Windows Live goes twitter – gets SMS control

A new service for Windows Live has just rolled out in UK and US which allows users to update their personal message, check their Windows Live Calendar, invite people to join their network and get contact info for people in their Windows Live Contacts list.

Clearly aimed more at dumb phone than smartphone users, the ease of interaction may even seduce some smartphone owners.

To use these services, first you’ll need to register your mobile number with Windows Live  and then just send a text message (SMS) with a “command” to a shortcode:

• If you’re in the US and your mobile operator is AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, or Nextel, your shortcode is MyLive or 695483.
• If you’re in the UK and your mobile operator is Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile, O2, or Virgin, your shortcode is 88804.

Standard SMS messaging costs apply in both the US and UK. So your mobile operator will charge your normal rate for each text message you send and receive. There’s no additional charge from Microsoft.

After you’ve registered your phone number, and started the service, you’re ready to start sending commands. Below are all of the things you can do with SMS for Windows Live, along with the commands you’ll need to know.

To update your personal message you simply need to create a new text message, type the command update followed by your personal message, and send it to the shortcode.

Similarly, to check your calendar, send a text message with the command today or tomorrow and Windows Live will send you a text message that lists the date, time, and subject of each event. To get more details about an event, reply with the event number.

To invite some-one to your network send a text message with the command invite followed by their e-mail address and lastly, to search your contacts send a text message with the command srch followed by the name of the person you’re looking for.

For more about this new service see the Windows Live blog here.

Via Digitizor.com