With the release of the new Outlook.com email service, many users will be faced with a decision to switch from their old Hotmail address to a new Outlook.com email address or create a new Outlook.com email address that points to their old Hotmail account. Many users who do not feel like telling everyone they have a new email address should probably take the second option which is also known as an alias. We will walk you through the steps to create an email alias in Outlook.com

If you want to keep your old Hotmail address but reserve a Outlook.com address that will forward emails to your Hotmail account, follow these steps.

When you log into Outlook.com with your old Windows Live credentials you should receive the upgrade to the new interface. In the top right corner is the settings button click it. When the drop down menu appears click “More Mail Settings”

 Once you are in the menu on the left hand side click “Create a Outlook Alias”

On the next screen, you can now type in the Outlook.com email address you want to use. When you are satisfied simply hit the “create an alias” button. Emails sent to that address will show up in your Hotmail email.

 Once you have selected your Outlook Alias you will presented with two options. Either have the emails from your alias show up in your Hotmail Inbox or have the emails show up in a separate folder. This decision is really just personal preference.

When you are done you will either see new emails in your inbox or a new folder for the emails in the list to the left.

Update:

When you are done you should get an email confirming your Outlook.com alias is ready. Here are the tips:

• To send email messages from this alias, click on your address (above the To line in the message) and select your alias from the list.
• If you set up a separate inbox folder for your alias, messages sent to that alias will go there. Otherwise, messages sent to your alias will go to your regular inbox.
• Remember, you can’t sign in to your account with your alias; you’ll need to sign in with your regular address.

Episode #117 of the SMRPodcast, Chicken Wings And Ribs, has been recorded, posted online, and is ready for download. This week feels Rod sick and Robb and Chris picking up the slack. In this episode we cover Some surprising market share stats between Windows Phone and BlackBerry. We also talk about Windows 8 and the possible anti-trust lawsuit and also give out some Android tips and tricks.

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Show Details

• Recorded: May 16th, 2012
• Published: May 17th, 2012
• Duration: 00hr 58min 00sec

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Hosts:

• Rod Simmons @RodSimmons
• Chris Ashley @bigcashley
• Robb Dunewood @RobbDunewood

SHOW TOPICS

Opening Thoughts

• Rod called out sick this week and Chris and Robb are holding the show down
• Robb is looking for some Rib rub for his next barbecue

We talk about some Android tips when changing phones

• Robb was surprised to hear more listeners not leveraging their Gmail login
• Chris points out that the “to the cloud” commercials actually did resonate with people
• We talk about “cloudifying” your phone

It seems that Sprint along with Verizon is interested in Windows Phone 8

• Robb believes that Windows Phone 8 will be a nice update
• Chris feels that this is a sign that carriers are liking what they see
• Robb describes is dream phone

BlackBerry losses another corporate environment but this time to Windows Phone

• Robb is not surprised as BlackBerry 10 is not released yet
• Chris points out why they chose Windows Phone over iPhone and Android

Kantar Reports that Blackberry is down to 3% Market share in major cities

• Robb is wondering what caveats come along with these findings
• BlackBerry as a phone designed by Porche

We cover various other topics

• Facebook IPO price goes up
• Siri calling the Lumia 900 the best smartphone
• The Windows 8 naming and possible anti-trust lawsuits

Picks of the Week

• Cisco RE1000 Wireless Access extender (Network Extender) Robb Dunewood (RIMarkable)
• Use Windows libraries with SkyDrive (Windows Tip) Chris Ashley (SimpleMobileReview)

What better way to sell more BlackBerry Playbooks that the ability to run the Windows Phone operating system on it and here is a video of it working. One thing that many HP Touchpad owners are dreaming of is a port of Windows Phone or Windows 8 onto the the tablet which would instantly add more value. What never dawned on us is what about the BlackBerry Playbook. The Playbook is a very nice device but is severely lacking in the app support and tablet mindshare which leaves people to think what they should do with it. This developer ported the Windows Phone 7 OS to run on the playbook and surprisingly it seems to be running very well with many of the features working. If this port becomes fully operational, I will run out and grab a PlayBook in a heartbeat as I would love a 7 inch Windows tablet which I am sure will be available with Windows 8.

Here is the BlackBerry PlayBook Running Windows Phone

This video could be completely fake however if it was possible I would do this port in a heartbeat!

{Source BGR}

LinkedIn the professional social network used my many people, has now released an official application to the Windows Phone marketplace. Even though the official app was just released, that is not to say that Phone 7 users didn’t have access before as the social networks functionality was built-in to the OS just like Twitter and Facebook. The app is free in the marketplace and is available for download.

Here is the LinkedIn For Windows Phone description

Get on-the-go access to your professional network with LinkedIn for Windows Phone. Find and connect with more than 150M members worldwide, read the latest industry news, keep up-to-date with your groups, explore jobs you might be interested in, and share content with your network from anywhere.

Episode 116 of the SMRpodcast, A Phone With Ebola, has been recorded, posted online, and is ready for download. Chris is back on the show after a week of travel and Robb is actually in studio. We talk about the Facebook IPO and some copy cat Ultrabooks. We are also scratching our heads over the release of a new BlackBerry device. We have a lot of fun this week with all of us together so download the show and enjoy.

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• Recorded: May 9th, 2012
• Published: May 10th, 2012
• Duration: 01hr 22min 00sec

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• Rod Simmons @RodSimmons
• Chris Ashley @bigcashley
• Robb Dunewood @RobbDunewood

SHOW TOPICS

Opening Thoughts

• Chris is back from his trip
• Robb is in studio this week

We talk about the Facebook IPO and who is buying it

• Robb says that he is definitely getting a few shares of their stock
• Rod said he put his order in already
• Chris says that he is going in with Rod

There are a few Ultrabooks that released some that look like MacBooks

• Chris talks about an ultrabook that he recently played with
• Rod says that he is holding out for a Windows 8 tablet
• Robb says that he is looking at a Google tablet

BlackBerry Curve 9320 Announced

• Rod asks Robb why is RIM releasing a new device on the heels of announcing BlackBerry 10
• Robb says this move makes no sense to him
• Chris is wondering if they are doing it for enterprise vs. consumer

Some quick hit topics

• Chris talks about AT&T and the Samsung Focus 2 and their new home automation
• Rod asks Chris about their exclusive apps announcement
• We talk about the $ 99 dollar Xbox

Picks of the Week

• Instagram for Android / FlipBoard for Android (Android Social Apps) Robb Dunewood (RIMarkable)
• Apen A5 Smartpen (Writing Pen for iPad) Rod Simmons (SimpleMobileReview)
• Prototype 2 for Xbox (Xbox Game) Chris Ashley (SimpleMobileReview)

One of the things that Nokia promised Windows Phone users is that they would be contributing to the ecosystem and they are certainly delivering on that with the City Lens app for Windows Phone. City Lens is an augmented reality app which uses your camera to display the area ahead of you on the screen except the app adds details about what you are seeing. Think of it as your personal Terminator helmet. The information includes the business that is located there and if it’s a restaurant you can get the star ratings for it. The app is not released yet therefore if you want to get it you must sign up for the beta over at betalabs.nokia.com . Once you are registered you can choose to participate in the Nokia City Lens beta.

Here is a video of  City Lens for Windows Phone in action

I can’t wait to try this out on my Lumia 900.

We all were wondering if Samsung was going to wait until Windows Phone 8 released before they released another Windows Phone and apparently that is not the case as the Samsung Focus 2 will be available on May 20th for $ 49.99. Ben Rudolph has posted some shots of the Samsung Focus 2 that he was able to test and really like the modifications that were made.

In the post, Ben mentioned that the phone was actually shorter but felt a bit more comfortable in the hands. It seems that the camera went down to 5 megapixels however this device is sporting LTE which I can’ say enough good things about AT&T LTE speeds. A departure from the black Windows Phones Samsung has released in the past this device is white with the chrome ends.

You can check out Ben’s full write up on the Windows Team Blog.

{via the Windows Team Blog}

Episode #115 of the SMRPodcast, Mr Telephone Man, has been recorded, posted online, and is ready for download. We jumped right into BlackBerry 10. Despite my best effort Robb will not give up his Android phone for BlackBerry 10. To his credit he said RIM need to earn the right to be my primary device again. We also talked about Microsoft and Barnes and Noble, Hulu requiring a cable subscriptions. Robb and I both admit that we would love a tax loop that exempted us from paying taxes.

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• Recorded: April 24th, 2012
• Published: April 25th, 2012
• Duration: 01hr 16min 00sec

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• Rod Simmons @RodSimmons
• Chris Ashley @bigcashley
• Robb Dunewood @RobbDunewood

SHOW TOPICS

BlackBerrry 10 Initial Thoughts

• Robb is hurt and wants RIM to earn his respect again
• Rod is Rod and wants new technology

Microsoft and Barnes and Noble start a company and settle a dispute

• Will the Courier make a comeback?
• Will Windows 8 on the Nook help combat Amazon

Is Hulu Dead.

• Robb understands the change Hulu is making
• Rod and Robb both agree that MSNBC, CNBC, FoxNews all need to come to Hulu

Chris feels the pain of LTE

• Chris realizes the LTE can kick the life out of a battery
• Rod admits he talks 6,000 minutes per month on his mobile
• Robb tells the story of how to save battery life

Picks of the Week

• Tip: Put folder in your dock when organizing apps Rod Simmons (SimpleMobileReview)
• After Focus for Android and Google Drive Robb Dunewood (RIMarkable)

In a surprising announcement Microsoft and Barnes & Noble Inc. announced the formation of a new partnership that will bring digital reading technology to the Windows Platform.  One of the first ventures of Newco is to release an application for Windows 8 which will increase the reach of Barnes & Noble’s digital bookstore across the most popular desktop worldwide.  Apparently Microsoft and B&N have squashed current legal battles to move forward with their Newco plans.

Press Release:

New York, NY and Redmond, WA (April 30, 2012) –Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE: BKS) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) today announced the formation of a strategic partnership in a new Barnes & Noble subsidiary, which will build upon the history of strong innovation in digital reading technologies from both companies. The partnership will accelerate the transition to e-reading, which is revolutionizing the way people consume, create, share and enjoy digital content.

The new subsidiary, referred to in this release as Newco, will bring together the digital and College businesses of Barnes & Noble. Microsoft will make a $ 300 million investment in Newco at a post-money valuation of $ 1.7 billion in exchange for an approximately 17.6% equity stake. Barnes & Noble will own approximately 82.4% of the new subsidiary, which will have an ongoing relationship with the company’s retail stores. Barnes & Noble has not yet decided on the name of Newco.

One of the first benefits for customers will be a NOOK application for Windows 8, which will extend the reach of Barnes & Noble’s digital bookstore by providing one of the world’s largest digital catalogues of e-Books, magazines and newspapers to hundreds of millions of Windows customers in the U.S. and internationally.

The inclusion of Barnes & Noble’s College business is an important component of Newco’s strategic vision. Through the newly formed Newco, Barnes & Noble’s industry leading NOOK Study software will provide students and educators the preeminent technology platform for the distribution and management of digital education materials in the market.

“The formation of Newco and our relationship with Microsoft are important parts of our strategy to capitalize on the rapid growth of the NOOK business, and to solidify our position as a leader in the exploding market for digital content in the consumer and education segments,” said William Lynch, CEO of Barnes & Noble. “Microsoft’s investment in Newco, and our exciting collaboration to bring world-class digital reading technologies and content to the Windows platform and its hundreds of millions of users, will allow us to significantly expand the business.”

“The shift to digital is putting the world’s libraries and newsstands in the palm of every person’s hand, and is the beginning of a journey that will impact how people read, interact with, and enjoy new forms of content,” said Andy Lees, President at Microsoft. “Our complementary assets will accelerate e-reading innovation across a broad range of Windows devices, enabling people to not just read stories, but to be part of them. We’re at the cusp of a revolution in reading.”

Barnes & Noble and Microsoft have settled their patent litigation, and moving forward, Barnes & Noble and Newco will have a royalty-bearing license under Microsoft’s patents for its NOOK eReader and Tablet products. This paves the way for both companies to collaborate and reach a broader set of customers.

Newco

On January 5, Barnes & Noble announced that it was exploring the strategic separation of its digital business in order to maximize shareholder value. Barnes & Noble is actively engaged in the formation of Newco, which will include Barnes & Noble’s digital and College businesses. The company intends to explore all alternatives for how a strategic separation of Newco may occur. There can be no assurance that the review will result in a strategic separation or the creation of a stand-alone public company, and there is no set timetable for this review. Barnes & Noble does not intend to comment further regarding the review unless and until a decision is made.

Additional information will be contained in a Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed by Barnes & Noble.

Yesterday Microsoft released SkyDrive For Windows and we couldn’t wait to install it and use it and even captured the process for our readers. The download was quick and the setup and configuration of SkyDrive for Windows was simple enough. There were no real gotcha moments in the configuration and the biggest thing to note is that this is an all or nothing integration therefore, be sure that you have sufficient disk space.

How To Install SkyDrive For Windows

If you go to https://apps.live.com/skydrive and you can download the application. Once it is downloaded you can browse to the location and click to install it.

Once the install has started you will see the progress bar pop up on the screen.

The install takes a few seconds then you will see the welcome to SkyDrive screen.

Once you click the “Get Started” button you will be prompted to log in with your live id and if you don’t have one you can create it.

Once you successfully log in with your live id, you are then prompted to select a location for the files currently on SkyDrive to be downloaded to. The default location works great for me.

if you want to change the location simple click the “Change” button and select a new location.

The next step is to choose to allow the local files stored on the machine to be accessible remotely.

Once you click done SkyDrive for Windows has been successfully installed.

Configuring SkyDrive for Windows

Moving the mouse to the system tray and hovering over the SkyDrive icon allows you to see the current status of SkyDrive

If you have a need to reconfigure the options you choose during the install you can right click your mouse on the SkyDrive icon and click settings.

When the configuration screen comes up, you can change the startup options and the remote access to files capabilities.

Clicking on the “About” tab allows you the option to disconnect this machine from your SkyDrive account.

Using SkyDrive For Windows

When you open up explorer on your PC, the tree view will have a new option on the left hand side which will be SkyDrive. you can also browse directly to the location too. The icons on each file and folder will reveal the status of the sync with a green check being the file is synced and the rotating arrows meaning that it is being synced.

To get files into SkyDrive, you simple copy and paste it into the directory that you selected. You can even create new directories or reorganize the files and folders that already exist.

Final Thoughts

Everyone should be using some type of cloud storage for both email and personal files. A cloud solution really gives you access from anywhere and furthermore protects your content from disasters. Microsoft has made cloud use extremely easy by adding SkyDrive for Windows. Furthermore, on Windows 8 you have a metro styled app or a desktop app for accessing your content.