Windows Live Writer is a free desktop program to enable you to write up your Spaces and blog entries in what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) mode.

Writer works just like a wordprocessor and makes it simple to insert pictures, links, maps and videos into a blog posting. When you've finished composing, click the Publish button and your post is uploaded to your Space or blog.

After you've downloaded and installed Writer, it will ask you about the weblog account you'll be using. This weblog can be your Live Space or another blogging service such as Blogger, LiveJournal, TypePad or WordPress. Later on you can add other weblog accounts from inside Writer itself.

For Live Spaces users, Writer downloads the files that set up your layout and theme on your Space so Writer's screen looks just like your Space. The right-hand side of the screen contains the task pane, especially the Insert menu from which you can insert pictures, maps or links. These insert tools are the default but there are plenty of Writer plugins available from Windows Writer Plugins or the Codeplex Writer Plugins page that developers quickly created after Live Writer was released.

When inserting a picture you're able to change some of its properties, such as placing it on the left or right of your page, adding a background and adjusting the margins around the picture. One thing webDotWiz hasn't been able to do is to wrap text around a picture but we've got to bear in mind that this version of Live Writer is a trial beta version so we can expect some glitches.

The Insert map is one of Writer's great features. After clicking, up pops a window showing a Local Live map so go to the location you want to mark with a pushpin, decide whether to use road, aerial or birds eye view (if available for that location) and insert the map into your post. When you've published, your map is live, so to speak, because when visitors click on it, they're taken to a full-sized screen in a Local Live.

Go ahead and download Live Writer from windowslivewriter.spaces.live.com. There are several posts at webDotWiz's Space with more information and many of the webDotWizard Spaces have photos and maps.

Just the other day the latest trial version of Internet Explorer became available as Release Candidate 1. In other words, it's not long before the full version is available, perhaps October or November.

Because of its much tighter security features, IE 7 will be part of Microsoft's monthly XP updates. In other words, Microsoft is strongly recommending that all XP users switch to IE 7 for better protection when on the Internet. The monthly update process will ask the user whether IE 7 should be installed then and there or left until later.

In point form, here are updates to new and improved Windows Live services:

• Windows Live Writer, as discussed above. This free service is one of several free desktop applications (others include Windows Live Desktop Mail, Windows Live Toolbar and Windows Live Desktop search) rather than web-based services such as Live Mail or Live Spaces.
• The Windows Live Wifi Suite was announced the other day and the first part is a Hotspot Locator so you know where you can connect. There are no wifi hotspots around Rushworth (postcode 3612), three in Bendigo (postcode 3550) and numerous within 5 km of Coburg (postcode 3058).
• A video search is being added to Windows Live Search.
• Windows Live Drive isn't too far away. The basic free account will enable users to store as much as 2 gigabytes of files, photos and videos online.
• Windows Live Essentials will be a central service for new Live services and updates.
• Windows Live Family Safety Centre will enable parents to supervise their children's access to the Internet and when the home computer can be used.