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Microsoft tries to win the battle with Google by aggressively offering new products and services. For now the company of Bill Gates is far away from taking over Google, but innovative ideas is what Microsoft needs the most to challenge the rivals.

In November Microsoft began a number of new initiatives. In the beginning, the opening of the first online Microsoft Store was announced. Although the store doesn’t offer top prices, one of the advantages is the fact that you don’t have to keep
(remember) your product key anymore, because it is automatically stored with every purchase. ReadWrireWeb further investigated the story.

Later Microsoft started Live Photos, a new photo sharing service, where customers can upload up to 500 free pictures per month and share them with friends and relatives. Live Photos works automatically with Microsoft's Live Photo Gallery, permitting users to edit, tag and arrange the images. More details are available from ReadWriteWeb.

Around the same time Microsoft declared it's intentions to become part of the social web. Here is how the Daily Bits blog described the upcoming changes:

Windows Live Messenger, Hotmail and other Live services will include features that make it possible for users to maintain and share notifications across their network of online contacts. What is more interesting is that the services will support notifications from third party web applications too ( e.g. Twitter, Flickr, LinkedIn, iLike, Yelp, Wordpress Blogs among others).

Microsoft's last initiative - the creation of new free security software is without a doubt a popular idea.

Code-named “Morro,” this streamlined solution will be available in the second half of 2009 and will provide comprehensive protection from malware including viruses, spyware, rootkits and trojans.

Read Microsoft's press release for more details.