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Mess.be News Alerts: Still free, now branded
dwergs says ( 04 Feb 2005 ):
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For more than half a year already you can get the latest Mess.be news delivered directly to your MSN Messenger as-it-happens. Over 10000 Messers have signed up since then.
Today we're letting you know that our logistics partner has decided to replace the little "Messer" icon in each message alert with a sponsor's logo and slogan, as you can see in the example next to this post. Now don't panic: just like before, clicking the toast will point your browser to Mess.be. But a different, smaller text bar with a link to that sponsor will appear at the top of this page.
According to our partner, who has generously sent out nearly two million alerts for us already, this is an attempt to monetize their service while keeping it free for you and us.
>> Sign up here to get the Mess.be news alerts directly in MSN Messenger.
>> One of the main sponsors in the Mess.be News Alerts: Now there’s a better way to fax. eFax makes it possible to use your existing email account to send and receive faxes. Try eFax free. |
Critical MSN Messenger update on Patch Tuesday
dwergs says ( 03 Feb 2005 ):
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Next Tuesday, on February 8th, the Microsoft Security Response Center is planning to release several Microsoft Security Bulletins, one of them affecting Windows, Windows Media Player... and MSN Messenger. The greatest aggregate, maximum severity rating for these security updates is Critical and these updates will require a restart.
Full details of vulnerabilities to be patched will not be revealed until Tuesday afternoon, but let's hope the patch will put an end to the Bropia worm craze.
[Source: Microsoft TechNet] |
Bropia variants now spell almost half the alphabet
dwergs says ( 03 Feb 2005 ):
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Besides harassing MSN Messenger users, the Bropia worm seems to be pestering antivirus companies time and time again with new variants.
With modifications turning up at this rapid rate, counting each variant using a letter from the alphabet doesn't look like a good idea anymore. We suggest naming them after bad Stephen Baldwin movies. Plenty of those...
The latest in the chain is WORM_BROPIA.F (also known as W32/Bropia.worm.g, W32/Bropia.J and Bropia.E) which spreads mainly in Korea, China, Taiwan, and the United States through automatically initiated MSN Messenger file transfers of any of the following files:
Bedroom-thongs.pif Hot.pif LMAO.pif LOL.scr Naked_drunk.pif New_webcam.pif ROFL.pif underware.pif Webcam.pif
Depending on your system configuration and file associations, the transfer shows the classic MS-DOS windows icon (pictured to the right) or an unknown file icon (the blank piece of paper one). It stops propagating if the victim uses only Windows Messenger because those file transfers simply fail.
Quite a surprise, this worm also drops and loads the file SEXY.JPG in the root folder, which pictures what's probably the ultimate fantasy partner of the worm's creator: a naked chick with tanlines. Before you get all curious and secretly hope to get infected, you can take that image description quite literally... as you can see the image to the left.
>> Read more at Trend Micro. |
Released: StuffPlug-NG 2
dwergs says ( 02 Feb 2005 ):
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StuffPlug-NG, one of the most (justly) hyped plugins for Messenger Plus! has been updated by TheBlasphemer to version 2(0.217b). Apart from a new eye-pleasing GUI designed by Rolando, it actually really improves your MSN Messenger experience with fine features like:
- Open links in your default browser; - Enable oversized display pictures and emoticons; - Remove the 5 custom emoticon limit; - Disable the 3 file transfer limit; - Allow multiple lines in your nickname; - Prefix messages with timestamps; - Chat-only name; - AutoTalkers; - Get an alert when someone closes conversation; - Boost the maximum message length to 5000 characters; - Remove emoticon autocompletion; - Allow talking to blocked contacts (appear offline and talk);
And the following MSN Messenger 7-only features: - Hide the conversation window text ad; - Hide contact list banner; - Use a custom search engine.
>> Download StuffPlug-NG 2.0.217b.
Note: During the installation process you have the choice to install several other interesting Plus! plugins.
[Reported: Timothy, EvilSeph & Stigmata] |
Added: Valentine's Day Bejeweled
dwergs says ( 01 Feb 2005 ):
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One of the official and most popular MSN Messenger games, Bejeweled, has received a makeover in the light of the now approaching Valentine's Day. The game rules and concept stay the same but the traditional jewels make room for roses, gifts, candy and, of course, a lot of hearts.
>> Invite your dearest contact person to play Valentine's Day Bejeweled directly from our MSN Games Launcher.
[Reported by: Huuf] [Thanks to: Timothy] |
HUGE: Belgian electronic ID to be integrated into MSN Messenger
dwergs says ( 01 Feb 2005 ):
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Bill Gates is visiting Belgium and he's putting our little country on the world map as a pioneer in online identification. Together with State Secretary of E-Government, Peter Vanvelthoven, he announced that the Belgian electronic identity card (eID) will be integrated into MSN Messenger and possibly even more Windows technologies.
The eID is gradually replacing traditional identity cards and by December 31st of 2009, all citizens older than 12 who reside on the Belgian territory (about 8 million) should own the obligatory chip-equipped card. Just like the classical ID, the eID contains your photo, surname and first names, sex, nationality, place and date of birth, signature, national number as well as the validity period of the card. But all this information (including the photo) will also be electronically stored.
We are still trying to gather details on this, but we assume that by inserting your eID in card readers at home, at school, in Internet cafés, etc. you will be able to authenticate and log into MSN Messenger without needing a password and in a much more secure way (I just hope it won't automatically show the hideous photo on my ID as my MSN Display Picture).
At first I thought April Fools was two months early and ok, it's not MSN Messenger 7 FINAL as requested in the post below, but this sure is huge news... at least for Belgium. But Bill Gates confirms that the chances are high other countries will follow the Belgian example. It stands firm that the use of a legal, governmental document to confirm one's identity on MSN Messenger is a historical step and leads to a safer online environment.
The Belgian government is not talking to Microsoft exclusively but has addressed the entire country's IT-sector to research the possibilities of the eID. Microsoft was the first company to come up with a concrete project to adjust their software to our interest.
UPDATE #1: Not accidentally in Belgium, one of the main applications for the eID is to fight back the abuse of under aged chatters by adults. The Belgian Federal Computer Crime Unit in 2003 registered 39 cases of children harassed by paedophiles on the web. With the eID it will be possible to make chatrooms accessible only to certain age groups or even allow parents to prevent their young children from adding adults to their MSN Messenger contact lists. This will hopefully forever thwart cases like this in the future.
UPDATE #2: About the time-scale for implementation, Bill Gates said the following: "We're not sure yet when we will be able to deliver this integration, but developers here in Belgium and the United States have proven the concept and are working already on the actual solution."
[Read more: An electronic ID card? Why and for whom?] [Thanks to: Charlotje] |
It's February. Show us the Messenger!
dwergs says ( 01 Feb 2005 ):
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Dear Microsoft,
Ever since we learned that you are planning to release the next generation of your phenomenal instant messaging software in February 2005, we, die-hard Messers worldwide, have been counting in fives until this day, February 1st.
Sure, you spoiled us with a public beta (and a generous beta-tester spoiled us with a private one), but after our recent little chat you made us lust even more after an official, sturdy, exciting, but most importantly final MSN Messenger 7 release.
Blame our wild imagination or suggestive screenshots but nowadays we're expecting no less than: - personalized status messages; - Dynamic Display Pictures; - a larger contact list capacity; - thumbnailed contact list Display Pictures; - statuses per group; - personal content sharing for photos and songs; - more winks...
...And no that's not all! But please don't tease us much longer (or we'll bully you with some more "expected features"). Just release the final version of MSN Messenger 7.0, alright?
Ok, you've got 24 hours... (I suggest addressing Jack Bauer if you need help getting the job done swiftly). |
WARNING: Bropia worm returns, shifts its shape
dwergs says ( 30 Jan 2005 ):
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Does your right mouse button seem broken? Chances are high you've been infected with a more recent version of the earlier reported Bropia.A worm.
W32.Bropia.C, also known as IM-Worm.Win32.VB.c and WORM_BROPIA.D, is a worm that travels through MSN Messenger and drops a variant of W32.Spybot.Worm.
The worm propagates itself under the following filenames: hahahaha.pif, LOL.scr, Webcam.pif, me_2005.pif and sister.pif, with each file being 196,608 bytes (about 192kb). Do NOT accept, let alone execute these files whatsoever!.
Bropia.C drops and executes the file cz.exe in your c:\ directory, detected as a variant of the W32.Spybot.Worm backdoor known from KaZaA and mIRC.
We recommend you to update and run your antivirus software as soon as possible. More information is available over at Symantec.
[Reported by: Goughy-GKB and BenB] |
Updated: Noroom's Listcleaner becomes Listmanager
dwergs says ( 30 Jan 2005 ):
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Had a rough weekend, but I found a moment to squeeze in this complete remake of Noroom's former Listcleaner utility. Now dubbed Listmanager, the addon comes with a load of new features that help you view, search and clean your contact list much more easily than possible with the regular MSN Messenger client. Recommended to anyone with a contact list the size of Paris Hilton's monthly credit card statement.
>> Download Noroom's Listmanager v1.0. |
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