Want to have a contact on your MSN Messenger list who knows everything? Simply add this one, encarta@conversagent.com. Do the usual to open a Messenger conversation (e.g., double-click Encarta Instant Answers) and type in a question or request. You may want to view a map of Australia so type "Give me a map of Australia please". Or you may want to solve a maths equation (remember to format the equation correctly).

You don't have to be content with just information coming to your Windows Live page as text.

Visit Microsoft Gadgets Gallery for plenty of other options. A quick way to view your photos on your MSN Space to show them off to visitors or to view photos of other MSN Spacers is to install the MSN Spaces Photo Album Browser. If you know of people with their photos on Flickr, you can add the Flickr photo gadget. Another tidy gadget is the digital clock which displays with large, clear digits.

All these gadgets are now very simple to install - from the Gallery click the gadget you want and when its page opens, click on Add this gadget to Live.com.

Windows Live is still in trial mode so there are changes now and then as users give feedback to the developers. A new feature from a couple of days ago is that we can choose from a wider list of colour schemes for the title bars. Soon we'll be able to change the background and add images.

Remember that the notion behind Windows Live is to let the information come to you (yes, it updates in the background so your feeds are always current). If a news item is relevant then go off to the source and read the full story. Or in the case of various gadgets, simply let the information come to you. Watch for further developments as various companies make their services available.

webDotWiz signed up to the trial run of Live Mail (the new name for the next generation of Hotmail) some time ago and he's now enjoying the experience.

As soon as he goes online, he loads Live.com and signs in. Live.com then reloads with the digital clock displaying the current time, the list of mail in his inbox appears, and his chosen feeds list the latest five topics from their respective sites. If Windows Live shows the arrival of new mail, a click on Inbox loads the message.

Those familiar with Outlook will recognise the three-pane layout used by Windows Mail: a list of folders in the left column, a list of email in the next colomn and the third wide column contains the content of the latest message.

The biggest advantage of Mail is that everything works on the one page - drag and drop an email listed in the second column to the Deleted items folder and that email is deleted - no more ticking boxes, clicking on Delete and waiting for the page to reload.

Keep an eye on the Windows Live Mail team's blog for the latest information and the date when the final version will be released for all users.