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 MSN Messenger to play ball in World Cup mania
MSN Messenger to play ball in World Cup mania

dwergs says ( 25 Nov 2005 ):

 

MSN has signed international footballers Michael Owen, FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldinho, Gianluigi Buffon, Xabi Alonso and Edgar Davids to provide exclusive content for MSN users throughout the 2006 World Cup competition in Germany.

football display pictureFrom now until the World Cup in 2006, these players will provide us (via their personal MSN Space, we bet) with behind-the-scenes insights into life as a world-class footballer. They will also be featured in MSN Messenger football Theme Packs and a multiplayer football game in MSN Messenger (hopefully somewhat more exciting than the Euro 2004 one). The source article also suggests free live MSN Messenger alerts of game results.

[Source: Netimperative]



 QFE Patch will update to build 7.5.0316
QFE Patch will update to build 7.5.0316

dwergs says ( 24 Nov 2005 ):

 

Confirming our earlier report that MSN Messenger 7.5 development hasn't ended yet, we have been informed about a soon-to-be-released QFE Patch that will update your Messenger to build 7.5.0316. Like we mentioned before, the 2,26mb patch will mainly deal with sign in issues. We roughly estimate that it will be released publicly in the course of next week. Read about it on Mess.be first! :)



 Updated Windows Live Messenger 8.0.0363 BETA build
Updated Windows Live Messenger 8.0.0363 BETA build

dwergs says ( 24 Nov 2005 ):

 

Overdo, Alpdrücken Von Krieg and deAd have informed us that an updated build of Windows Live Messenger has been issued to pre-BETA-testers. At first sight Windows Live Messenger 8.0.0363 does not contain any new features or big changes.

Meanwhile, lucky Messers ZoMb|E, iNFUSiON, Ariën, gloomy, Gublerian & BouncinDave have received personal welcome messages from the MSN BETA team on Wednesday. The e-mail states:

"Thanks for signing up. We understand how excited you are to get started, and we want to get going, too. We’re working as fast as we can to figure out the best way for us to get your feedback. We know the waiting is the hardest part, but soon we’ll be sending you an invitation for a specific Windows Live beta—and that will make the wait worthwhile."

Some of these Messers have confirmed that they signed up through the several Windows Live Messenger BETA-signup pages we linked to in our news. Seems like at least one of them was active after all. Too bad the last one we posted already pulled another vanishing act.

Happy thanksgiving to those celebrating!



 Wave 11 skins updated, Messenger:Mac skin for PC!
Wave 11 skins updated, Messenger:Mac skin for PC!

dwergs says ( 23 Nov 2005 ):

 

The Messenger Lab, occupied by skin scientists theunknown & Fizical, have cooked up updated versions of their notorious Wave 11 skins and added a third one called Shiro. They're now compatible with the latest official edition of MSN Messenger: 7.5.0311. If you are unfamiliar with the Wave 11 series, then get acquainted today. It's MSN Messenger, Jim, but not as we know it!

msn messenger for mac for windows skinBut there's more. If being left with a lot less features than PC-users isn't horrible enough, the Mac community now sees their smooth Messenger:Mac 5.0 look copied to the Windows platform with the brand new Messenger:Mac skin.

>> Download Wave11 MSN for MSN Messenger 7.5.0311.

>> Download Wave11 Glass MSN for MSN Messenger 7.5.0311.

>> Download Wave11 Shiro MSN for MSN Messenger 7.5.0311.

>> Download Messenger:Mac Skin for MSN Messenger 7.5.0311.



 WORM_KELVIR.CZ in the wild, rated low risk
WORM_KELVIR.CZ in the wild, rated low risk

dwergs says ( 23 Nov 2005 ):

 

Once again a mutation of the Kelvir worm, dubbed WORM_KELVIR.CZ, is propagating through MSN Messenger. As usual, it sends itself to all online contacts of an affected user through an instant messaging containing an URL. When the hyperlink is clicked, a copy of the worm is downloaded on the system (as winproc.exe, hidden in the Windows system folder) and infections multiply. It also creates an autostart and disables the Windows Task Manager and Registry Editor.

We can't stress enough on the fact that you have to be very cautious before clicking links and accepting transfers within MSN Messenger. If suspicuous, double-check by asking your contact if he or she intended to send you the file or link.

According to a press release from IMlogic last week the Kelvir worm has mutated 123 (make that 124) times during the last 11 months. In 2005, 62 percent of mutating IM threats targeted the MSN network via Windows Messenger or MSN Messenger.

>> More information and removal instructions at Trend Micro.



 Domain hosting service added to Live.com product line
Domain hosting service added to Live.com product line

dwergs says ( 22 Nov 2005 ):

 

Microsoft on Friday launched the beta version of Windows Live Custom Domains service. It will provide e-mail, instant messaging and links to other MSN services to people who have existing Web site domain names.

With its Custom Domains service, Microsoft will give consumers who own an Internet domain name up to 20 e-mail accounts (with 250MB per address if you live in the 50 United States, District of Columbia or Puerto Rico).

It will include junk-mail filtering and virus scanning and allow a person to check e-mail from any Web-enabled PC. The service will simplify access to MSN Messenger (Windows Live Messenger), MSN Spaces (Windows Live Spaces) and other MSN services, according to the company.

>> Visit Windows Live Custom Domains.

[Source: CNET News.com]



 Reuters Messaging 5.0 connects AIM to MSN Messenger
Reuters Messaging 5.0 connects AIM to MSN Messenger

dwergs says ( 22 Nov 2005 ):

 

Reuters, the financial data group, has struck an agreement to make its professional instant messaging service interoperable with free IM services from both AOL and Microsoft. It's thus the first service to connect Microsoft's MSN Messenger to AOL Instant Messenger communities.

reuters messaging IMReuters Messaging 5.0 users will be able to exchange information in a secure environment with financial professionals around the world who use these public instant messaging services. Reuters Messaging 5.0 is specifically designed for financial services firms which need to meet strict requirements for security and compliance. There are 300,000 registered users of Reuters Messaging of which 70,000 active. Another 1,000 active users are added every week.

The implications of this news are even bigger since Microsoft has agreed with Yahoo to unite their IM systems by the first half of 2006. David Gurlé, Reuters' head of collaboration services, also said Reuters was in talks with Yahoo, Google and Skype, and would have agreements in place with them "hopefully in the next few months or a year".

[Source: Financial Times & Reuters]



 Hide and seek with the WLM BETA sign up page again
Hide and seek with the WLM BETA sign up page again

dwergs says ( 21 Nov 2005 ):

 

For the third time around, a sign up page for the Windows Live Messenger BETA has been discovered. This "Nomination Confirmation" looks more convincing than ever, with a log-in procedure (a Passport account, eg. your Hotmail address, is required) and a confirmation page telling that "You're on the list. If you're selected, you'll get an e-mail from us telling you what to do next." You can find the sign up page over here.

Usually when we post such a link, the page is removed within 24 hours, proving that it was not meant to be seen. We'll see about this one but Messers, like the andyman, who have signed up for the Mail Beta via a similar page on the ideas.live.com domain have already started to receive their invitations.

UPDATE: Current message on the ideas.live.com domain: "Wow, we must have really messed up and are currently down. Please come back later." Seems to be fixed now.

UPDATE #2: Surprise, surprise. The page has disappeared again.

[Reported by: Loony Lewis, Jonathan, Beau Giles & thefighter]



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