Microsoft builds Google Chat into Outlook.com webmail in new bid for switchers

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Microsoft is integrating Google Chat into Outlook.com, attempting to eliminate one of the factors that prevents Gmail users from switching to Microsoft’s revamped webmail service. Outlook.com users who connect their Google accounts will be able to chat with Gmail users — or “friends stuck on Gmail,” as Microsoft cheekily puts it — from inside Microsoft’s online… Read More…

Hotmail is officially toast, but Microsoft says Outlook.com is on fire

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Microsoft today announced that the migration from Hotmail to the new Outlook.com is officially complete and that there are now more than 400 million active Outlook accounts. The Redmond software giant also said that 125 million that are accessing email, calendar and contacts on a mobile device using Exchange ActiveSync. Back in February, Microsoft added 1.5 million new… Read More…

Microsoft: Overheating datacenter caused Outlook.com outage

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A firmware upgrade failure at one of Microsoft’s datacenters caused the facility to overheat and shut down access to Outlook.com and Hotmail for some users earlier this week, Microsoft said in a blog post this morning explaining the cause of the problem. The outage, which started on Tuesday afternoon and lasted until early Wednesday morning,… Read More…

Outlook.com arrives: Microsoft gets aggressive in new bid to dethrone Gmail

An Outlook.com user fires up his personal hovercraft in a new television ad, part of an effort to revive Microsoft's fortunes in consumer email.

Microsoft is officially launching Outlook.com on Tuesday — taking its new consumer email service out of preview mode and starting to shift longtime Hotmail users to the updated Outlook.com interface. It’s part of a plan, announced last year, to retire Hotmail, Microsoft’s classic webmail service. Nope, the upgrade isn’t optional, but don’t worry, old-timer, you… Read More…

GeekWire Podcast: Where The Hell is Matt? On our show!

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Even if you don’t recognize Matt Harding’s name, you’ve probably seen one of his videos. He’s the globetrotting YouTube star behind the site WhereTheHellisMatt.com. His videos, showing him dancing with people in countries around the world, have been viewed millions upon millions of times. Matt is our guest this week on the GeekWire radio show… Read More…

Farewell, Hotmail: Microsoft previews Outlook.com, ending longtime webmail brand

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First things first: Yes, you can keep your @hotmail email address, if you want. Microsoft, however, will be leaving the Hotmail brand behind. The company this morning is rolling out a new email service, called Outlook.com, that will replace Hotmail when it’s launched in finished form. The new Outlook.com has a cleaner, streamlined interface that… Read More…

Microsoft Hotmail soars on iPhone and Android, now available on Kindle Fire

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Microsoft’s Windows Live Hotmail has surpassed 12 million active users on Apple iOS devices — a dramatic climb resulting from the simplified process for setting up the Microsoft webmail service in Apple’s iOS5. Hotmail has also seen a sharp increase in Android usage, now topping 3 million active users, since releasing an app for the… Read More…

Microsoft updates SkyDrive, trying to stand out in a cloud

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Microsoft plans to roll out a series of updates to its free Windows Live SkyDrive service later today, trying to give the cloud service a stronger identity as a standalone product for storing files — not just a behind-the-scenes tool for Office Web Apps, Hotmail, Windows Phone and other Microsoft products. The company says the changes have… Read More…