2:13AM EST, I'm glad to announce that both products live!

Spaces: http://spaces.live.com

Events: http://events.live.com

More details to come tomorrow ... After I woke up. :)

Some external "reviews" so far:

· News.com

· Techcrunch

· Liveside.net

I’d like to announce that Spaces M2 is now Live.  This is a significant release in that it surfaces a host of features that the markets have been waiting for, and whose addition should drive acquisition and new engagement. As well, this release incorporates the integration of Digital Memories, a new standalone client photo application that has close ties to the Windows Photo Gallery. Furthermore, with extensive UI improvements, existing Spaces customers will find updating, sharing and creating much easier.

What’s significant in this release?

New Spaces Home Page

Includes new Community & Features sub-pages.  The new pages are considerably more appealing, intuitive and engaging. As well, we’ve introduced a host of new local market editorial options designed to give us the power to give Spaces users more information.

Virtual Spaces and Optimized first-run

Virtual Space creation:

This feature automatically provisions a new Space for new Windows Live ID signups, and then presents the new Spaces customer with easy-to-understand next steps 

Optimized first-run

When a new customer’s first use is photo sharing, then WL Spaces will auto-configure the Space by using one of the new Templates. In this case, the new Space would be defaulted  to “Photo Enthusiast”.  This is a huge customer win as early Spaces feedback suggested new Spaces customers did not customize their Space or add content,  as they were unsure of how to, or what to do following the creation of their Space. Now we take care of it for them!

Windows Live Alerts for Spaces now in Canada

Customers now can receive updates from their favourite Spaces via Windows Live Alerts.  This has great impact for our bridge into the Social Networking space. Now users can be kept up-to-date on what their friends are doing.

Photo enhancements –most important is the integration with the new Digital Memories product

Album UI enhancements

Invite to View

· Customers can send an email to friends/family to come and view their photo album(s). Of great interest here is that invitee’s will not need a Windows Live ID to view the photos. This makes for a very easy photo-sharing experience

Create New Album and Album permissioning

· Upload from your local machine or existing album

· Default to same permissions as Space with link to change

· Promote Windows Live Photo Gallery download