You can now use web messenger inside your hotmail inbox, similar to the way you use Gmail chat.

To use this feature, just visit http://mail.live.com and sign into your account.

A while back while Hotmail was MSN Hotmail and not Windows Live, Hotmail used to be able to connect though POP3, but then they took it away and started charging a Fee for it. But now, it is back to compete with other emails hosts such as Gmail and Yahoo Mail.

So I changed from using add-ons for Thunderbird to access my Hotmail emails to POP3, and I don’t like it. One main reason is that it does mark your emails as ‘Read’ on the server. It at least could archive your emails like Gmail does

So I went back to my 2 Thunderbird add-ons to download my Hotmail emails.

If it wasn’t for all my friends using MSN Messenger, Hotmail will be useless and Gmail the way to go.

With the recent published article on Jicola.com Blogs with Google soon to leave BETA stage, it has now happened.

After 10 Million active Google Chrome users and 14 release updates to the browser, Google has finally removed its BETA tag. Users feedback of the browsers suggested that Chrome had “Better stability and performance of plug-ins (particularly video), even more speed, Bookmark manager and privacy controls.”

With security being a major issue on the online world, Google Chrome has an unique sandbox technology including a safe browsing option.

Even though the BETA tag is gone, their are still plenty more improvements that need to be done. This includes RSS support, form autofills, an extension platform and compatibility with Linux and Mac.

If you already have Google Chrome, don’t reinstall it, the auto update system which is implemented in the browser will ensure you get the latest bug fixes and security patches. Just click on the spanner button, go to ‘about Google Chrome’ and click on update.

With Chrome out of BETA, the war begins over the Internet between Microsoft and Google.

Other Google vs Microsoft Wars

Search Engine: Google vs Live

Email: Gmail vs Hotmail

Web Browsers: Chrome vs Internet Explorer

Online Docs: Google Docs vs Microsoft Office

Instant Chat: Google Talk vs Windows Live Messenger

via Google Blog

A new free and premium email competitor has entered the market of the email world. Jicola.com’s new email feature will compete against the popular Hotmail, Gmail and Yahoo.

Jicola has launched two sorts of email types. Freemail and Premium email. Amazingly, both these are free, but the Premium mail requires registration to the Jicola.com website

Listed are the features of each mail type:

Freemail Features

• Your own username@freemail.jicola.com
• 100mb of email space
• Web based access
• Send and receive attachments
• Limited Support

Free Premium Email Features

• Your own username@email.jicola.com
• Currently 100mb of space - more space can be provided on request
• Easy to use, edit graphical user interface
• Ability to use POP3 to access and download your emails using Outlook or Thunderbird
• Send and receive attachments
• Free support
• Domain Forwards
• Ability to create Auto responders
• Ability to change web interface*
• Password recovery system
• Can create folders to sort your emails
• Mark emails
• Print emails
• Address Book
• Can change preferences and identities
• Much more…

*on special request

With these great features challenging Hotmail, Gmail and Yahoo, Jicola email is expected to be competition.

To signup for these products, please visit http://www.jicola.com/freemail or http://www.jicola.com/premiumemail

A recent tip off i received from an anonymous email that i received that was forwarded to me from the MSN headquarters talks about the future of MSN, Windows Live Messenger and Hotmail, where it is heading, will it still be free and much more. This 50 page document in extensive details, outlines what they are planing to do with the current free Windows Live Messenger. In the near future, (the next major release of the popular software) will require a subscription. There will be many more enhancements in this new version including information on what friends have blocked you, and many more cool features that are still currently in development. Most of the new enhancements will be “find out who’s blocked you” etc.

So why do you have to pay?

In this report, many complaints they receive are that there are too many ads. To overcome this, CEO’s, have decide to release a subscription based, ad free version of Windows Live Messenger with features not available in the free version.

Who would want to pay for MSN?

Well, at MSN headquarters, they have decided to release another update of Windows Live Messenger. To continue using Windows Live Messenger, you will be forced to upgrade, or purchase a subscription. But heres the catch… Many features such as sharing folders, webcam, microphone support will be wiped and every tenth message you receive talking to your friends will be an ad. Every new conversation you have, you will have to wait 5 seconds for the ads to disappear.

Why are they doing this?

Microsoft are MSN are just becoming greedy, and its time for another pay increase for the ‘big bosses’. Forcing you to pay for Windows Live Messenger and MSN, will prove that they can increase their wage, because more money is coming in from the popular Windows Live Messenger software.

It is still yet unknown when Windows Live Messenger will start costing, so beware for when it does happen!