While Yahoo is changing its home page to allow users to bring in third-party apps that fit their lives, Microsoft is relaunching Windows Live to bring together your friends’ content from Flickr, Twitter, LinkedIn, Yelp and many more outside services along with existing Microsoft services like email and Messenger. This content is then organized into a Facebook-like feed (see a screen grab here). So far, there’s no Facebook or MySpace integrated into the site, but it appears those discussions are ongoing. I have not seen the new service — nor have any inside information about it — but it seems that it’s a big step in the right direction. But the question is, are they too late in the game to make this work? Or will Live attract an audience that has ignored social networking but recognizes the value of social tools? (Full disclosure: I work for msnbc.com, a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC.)
Video demo of the new Windows Live.
