Main/News >> News Archives > The week of June 10 (2007) (you are here)

 Need some help developing your Windows Live Agent?

Inky says ( 15 Jun 2007 ):

A new forum category has recently popped up on the MSDN Forums, specifically for developing Windows Live Agents. From the welcome post, it is also made clear the the official Windows Live Agents SDK, which has been in development by Microsoft since the acquisition of Colloquis (formely known as ConversAgent), will be made public in the last quarter of 2007. From the introduction topic: Welcome to the Windows Live Agents (WLA) Forum! Please use this discussion list for any questions related to the planning, development, deployment, and support of your agent. The WLA SDK is currently only available as a very limited release. Please look out for a public SDK release coming in Q4 CY07. Until then we will post announcements and pointers as documentation and preparation materials become publicly available. >> View the new forum category on MSDN Forums

 Linspire users able to use voice-chat with Windows Live buddies

Inky says ( 14 Jun 2007 ):

Hot on the heals of the Gizmo Project, Linspire (a Linux distribution) has announced deals with Microsoft which will allow users of the operating system to use voice-chat with their Windows Live Messenger buddies from other instant messenger clients. The deal, which comes after several other deals Microsoft struck with distributors of Linux, will also include licenses for truetype fonts and Windows Media 10 files. For now only Pidgin IM will be supported by the deal between Linspire and Microsoft, and is only available to users of Linspire (which must be paid for), and not the free operating system "Freespire". >> Press release by Linspire

 eBuddy opens up beta to the public

Inky says ( 14 Jun 2007 ):

eBuddy, known for their web messenger and mobile messenger services, has opened up their next generation products for public beta testing. The new web messenger sports a completely new (much smoother & friendlier) UI and improved performance. It does however have a couple of limitations and quirks (as can be expected from a beta), such as not always being able to invite buddies into conversations, or not displaying names correctly. It is definitely worth trying out, though! (especially when compared to the rather old MSN WebMessenger). The old (and even classic) versions of eBuddy are still available, of course. >> Try out the new eBuddy WebMessenger beta >> Or, alternatively, try the eBuddy Mobile beta

 Dutch team through to Imagine Cup finals with chat application

Inky says ( 13 Jun 2007 ):

A Dutch team, from the university of Delft, has landed themselves a place in the finals of the Imagine Cup (beating five other teams) hosted in South Korea. This year the theme of ImagineCup, a competition for students organized every year by Microsoft, was education and more specifically making education easier using modern technology. The winning team (consisting of several students including long-time Messer Yousef) created a new chat application which allows kids from all around the world to talk with each other without having to use translators. The application, called iConnect, uses a special emoticon language, which allows the users to communicate with images rather than words. >> List of teams in the Dutch finals of the ImagineCup.

 Dutch Windows Live Agent (BOT) big success, shows potential for others

Inky says ( 12 Jun 2007 ):

Almost half a year ago, Dutch singer Marco Borsato (in co-operation with eCreation) launched his very own Windows Live Agent for Windows Live Messenger. The agent has been added by over 100,000 people now, and is a great success. Thousands of people talk to it every week, receiving answers which have been added by the singer himself. Prizes are also regulary given away to fans. Despite the great success of this particular agent the visibility of Windows Live Agents is quite low however, and (unfortunately) often requires additional advertising by companies to bring it to the attention of the general public (despite the fact that companies like eCreations and Oberon Medialab have created many interesting agents!). Luckily, there are many more Windows Live Agents created by fellow Messers and Windows Live enthusiasts, most of them hosted/displayed on Windows Live Gallery. Here are a couple of highlights: • GeoCaching Bot - Want to go treasure hunting? The GeoCaching Bot will help you find treasures in your country by GPS coordinates. From the creator: "Geocaching is a treasure hunting game where you use a GPS to hide and seek containers with other participants in the activity.". • Live Recipe Bot - Having friends over for dinner but don't know what to cook? Live Recipe Bot will help you find the best recipes, including daily tips! • Best Boyfriend Bot - Who doesn't want the ideal boyfriend? He will tell you how your clothes look on you, will take you shopping and if you want to, it will even tell you you are gorgeous. >> View Windows Live Gallery for Messenger (select "Agents")

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