|
Main/News >> News Archives > The week of May 04 (2008) (you
are here)
 How to send YouTube links via Messenger anyway
dwergs says ( 10 May 2008 ):
| |
Messer Jimmy B sent us a screenshot showing that YouTube hyperlinks still appear in Live Search results. So in the text entry field, type YouTube followed by keywords describing the video you're looking. Now instead of hitting Enter or clicking Send, click the magnifying glass icon at the bottom of the conversation window.
Unfortunately, this works only for popular videos with top search engine rankings like eg. music videos. Luckily, there's an easier and better workaround hinted by Messer dragontje124. Simply replace youtube.com with youtube.info (a mirrored domain) in the video's link before sending and it'll arrive intact at the other end (eg. http://www.youtube.info/watch?v=ipOf1s2XhqE). |
YouTube banned: hyperlink blocking by Messenger reaches all-time low
dwergs says ( 10 May 2008 ):
| |
The web's biggest source for user-submitted videos is not just censored in Brazil, China, Turkey and a handful of other websites anymore. It is now effectively banned worldwide from instant messages on Microsoft's Messenger network.
Around 3:00 AM this morning the first reports started coming in about Messenger not delivering messages that include clickable links to YouTube. This indicates that YouTube is being blocked by the (dreadful) server-side SPIM filter. If the user includes http:// in the link, he will be notified of the failed delivery ("The following message could not be delivered to all recipients"). Without the http-prefix, the user will have no clue that the message didn't get across.
 Coincidentally, this ban is set up the same week as the launch of MessengerTV, which aims to promote the sharing of MSN Video content. A month ago another (proportionately smaller) Microsoft competitor, eBuddy, was added to the ever-growing list of banned URLs and despite reporting the dubious inclusion directly, it's still blocked today. Paulo Taylor, founder of eBuddy, told us: "We are working on it to have the situation cleared but things never go as quick as we would hope for like almost everything with Microsoft ;-)" The week before a Chinese competitor ended up on the list, but that mistake got resolved quick as lightning.
Let's see how long the YouTube-ban takes. A couple of hours, a couple of weeks, or a couple of lawyers?
[Reported by: HammerB, Lupus, bunlckr, Mark Dean, Crazy_Itch] |
Messenger TV to launch in 20 countries
dwergs says ( 07 May 2008 ):
| |
My younger cousin has this little habit to send me dozens of links to online videos over Messenger, but I must admit I hardly ever click on them. Not because he has a bad taste of humor, music, swimsuit models, or whatever it is that he's sharing. It's because I'm awfully lazy and don't like the constant hassle opening an extra browser window, closing it again, then alt-tabbing back to the conversation window to comment. Enter Messenger TV, which allows Messenger users to share and watch MSN Video content within a conversation's activity window.
After a successful test run in Italy and France, Messenger TV has been renewed and will tomorrow, the 8th of May, relaunch in Italy (not in France) and make its debut in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom, representing twelve languages (Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Swedish). We believe Brian Goth, Regional Product Manager for Windows Live Consumer products in the EMEA, when he claims it's the biggest multi-market launch for a Messenger activity ever!
The professional content provided by MSN Video is hand-picked by editors per market and occasionally preceded by a short advertisement. This doesn't equal out the quantity and popularity of, say, YouTube, but Jeroen Verkroost, executive producer at MSN, told De Standaard that they're negotiating with big television stations and local record companies to expand their offer.
For more info, keep an eye at the Spaces site for Messenger TV and its MessengerTV@live.com bot.
UPDATE: Thanks fergofrog for alerting me I forgot to include Australia in the list of markets. |
Microsoft wins battle over MSNLOCK domains
Inky says ( 07 May 2008 ):
| |
Microsoft has been succesful in its attempt to gain ownership of the domains that contain the Microsoft trademark "MSN" from UnicareSoft BV.
MSNLock, the brainchild of Carola Eppink, had already been renamed by Benzoy, but this was not enough for Microsoft. In light of the case, the company also asked Van Dale, the most-used Dutch dictionary in the Netherlands, to change the definition of the verb "to MSN" (msn-en).
The judge, who presided over the court in The Hague, ruled that the domains in question have to be signed over to Microsoft within two weeks. We are of course wondering what other domain names Microsoft will go after next... |
Indiana Jones and the Fine Collection of Display Pictures
dwergs says ( 06 May 2008 ):
Photophlow Messenger bot notifies when you've been Flickr'd
dwergs says ( 05 May 2008 ):
| |
If you have a Flickr account where you share your photograpic works of arts with the world, and want to get informed on any action regarding one of your photos as it happens, then you might want to try and grab an invitation to the Photoflow beta.
Photophlow is a self-proclaimed Flickr communicator and allows its users to collectively browse and discuss images uploaded by themselves or other Flickr users. And one of its bonus features allows you to receive IM (AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk and of course Windows Live Messenger) notifications whenever someone comments, faves, tags or tweets your photos, or when someone does a broadcast or enters a Photophlow chatroom you have set a "watch" on. Here's how:
1) Go to the so-called anteroom (the main account page) and enter your Windows Live ID in the text field in front of MSN.
2) Make sure you're online (not appearing offline) in Windows Live Messenger and click the "add as buddy" link in the STEP 1 screen.
3) Accept the contact list add request from the Photophlow Messenger bot.
4) Now click the "send test message" link in the STEP 2 screen and you should be all set.
But until Photophlow officially launches, you'll need a beta invitation. I received mine within 24 hours after I left my e-mail address here, and I've been told it shouldn't take more than a couple of days for our Messers.
Also, in the next few days, the same people will launch a similar service called Videophlow which centers around the even more popular YouTube content. So let's hope it offers similar IM notifications. |
 Back to the News Archives
|
