Windows Live Hotmail Wave 3 Rollout has started!

The next update of Windows Live Hotmail, Wave 3, has begun rolling out to end users. Currently, Bay: 136 & Col: 102 have been upgraded to Wave 3. Other bays will receive updates in the coming days.
Here are the improvements in the Wave 3:

– No Full and Classic versions. Both are now combined to provide faster and simpler interface.
– Enhanced address book, allowing customers to easily see emails they’ve exchanged with contacts and keep contacts in one consolidated place to use across Windows Live services.
– Ever Increasing Storage – 5 GB to start, with an additional 500 MB per month if customers hit their limit
– Integrated web-based IM with Windows Live Messenger
– Improved spam fighting technologies that significantly reduce spam.
– Integrated calendar features and Outlook Connector.

And here are the screenshots of the new Hotmail : [Screenshot 1] [Screenshot 2] [Screenshot 3]

Thanks to LiveSide.net for this update.

Multiple instances of Windows Picture and Fax Viewer in XP

Windows Picture and Fax Viewer is the default application that opens up evertime you launch an image file like jpg or gif. But in Windows XP, you can have only one window of Picture Viewer open at a time. When you open a new image, the previous window closes. But what if you wanted to have two or more pictures showing in Picture Viewer? You can do this, but it’s not exactly feasable to do everytime.

1) Open one image.
2) Now click on Print icon. This opens up Photo Printing Wizard. Let it stay open.
3) Open another image of your choice. Note that previous image stays open.
4) Now just close the Photo Printing Wizard.

Now you have two instances of Windows Photo and Fax Viewer open!

Three new Ultimate Extras!

Microsoft has released three new Ultimate Extras for Windows Vista Ultimate Edition users. These include a game called Microsoft Tinker, Ultimate Extra sounds from Microsoft Tinker and Windows DreamScene Content Pack #4. You can download them from Windows Update.

Microsoft Tinker is a puzzle based game where players get a set amount of moves to move a robot around a puzzle and solve the level. Sound scheme lets you change your computer’s sound profile to that of Microsoft Tinker. And DreamScene Content Pack includes some new high definition videos.

Cheers!

Pownce, a cool micro-blogging site

Almost all of us have a blog (almost…) and we love making friends on Facebook, My Space and Orkut. But there’s a certain thing gaining popularity called as micro-blogging. It lets you stay in touch with your friends constantly and update them on a minute-to-minute basis (just a way of saying it,mate). Pownce is one such website that you may want to check out.

What is Pownce? Well, it lets you send messages, files, links, and events to your friends and create a network of friends. According to the website:

You might send an event out to a dozen of your friends letting them know you’re hosting a party this Friday. They’ll get the event details, respond with questions or comments and then quickly rsvp.

Say you had a great photo you wanted to share. Add the file and your friends will get it right away. They’ll reply and tell you if it’s cool. You can even share your songs with your friends

Check it out [here].

Block ads without Ad-Block

Let’s admit, many of us don’t like ads while surfing websites, much less those flashy and ultra-cool (read irritating and dumb) ads. If you use Firefox, there’s a good chance that you are using Ad-block or similar extension. Opera has something similar too. But what of those ads that you see when (rarely) you use Internet Explorer? Or what of those ads integrated in Messenger windows?
To block these relatively harmless (and other potentially dangerous) ads, you can use Hosts file created by MVPS. According to them :

The Hosts file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. This file is loaded into memory (cache) at startup, then Windows checks the Hosts file before it queries any DNS servers, which enables it to override addresses in the DNS. This prevents access to the listed sites by redirecting any connection attempts back to the local (your) machine. Another feature of the HOSTS file is its ability to block other applications from connecting to the Internet, providing the entry exists.

You can use a HOSTS file to block ads, banners, 3rd party Cookies, 3rd party page counters, web bugs, and even most hijackers. This is accomplished by blocking the connection(s) that supplies these little gems.

You can get more information and download link at MVPS website.