that they will support end users who lose their data. In fact, I'm willing to bet that there is less support from MS than F/OSS for lost data, so the price comparison really hurts the product. Sure, it will get used by default in places where they are too entrenched to move away from MS, or think they are.

The people that they need to sell this to first have to be taught WHY they need it. I don't see a very big splash being made with this product.... that is unless Sony gets involved, in which case the splash will be followed by a flush....

Re:

[FooAtWFU (699187)]

Add the Yahoo! games, impending class action Vista Ready lawsuits, all they need now is one disgruntled employee to blow the whistle on nefarious dealings with the NSA regarding your web surfing habits and we can finally begin to smell the rot on the corpse that is MS.

Whoa, hold up. I knew Yahoo! Games was pretty awful, but it's hardly Windows-specific. Last I checked you could run them in Firefox on Linux too, if you really want to. So it's not exactly fair to call out Windows on this "flaw".

I swear, the anti-Microsoft Slashdot groupthink gets worse by the day.

Re:

[just_another_sean (919159)]

tap tap tap... hello McFly!

When MS threatened a unfriendly buyout of Yahoo! is what I'm referring to as Yahoo! Games.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&output=googleabout&btnG=Search+our+site&q=yahoo%20buyout%20microsoft [google.com]

You pick the source you want to read about the story. Perhaps you might stop to think that not all the bad or flippant comments about MS are posted by people simply out to bash MS. Some of them are deserved and well earned comments.

I know you're upset about MS. Who isn't? But slow down, breathe, note the Funny mod on the GP post. It was a joke. A pun. A play on words and not a bad one either.

Sometimes the only thing to do when MS comes along, steals tech from OLPC, "borrows" the look and feel of KDE and releases a half ass tech preview of something that will probably end up being as useful as Plays for Sure is to laugh.

Standard disclaimer: All of the above is rampant speculation based on history, current news and other /. posts. I ha

Re:

[businessnerd (1009815)]

OK, what do we get after clouds? Moonbeams?

Close. According to Verizon, it's light beams.

Re:

[just_another_sean (919159)]

Why do people feel they can trust google and apple and not microsoft? They all have the same end goal and they all share the same 'evil' practices in one way or another...

Personally, out of innate paranoia, I don't trust any of them or any other big corps for that matter. But I could be the most blindly trusting individual in the world and not miss the writing on the wall about MS. And besides, evil done by another is never an excuse for evil done by yourself. If Apple and/or Google are involved in shady, underhanded, "evil" practices that doesn't suddenly make it OK for MS to do it. And vice versa.

Re:

[PitaBred (632671)]

As soon as a year goes by without Microsoft doing something shady, I'll consider starting to trust them again. They've already fucked up this year with the ISO stuff, so the earliest I might consider trusting them is in the middle of 2009. Assuming they don't do anything stupid between now and then.

But we all know what happens when we assume.