Microsoft Reveals Live Mesh Tech Preview

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Late last night Microsoft revealed it's latest web technology, Live Mesh.

Live Mesh is a software + services platform and experience that enables PCs and other devices to “come alive” by making them aware of each other through the Internet, enabling individuals and organizations to manage, access, and share their files and applications seamlessly on the Web and across their world of devices. Live Mesh includes:

A platform that defines and models a user’s digital relationships between devices, data, applications, and people—made available to developers through an open data model and protocols.
A cloud service providing an implementation of the platform hosted in Microsoft data centers.
Software, a client implementation of the platform that enables local applications to run offline and interact seamlessly with the cloud.
A platform experience that exposes the key benefits of the platform for bringing together a user’s devices, files and applications, and social graph, with news feeds across all of these.

View: Microsoft Live Mesh

View: LiveSide Live Mesh Overview

(4 replies) #1 Tzimisce on 23 Apr 2008 - 10:17

woo! Another thing that doesn't really serve any purpose and isn't needed!

#1.1 creamhackered on 23 Apr 2008 - 10:30

If it allows you to sync data across multiple devices then this is definitely a good idea!

#1.2 Tzimisce on 23 Apr 2008 - 10:53

(creamhackered said @ #1.1)

I still say its useless. Instead of designing one good device they have to design 30 and a method to keep them all in sync. And there are already so many alternatives to this (I dont know any off hand I have no need for this kind of stuff but I know people that use similar things). Why can't the devote these resources to something groundbreaking, something that doesn't require the LIVE in its name to mean something. And this isn't a bash on microsoft in general just business and marketing

#1.3 cpenner on 23 Apr 2008 - 15:52

You're kidding right? If this works as smoothly as the vids, this'll be a huge hit. Almost everyone nowadays has a computer at home and at work, and many have a laptop as well, and a program to easily sync important files between them is totally invaluable.

#1.4 toadeater on 24 Apr 2008 - 06:28

(cpenner said @ #1.3)

I have one question: how is this going to get past corporate firewalls?

#2 Jugalator on 23 Apr 2008 - 10:41

Oh, I first thought it as a pure web service, but this seems more flexible than that and a client install you do to sync pretty much anything across your connected devices. I'm sure there may be similar software available already, but I can take a look at least. This seems espcially useful in order to bring my work and home together better.

#3 Jugalator on 23 Apr 2008 - 11:23

Oh...

Thanks for your interest! Our tech preview program is currently full. If you've already signed up, we'll send you an e-mail as soon as more space is available.

I guess I'll just wait for it to at least move out of the Tech Preview stage then. Yes, I could tell them to put me on a waiting list, but I was already unsure it would be worth it at this early stage and not really in that much of a hurry.

#4 BigBoy on 23 Apr 2008 - 12:55

Mesh is awesome!! I love it, and it works very very well - extremely polished app for a tech preview!! I share several files between 5 machines.

(1 reply) #5 tbcarey on 23 Apr 2008 - 16:54

It's part of a greater strategy, I'm sure. I can see this sort of technology being integrated into Windows 7 and being touted as one of the features, since it is something that Bill Gates has talked about in past interviews. Synchronisation of files, data, preferences, 'user experience', etc. across computers and devices is going to become a greater selling point in the future.

#5.1 ikyouCrow on 23 Apr 2008 - 19:01

... and if you look at the Mesh site and the sites for lots of other MS employees and journalists, they give all the credit to Ray Ozzie.

who's brain child is this really?

#6 tbcarey on 23 Apr 2008 - 16:54

Double post.

#7 npe on 23 Apr 2008 - 20:11

Nice... Hopefully we get to try this out soon.

I'm also hoping that this service will be free and that Microsoft doesn't collect any data regarding the devices, folders, and files that are shared on there.

#8 cpenner on 23 Apr 2008 - 22:10

Invites are out! Check your email, I'm in!

#9 helios01 on 23 Apr 2008 - 22:29

I saw the video and it looks great, I've been using live workspace but I I have to upload files using the web browser and then download them elsewhere, and it's not nearly as integrated as this looks to be. Already signed up in the waiting list.

#10 +macf13nd on 24 Apr 2008 - 11:07

only available in the US.

(3 replies) #11 _dandy_ on 24 Apr 2008 - 22:19

Great. Now I want something that'll do the same thing, except that instead of having my files hosted on the internet (no thanks, MS, but my files are my own), I want to use one of my own machines on my LAN as the sync machine.

Does such a beast exist?

(I'm not trying to access my home files from the outside world either, I just want a central machine on my own LAN that will sync a bunch of things across all my PCs...bookmarks, RSS feeds, my Outlook PST, etc...

#11.1 Jbenisek on 24 Apr 2008 - 23:14

Why can't DFS do this for you now? Vista supports DFS.

#11.2 Jbenisek on 24 Apr 2008 - 23:19

Outlook 2007 does this for you if use Exchange 2007 $8 per account hosted, RSS follow you, same with SharePoint Connections.
Windows Live Messanger can right now sync data, favorites and your pst between your pc's or family for free. You put them in the shared folder.

#11.3 _dandy_ on 25 Apr 2008 - 17:28

(Jbenisek said @ #11.2)

My point is that I don't want those files/settings/whatever to leave my LAN.

And this is my home LAN. No Exchange server here.

As for DFS, don't you need a server OS to host the files?

#12 Jbenisek on 24 Apr 2008 - 23:12

Wow, what haters,

I love it, I don’t need a computer for anything, my media center, xbox 360 full fill most of my needs, once I can just have a dumb client and everything is in the mesh the better. With other features like remote accessing a remote device is helpful. My windows mobile needs to be more connected and in sync with my information. I hope and will suggest the Mesh network connects to my 3 Xbox 360’s to sync those files as well, soon we will have smart tv’s/media extenders and these should be connected to the mesh network. Seems like it has a lot of usages with 15mb cable bandwidth is becoming less of an issue to having all of my data in the mesh.

Please add Messanger to the mesh desktop so I don’t have to have it installed.

Everyone out there think how fast your computer would be if nothing was installed on it? If Office, Messanger, Files, Search and all other services are on my Mesh Desktop then my local desktop could have a solid state drive or flash drive to run games. No download times, no wait for video buffering…… I could go on.

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