Microsoft Kills Live Mesh Remote Desktop

Here is a shocker. Microsoft is killing the Live Mesh service, which includes file sync and remote desktop functionality across multiple platforms and over the internet. They are replacing it with Sky Drive, which of course lacks any remote desktop functionality, and I believe it also lacks the ability to sync files directly between computers, skipping the cloud.

Over the years, this is just another item in a long list of apps Microsoft has dropped for consumers. I learned my lesson on this a long time ago and there are only two Microsoft products I use now: Office and Windows. What they make is more often than not top notch quality, but they are quick to kill items that they perceive no longer fits into their portfolio or doesn't generate enough revenue. Money, Outlook Express, Tax Saver, Zune, etc. The list goes on and on.

I'll continue to use Office and Windows because for me they are exceptional tools to get done what I need to get done. You'll not catch me using their other products though because I have zero confidence they will be around in a few years, and it is easier to start using a similar but competing product from another company that needs that product to survive, whereas Microsoft seems to treat these products as "let's throw this competing product out there and see what happens, and we can kill it later if we want."

They usually do.

AnyLists Makes Sharing Shopping Lists Easy

My wife and I have a whiteboard on the refrigerator that we use to write down whatever we need from the grocery store. It makes it pretty easy as when you are low or out of something, you just write it down. AnyLists for iOS makes this really easy.

The problem with the whiteboard method is if she leaves before I do, and I add something to the board, it gets skipped until the next trip to the store. It also fails if I decide to run by the store on the way home as I remember little of what is on the list at home.

AnyLists for the iPhone eliminates these and other problems. I created a list for various stores and then shared them with my wife. Now we can add and scratch off items and the list on the other's phone gets updated instantly, provided both phones are online.

It does work on the iPad, but as an iPhone app, so only in portrait mode, and only at 2x resolution. Of course, you'd never take an iPad shopping but it is a great device to add a bunch of stuff to the list since the keyboard is larger.

Anylists tries to automatically group items by grocery store sections, like produce, bakery or health & beauty. If it doesn't know, it sticks it in "Other" and you can move it manually. It also has a pretty big database of items to pick from. Type "rom" and romaine lettuce will show up. This saves a lot of typing on the tiny iPhone keyboard.

The app also has recipes from a lot of different sources, like Epicurious, Martha Stewart, and several dozen others. Of course, you can just click on the ingredients in the recipe to add to your shopping list.

It also works well for other stores. I have an Amazon list that we keep up to date to bundle items and reduce shipping charges. We have Amazon Prime, so I really don't need to worry about it, but I feel guilty using Prime for a $4.99 item.

The price of the app is exactly right too - free. I'd give $0.99 to $2.99 for this app in a heartbeat given how useful it has proven in recent days. You can get it here in the App Store.