Windows Live is Microsoft's branding name for a whole range of Internet services, most of which are free. Former services such as Hotmail and MSN Messenger are being re-branded to fit into the Windows Live family so you'll now hear about Windows Live Mail and Windows Live Messenger.

To find out what's available, visit Windows Live Ideas. As well, you can sign up for those services which are being rolled out around the world. For example, you can sign up for Mail. Note that these services are still classified as beta products, that is, they are in a trial test stage where updates are frequent and sometimes you'll come across small glitches.

There are two services worth noting at this stage, one being the Live Safety Centre and the other Office Live. Live Safety enables you to protect your computer from viruses and malware, the latter being the biggest threat to privacy and security, by using the online scanning service. Office Live is a service to help small businesses and organisations get a web presence by offering a web site that includes a simple site builder, several email addresses and document storage.

No one can visit all the Windows Live sites to check on what's the latest so use Live.com to bring all the latest information to one place so you can see it at a glance. Of course you can use Live.com to bring together information from other sites that have an RSS feed. For example, you'll want to get the latest from webDotWiz's Space!

The two best known services, Windows Live Mail and Windows Live Messenger, have been undergoing updates as a result of feedback from users. Messenger's interface is to be re-organised with an update that's due soon. One feature that's going to be removed is the dizzying effect of hovering over a contact.

For security reasons, Windows Live Mail doesn't open the content of any messages in your junk box. Check your junk box frequently for any mail that may be authentic and move it to your inbox. Then, once you've verified the identity of the sender, you can add the contact to your list with one click. Also note that WLM doesn't show graphics in mail. This is to prevent us from clicking on a graphic which may be a link to a site that could start a download of some piece of malware or virus. If you're having any problems with your WLM account, there's a support service available.

One Windows Live service, Windows Live Expo, is an interesting development for anyone who wants to sell and buy online and be able to target the audience. Another service to watch out for is Windows Live Family Safety Settings.