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 When art met MSN Messenger
When art met MSN Messenger

dwergs says ( 25 Sep 2004 ):

 

Another webcam story: Spectrum Fine Art, a new London gallery, opened its doors on Thursday night showcasing contemporary art from established artists and fresh newcomers. The exhibition was billed as the "world's first truly international art gallery launch".

Art works from luminaries such as Peter Blake and Eduardo Paolozzi were on display alongside work from artists striving to make their name, some fresh from art college. The observant at the launch may well have spotted two laptop computers being carried around with a small camera attachment on each.

They were being used as a conduit for eight journalists worldwide (eg. from Australia, South Africa, Japan and Brazil) to take part in the launch, view the art and interview the artists via MSN Messenger.

At least, that was the plan.

Unfortunately technical limitations and frequent crashes reduced the experiment to the annals of brave but futile failures. Webcams usually provide a steady, if low grade, image but the movement of the laptops around the gallery created a strange, distorted affect akin to the bendy mirrors in a funfair.

The Spectrum gallery launch was being backed by Microsoft, hoping to show off the versatility of its MSN Messenger software, but according to BBC News' Darren Waters "a webcam is no way to view art."

[Read more: BBC News].



 Webcam lets users eyeball others
Webcam lets users eyeball others

dwergs says ( 25 Sep 2004 ):

 

i2i webcamMicrosoft showcased a number of innovations under development by scientists in its global research labs and with partners throughout Europe, at an Innovation Fair it hosted in Bussels. Highlighted projects included i2i, a computer-vision-based system that uses smart framing, 3-D animated emoticons and background processing to enhance remote communication such as a webcam-based live chat.

i2i, in development at Microsoft's research lab in Cambridge, UK, is a two-camera system which very carefully follows an individual's movement. It uses a specially developed algorithm to fuse what each camera sees to create an accurate stereo "cyclopean" image. This means it looks as if users are looking each other in the eye unlike webcam sessions today where users are showed looking at their monitor.

i2i webcamThe i2i system can also generate realistic background images so that users can pretend they are somewhere else. "This is important for privacy, because I might not want you to see how messy my bedroom is," said Antonio Criminisi, lead researcher of Microsoft's Machine Learning and Perception Group.

Another innovative feature which is sure to grab the teenage market is the "smarticons" created for the system. Instead of typing emoticons i2i can superimpose floating, 3D ones. A user can have a beating heart float around their head, for instance, or an idea light bulb.

Right now, the technology is just in its infant stages. But this kind of application could prove a massive hit with the instant messaging and gaming community.

[Source: Windows For Devices & BBC News]



 Cool Chat Backgrounds... Soon?!
Cool Chat Backgrounds... Soon?!

dwergs says ( 24 Sep 2004 ):

 

custom msn messenger backgroundsI know, I know! Our left menu has been teasing you with "cool chat backgrounds (soon!)" for over a year now. Thing is, I never liked the way images look when you set them as backgrounds. And it gets even worse when you resize your chat windows. I guess that's why I never pushed this form of customization. But now I'm letting you decide whether or not I should start adding conversation backgrounds anyway. Please fill out this completely anonymous Conversation Background Survey with six questions that should take less than five minutes of your time to answer. I'm very curious about your opinions!

>> Conversation Background Survey (max. 5 minutes).

(Oh, but did you know we DO have Nike Olé and Euro 2004 chat backgrounds!)



 MSN Messenger overtakes AIM and ICQ as top instant messenger
MSN Messenger overtakes AIM and ICQ as top instant messenger

dwergs says ( 24 Sep 2004 ):

 

msn messenger pisses on aol instant messengerFor users at home and at work in August, MSN Messenger led the pack for the first time in its U.S. history US with 28.6 million unique users, followed by the once-dominant AIM with 27.6 million, according to Nielsen/NetRatings. Yahoo trailed at 18.1 million, the research firm said.

In terms of time spent online AIM still wears the crown with five hours per session. MSN users spent an hour and a half every time they launched the software and Yahoo Messenger users typically logged on for about two hours and 50 minutes, Nielsen/NetRatings said

[Reported by: Alex] [Source: CNET News.com]



 Iberia to provide in-flight e-mail and IM services
Iberia to provide in-flight e-mail and IM services

dwergs says ( 24 Sep 2004 ):

 

iberia msn messenger in flightIberia and Tenzing have signed an agreement that will allow e-mail and instant messaging in flight for business class passengers, beginning in November 2004. Passengers will use standard Ethernet (RJ45 LAN) connections in the seat to securely access their personal or corporate e-mail and instant messaging accounts from their own laptops.

Prices have been set for e-mail and IM at US$10 and US$5 per flight respectively. Research conducted by Tenzing with 1,500 frequent flyers in January 2004 showed that 60% of international travelers wanted inflight messaging services for $10 or less on flights of seven hours or more.

[Source: Telecom.paper]



 Hotmail and Messenger via t-zones
Hotmail and Messenger via t-zones

dwergs says ( 24 Sep 2004 ):

 

T-Mobile Netherlands introduces MSN Hotmail and MSN Messenger via its mobile portal t-zones. It was already possible to receive Hotmail and Messenger via SMS. T-Mobile customers can now be reached everywhere with both MSN services. The fact that you'll have to pay for mobile MSN Messenger use seems a huge downside but the service has recently been introduced in Germany and Austria with great succes.

[Source: Telecom.paper] [Sign up for t-zones]



 Postbank starts pilot with MSN Messenger
Postbank starts pilot with MSN Messenger

dwergs says ( 24 Sep 2004 ):

 

Dutch Postbank yesterday started tests with account balance information via MSN Messenger. Doing so, Postbank is the first bank worldwide to offer live account information through MSN Messenger.

Next to balance information, the customer can also watch the five latest deposits and withdrawals. Postbank wants to investigate the opportunities MSN Messenger offers. The pilot lasts three months and 6000 customers will be asked to participate. These customers no longer have to log in on the Postbank website but can ask questions to the bank's chatbot. The customer can also decide to send certain information as a text message (SMS) to the his or her mobile phone. After the test period Postbank will evaluate this new way of online banking and decide if it's worth continuing or not.

[Source: Telecom.paper]



 Your Mini-Me for free at My Display Image
Your Mini-Me for free at My Display Image

dwergs says ( 23 Sep 2004 ):

 

The people from Express More have moved their Display Picture builder to its own site. You might have seen it before on one of the numerous sites that illicitly ripped the software, but note that it's actually a free service offered by the people from MyEmoticons (which is also free, but includes adware).



 The marriage between MSN Messenger and MSN Music
The marriage between MSN Messenger and MSN Music

dwergs says ( 23 Sep 2004 ):

 

ipod display pictureAs Internet giants step into the crowded online music arena, some are banking on a new weapon to help attack market leader Apple Computer: instant messaging.

Microsoft has publicly acknowledged interests in tying its MSN Music online store into MSN Messenger. In a press conference last month, MSN's corporate vice president Yusuf Mehdi described a scenario in which two IM chatters could listen to each other's playlists and then buy the songs if they wished.

Without any fanfare, MSN has already begun toying with playlist sharing. The latest MSN Messenger, version 6.2, contains a link to a test application called ThreeDegrees. Among other features, the software lets a person share a playlist with other members in a private group.

Microsoft's Mehdi said eventual MSN Music features on IM will stem from ThreeDegrees development. A Microsoft representative declined to comment further on music integration in Messenger, but offered a glimpse of how ThreeDegrees is being used: "It's a research product to test IM features," the representative said.

The marriage between IM and music is not without its hurdles. Record labels have quietly expressed dissatisfaction over services that let people trade or even stream songs to each other. IM slips dangerously close to the land of peer to peer, record industry executives say.

"If I'm streaming my collection to someone else, and no one's getting compensated for it, that's not OK," said one label executive, who asked not to be named.

[Source: CNET News.com]



 And our second "Link to Mess.be" winner is...
And our second

dwergs says ( 22 Sep 2004 ):

 

link and win sonic the hedgehog on your televisionOur second winner in the Link to Mess.be competition, following up last time's lucky fella Chris Colden, is a girl from Tennessee named Ali (short for Alicia). She can now chose to receive one of the following Firebox gadgets just for placing our button on her pink blog called The Artsy Alicatt Files:

- Sega Mega Drive 6-in-1 Plug 'n' Play
- Atari-10-in-1-Ready-To-Go-Game-Console
- Namco 5-in-1 Arcade Classics
- Namco Classics II - Ms Pacman
- Space Invaders 5-in-1 Plug 'n' Play
- Tetris Two-Player Plug 'n' Play
or the GBA Movie Player [New Version] (for Gameboy Advance, Gameboy Advance SP) (available at Lik Sang).

Good for you Ali! And *ouch* how painful for the dozen websites we first randomly picked as winners but had removed the link already or didn't use the given linking codes. Well, good news: we're extending the competition another time. Just make sure you use one (or more) of our suggested linking codes and -only if you haven't done it yet- fill out the form here (do not resubmit if you've already filled out the form). As I already mentioned, the winner is picked at random and it doesn't matter how many hits you send us!



 Free Logitech QuickCam Sweepstakes
Free Logitech QuickCam Sweepstakes

dwergs says ( 21 Sep 2004 ):

 

By combining a digital zoom, built-in microphone, and high-quality VGA CCD sensor, the QuickCam Pro 4000 lets you express your creativity like a pro.

Now you can create amazing videos and shoot 1.3 megapixel still photos with ease. Or add live video to MSN Messenger while you chat. You can also make live video calls, set up a video monitoring system, or send photos and video along with your email. You can even add video to your eBay auctions.

logitech webcam for msn messenger >> More about the Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000.

logitech webcam for msn messenger >> Free Logitech QuickCam Sweepstakes Click Here (not a Mess.be compo).



 M&Ms voted top ad character and turned into emoticons
M&Ms voted top ad character and turned into emoticons

dwergs says ( 21 Sep 2004 ):

 

The M&Ms characters were voted the No. 1 icon in a nationwide on-line poll whose results were announced Monday as part of the official kickoff to "Advertising Week" in New York City. The poll, sponsored by Yahoo! and USA Today, was held from early August through the end of last week. Nearly 700,000 votes were cast.

To celebrate the victory of the candies that "melt in your mouth, not in your hands", we have put online an M&M emoticon pack featuring Red, the leader of the pack or so he thinks, and the "nuts" but sweet Yellow.

red m&m emoticons >> Download all 32 M&M Emoticons at once.

yellow m&m emoticons >> Browse the M&M Emoticon set.

red m&m emoticons >> More info on the Red spokescandy.

yellow m&m emoticons >> More info on the Yellow spokescandy.

[Source: CNN.com]



 Added: Plus! Tweak! for MsgPlus! 3.20
Added: Plus! Tweak! for MsgPlus! 3.20

SLim_Shady says ( 21 Sep 2004 ):

 

Plus! Tweak!Choli says:

"Well, MsgPlus! 3 is already out and you may want to have control over all its settings. As you can see on this page there are several ones that are only configurable in the registry.

That's why I made this tweaker. I hope you enjoy it!
"

>> Download Tweak! Plus! v1.2.23 for MsgPlus! 3.20.100



 Added: ColorNick v2
Added: ColorNick v2

SLim_Shady says ( 20 Sep 2004 ):

 

ColorNick v2 is a plugin for Messenger Plus! 3 by Fabien Crespel that adds color to your nickname. It caught my attention because of rather large list of cool (for a plugin of it's kind) features, like:

- New "auto-coloration" feature: you set a default color/gradient in the Preferences, you enable it, and then you only have to type /xcolornick My Nickname (or /xcolortext...) to color your text without showing the dialog.
- Standard MSN emoticons won't be altered when using a gradient effect.
- Enhanced color-codes decimator to get a less-than-129-characters-long nickname.
- Imports your current nick (with colors!).
- Import/export the config from the Preferences window...
...and much more. You can view a complete list of available features and commands in this thread

ColorNick v2 is also available in English, French, Dutch, Spanish, Catalan and Italian!

>> Download ColorNick v2.

>> More info @ MsgPlus Forums.

>> View a screenshot.



 Why can't I log in to MSN Messenger with my iPAQ Pocket PC?
Why can't I log in to MSN Messenger with my iPAQ Pocket PC?

dwergs says ( 20 Sep 2004 ):

 

The default date on some HP iPAQ Pocket PCs must be reset to use MSN Messenger. If you're experiencing connection trouble with your iPAQ, read all about it in our MSN Messenger FAQ.



 Messenger Plus! 3.20.100 released
Messenger Plus! 3.20.100 released

Johnny_Mac says ( 20 Sep 2004 ):

 

The eagerly awaited update for Messenger Plus! has been released. This new version is the first update from Patchou in 3 months and includes "improvements you don't want to miss." These main improvements include:

- Desktop contacts: float your messenger contacts from your messenger window onto your desktop. You can now get a whole list of options for a contact at the click of a button, right from your desktop!

- Command Helpers: The command browsers has been revamped, easier to understand and is designed to help those who mostly use Plus! plugins.

- Plus! Plugin API: "more and more plugins are being developed for Messenger Plus! every month, that's why the API has been improved. New samples and a new SetNewName() function are waiting for you."

- Full compatibility with Windows Messenger 4.7.3000.

- Other small improvements (such as auto-accept) and bug fixes, including the banner removal tool.

>> Download Messenger Plus! 3.20.100.

>> View Change log.

UPDATE: Small glitch with the encryption password setting. It will be updated later without version number changing. We'll let you know when that is! Fixed!



 Gaim, the Pimpin' Penguin IM Client that's good for the soul
Gaim, the Pimpin' Penguin IM Client that's good for the soul

dwergs says ( 19 Sep 2004 ):

 

Gaim is a multi-protocol instant messaging client for Linux, BSD, MacOS X, and Windows. It is compatible with AIM, ICQ, MSN Messenger, Yahoo, IRC, Jabber, Gadu-Gadu, and Zephyr networks. Gaim users can log in to multiple accounts on multiple IM networks simultaneously.

Current Gaim users are urged to upgrade to the new 1.0.0 version because of the many fixes to security vulnerabilities. Compared to the last version we posted at Mess.be and apart from a lot of other new features, there are two updates in the MSN Messenger department of this client:

- Handles MSN buddy lists more sanely;
- Remotely canceled file transfers are now noticed, so that we don't accidentally cancel the file transfer and crash Gaim.

>> Download GAIM v1.0.0.



 Has it been a year already? It's Talk Like a Pirate Day!
Has it been a year already? It's Talk Like a Pirate Day!

dwergs says ( 19 Sep 2004 ):

 

Avast you swashbucklers! This 19th sunrise o' September tis International Talk Like a Pirate day! So drink up your grog, me hearties! Soon, your real name shall be among those that walked the plank to their demise in the oceans depths.

Smartly, get your sproggy pirate nickname (or for the lasses, your female pirate msn name)!

And here's some booty resource for how to talk like a pirate on MSN Messenger...

pirate msn emoticons >> Male Pirate Nicknames.

pirate msn emoticons >> Female Pirate MSN Names.

P.S.: Yes, I'm back from a four-day trip to Barcelona and no, I haven't gone mad. Arrrrfff.



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