Something really cool today from the Windows Live Services team. Using the Live Messenger services, and the Live Search services to create 'social search' - or in my book, a nice way of being able to share online research with someone - or a group.
The announcement from Angus Logan:
http://blogs.msdn.com/angus_logan/archive/2008/02/29/quick-apps-6-0-are-here-social-search-with-tafiti-and-messenger-new-quick-app-lots-of-enhancements.aspx
It creates the concept of a research 'shelf' on which you can stack web page results from Live Search. Then you invite someone to share the shelf, and can post comments, delete things, add things, and generally organise your thoughts between you.
It builds on the original Tafiti application, which was a Silverlight front end on Live Search.
How to get around it:
First, sign in with your Live ID (link is top left). Create a 'new shelf' and add some search results to it. Double click on the shelf, and you will have a list of your Messenger contacts. You can drag someone to share the shelf with. Start posting links and comments, and you 'buddy' will see them in their version of Tafiti.
Why do this?
Well, it's what we've been talking about for many of our clients. You can see this being used for a group, or a couple, planning a holiday or a trip, sharing their early research, and testing ideas on where to go with each other. You can equally see this as the bare bones of a 'social shopping' application, where you can post ideas in the form of images, URL's and so on.
I'm sure it will be posted to the Quick Apps site for you to download and work with. Quick Apps are available here: http://dev.live.com/quickapps/ - obviously watch out for the other apps, some of which we designed. But particularly the Contoso Bicycle Club too with some outstanding innovation from us! :) (go to the River Thames bike ride, and click 'bike cam').
There's also now a new QuickApp that takes that idea of travel planning in the research shelves, and actually does it! Look for Contoso Hotel...
Well done Live Services team! Gives us some more stuff to talk about at MIX08 I guess! See you on Tuesday!