Main/News >> News Archives > The week of December 03 (2006) (you are here)

 Rather spend time on Messenger than work? Combine both!

dwergs says ( 08 Dec 2006 ):

The weekend has finally arrived and the last thing you probably wanna hear about is WORK... unless you're jobless and craving for a job in the (since you're here) booming Instant Messaging business. Like before, I've done some research and found these unoccupied job positions: Redmond, Washington, USA: - Microsoft is looking for a Lead Software Development Engineer to work on Windows Live Services (Mail, Messenger, Search, Contacts, Spaces, etc.) on mobile devices. A lot of growth is expected specifically in this area! [More info] - The Windows Live Desktop Client Team is in need of Software Design Engineer in Test (SDET) to become a part of the next major release of Messenger, Mail and Calendar clients. "As part of the team, a typical day will consist of ad hoc testing, manual and automated test case and test plan development, filing bug reports, and interacting with dogfooders and beta testers, as well as defining and reviewing work items performed by a mature vendor test team." Doesn't that sound unreal? [More info] Mountain View, California, USA: - A software engineer or development lead is needed for Windows Live. "You will design and build an 'Internet Scale' service for Integrated Communications (email, calendar, IM, voice, etc.)" If you're hired, that is. [More info] - Related, the Windows Live Web Communications dev team (Hotmail, Windows Live Mail and Calendar, and Web Messenger) is searching a Software Development Engineer to help build "the next generation of Web-based email, calendar and communications services". Both lead and individual contributor positions available. [More info] Amsterdam, The Netherlands: - No Microsoft, but at least equally exciting: for its international rollout the Eccky team is looking for a Senior .NET Developer with at least 10 years of experience. Be sure to tell them you heard about this vacancy from me ;) [More info] Good luck to all potential candidates!

 Plob someone for Chrismas, for charity

dwergs says ( 08 Dec 2006 ):

Thousands of Messers already fell in love with Rakky's cute li'l Plobs we added to CustoMess two months ago. Now their creator is offering you the chance to get "Plobbed" yourself. The winning bidder of Rakky's unique charity auction will win a digitally illustrated Plob alter ego of himself (or a friend, relative, etc.), which will be featured on the Official Plobs website from Christmas Eve '06 to the 31st Jan '07. "The winner will be able to choose a color (pink, brown or white) a name & a word to describe their Plob. (...) The winning prize does not include physical merchandise, however the digitally illustrated Plob (JPEG) will be e-mailed to the winner at request." All proceeds of this auction will be donated to BBC Children in Need, so toss those dollars and make it your most generous Christmas present this year! >> Bid on the Plobs charity auction. >> Download CustoMess to import all 42 Plobs™ MSN Display Pictures with just one click. >> You can also get CustoMess from Download.com.

 Silent InsideMessenger update adds video, game, etc.

dwergs says ( 07 Dec 2006 ):

InsideMessenger, two-fold prize winner in recent bot contests (including Best British Bot), was quietly upgraded to version 4 yesterday. The fourth version, which goes hand in hand with a new website and logo, will be officially announced next week but we already have the changelog for you: - A brand new InsideMessenger Interactive activity grants access to games, as well as videos from source likes YouTube, Google and MySpace. You can either search for videos, check out today's most viewed ones or make a selection from the viral video chart. - Travel searches have been improved (eBookers searches now includes a car rental quote for your trip, and there's integration with Orbitz for the US market). - Now you can earn referral credit for each friend you invite to actively use InsideMessenger. What exactly you can do with these points is still uncertain, and there seems to be a bug at the moment which sends the invitation mail the wrong way, and without a proper hyperlink. UPDATE: The bug has been fixed. And Riaan van Schoor, the bot's creator, has let us know he's collecting user feedback as to what to do with the referral points. The best reward suggestion sent in before December 22nd will win a Firebox.com gift voucher. And to save the best news for last, InsideMessenger is giving away some of its bot contest prizes. The person with the highest score on the integrated Tomato game in December, wins a Nabaztag Wi-Fi rabbit. The Creative Zen mp3 player goes to the best gamescore in January. We'll keep you tuned on future contests. If I remember correctly they also won an Xbox 360, so start practicing your tomato-throwing... >> Add chat@insidemessenger.com to your contact list. >> Visit the new InsideMessenger homepage.

 Soapbox Messenger activity expected within the next month

dwergs says ( 07 Dec 2006 ):

Microsoft's take on YouTube, MSN Soapbox, is currently in private beta with "several hundred thousand" testers. For everyone else, access is restricted to watch-only mode. So what's going on behind the scenes? Rob Bennett, general manager of entertainment and video services for MSN, shared some info with NewTeeVee and confirmed that Soapbox is on track to launch publicly around March 2007. More interestingly, Bennett told integration with Zune, Xbox, MSN Messenger/Windows Live Messenger, Windows Mobile, and Windows Media Center is definitely on the menu. Elaborating on Messenger integration, which according to Bennett should be released within the next month, he said users will be able to watch videos from within the conversation window "for a social viewing experience". We'll let you know as soon as the Soapbox activity becomes available... [Source: NewTevee] [Via: LiveSide]

 Lotus Sametime interoperability omits Windows Live Messenger

dwergs says ( 06 Dec 2006 ):

Users of Lotus Sametime 7.5, IBM's instant messaging solution for enterprises, from now on can connect with users of public IM networks from Google (Talk), AOL (AIM) and -in a couple of weeks- Yahoo! (Y!IM). Today's interoperability announcement is good news for those relying on IM for business communications, as it adds millions of potential contacts or "over 70 percent of the worldwide instant messaging user base," according to general manager for IBM Lotus Michael Rhodin. Big absentee in the interoperability story, however, is world's leading public IM service: MSN/Windows Live Messenger. Rhodin commented that they intend to "allow Lotus Sametime users to connect to any public instant messaging community they would like." Juicy detail, Microsoft sells its own enterprise IM solution called Live Communications Server (LCS) that competes directly with Lotus Sametime. LCS interoperates with AIM, Y!IM and, of course, Windows Live Messenger.

 Hello Christmas, hello London, hello LifeCam VX-3000

dwergs says ( 06 Dec 2006 ):

MSN UK has set up a mini-site called Hello Christmas! to promote using Windows Live Messenger's "Video Call" feature to send a "truly personal Christmas message" this year. Obviously you need a webcam for this, so they're also giving away ten pairs of LifeCam VX-3000 webcams. Between November 14th-21st, MSN UK took their camera to a few famous spots in London and filmed random people speaking out their Christmas greetings, just to give us an example of what to say. I think today's featured clip is rather inspiring... two weeks left to learn how to beatbox then! >> Watch today's featured clip. >> Win a pair of LifeCam VX-3000 webcams, enter your e-mail address here.

 Added: LOTS of Smallville & Heroes Display Pictures

dwergs says ( 05 Dec 2006 ):

Another heroic effort from Messer lpchick, who single-handedly stuffed two new television show categories FULL of MSN Display Pictures. I wonder if she'd be deprived of her mass uploading powers when exposed to kryptonite... >> Browse 474 Smallville MSN Display Pictures. >> Browse 148 Heroes MSN Display Pictures.

 MSN goes 'old school' mobile in M'sia

dwergs says ( 05 Dec 2006 ):

Malaysian mobile operator, Maxis, yesterday announced the launch of Windows Live Messenger and Mail to their eight million subscribers. Postpaid and prepaid Maxis customers will be able to link their mobile phone numbers to their Hotmail/Messenger accounts at the Malaysian MSN Mobile portal and then send and receive e-mail & IMs with their mobile devices. In bright contrast to recent comparable announcements, the service is based on a solution developed by Sybase 365 which relies on the old fashioned Short Messaging Service (SMS) technology. While this implies the highest compatibility rate and the superfluity of a data subscription, things can get very costly for heavy users especially when you take into account the 160-character limit of one text message within the SMS infrastructure. [Source: ZDNet Asia]

 3 limits 'unlimited' Messenger use with X-Series

dwergs says ( 04 Dec 2006 ):

Mobile operator from the UK, 3, on Friday revealed the prices for their mobile broadband service, X-Series. For an additional £5 ($9.90) per month on top of their regular voice fees, subscribers get "unlimited" access to Skype, Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger and Internet browsing. Surprisingly (or not), the unlimited plan comes with limits. Skype: max. 5000 minutes, Internet browsing: 1 gigabyte, Windows Live Messenger (or Yahoo!)... 10000 messages and not one more! I wonder if 3 is really going to count the number of messages for each and every subscriber? Where unfair use is apparent, the company said it will take "appropriate measures" based on individual cases. End users needn't worry though, 10k messages per month means more than 300 per day and even most desktop users don't send nearly as much messages per 24 hours. >> Windows Live Messenger with X-Series: Overview. >> Windows Live Messenger with X-Series: Demo. >> Watch the X-Series launch webcast (for the part about Windows Live Messenger, choose a format and connection speed and then in the speaker list, scroll down and select Microsoft's Sharon Baylay). [Source: InfoWorld]

Back to the News Archives