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 Fix for WLM 8.1 Beta error code: 8004800e
Fix for WLM 8.1 Beta error code: 8004800e

dwergs says ( 10 Nov 2006 ):

 

Windows Live Messenger sign-in issues have never been so common, and unfortunately today brings a new one... error code 8004800e. According to the MessengerSays blog it's limited to Windows Live Messenger 8.1 Beta and caused by an upgrade to some of the Live services over the next few days. Not good. And to add insult to injury, the suggested fix doesn't work for me. I'm posting it anyway because there's a mean-looking Hitler cat right outside my window which is probably causing me bad luck.

So, the if you receive sign-in error 8004800E try this simple procedure:

1) Exit Windows Live Messenger completely (right-click on the system tray icon and select Exit).
2) Restart Messenger.
3) Sign-in again.

In my case, I'll just have to wait for the promised update that fixes this and downgrade to 8.0.

[Reported by: Abhimanyu]



 Exclusive: Get a Live.com or localized Live account.
<b>Exclusive:</b> Get a Live.com or localized Live account.

timothy says ( 09 Nov 2006 ):

 

Today we present something many of you have been waiting for, the how-to register your live.com account with included 2 gigabyte mail account! We have tried- and found it working on several top level domain accounts as well. But to keep you from waiting here it is:


1. Goto this page to start registering your windows live account.

2. Press the sign-up button and you will be presented a form to sign up for a hotmail account.

3.Copy the following javascript injection code:



4. Paste the code in your address bar (you know, that thing you normally type www.mess.be).

5. Hit enter, if all went well it should show a message box telling you "Success - additional domains added!".

6.Now you can select a multitude of domains, fill out the form and you are ready to go!


Update: Added some more domains, and will keep updating the script.

Update: After a couple of days, they've fixed the security hole, disabling this trick... for now.

Note by dwergs: Please guys, as with all our news, namecheck Mess.be for credit. If you're reading this elsewhere without a link back, contact Mr. Wallace-and-his-blowtorch directly here.



 Yahoo! Messenger beats MSN Messenger in customer satisfaction
Yahoo! Messenger beats MSN Messenger in customer satisfaction

dwergs says ( 09 Nov 2006 ):

 

The 2006 Residential Online Service Customer Satisfaction Study conducted by J.D. Power and Associates and based on responses from 10,787 residential web users from across the U.S., has concluded that Yahoo! Messenger "ranks highest among primary IM services for a second consecutive year, performing particularly well in all three factors that contribute to customer satisfaction: security, performance and reliability, and features."

Closely following Yahoo! Messenger's 791 top score comes MSN Messenger with 782 on a 1000-point scale, and its pre-installed little brother Windows Messenger (766 points). AIM scores worst with 743/1000.

The study also shows that daily use of IM didn't change compared to last year. Frank Perazzini, director of telecommunications research at J.D. Power and Associates comments: "This indicates that some of the usage gains we are seeing in text messaging in our wireless studies are coming at the expense of IM usage." Need I say more...

[Source: JD Power]



 Patchou says Messenger Plus! 4.10 is on the doorstep
Patchou says Messenger Plus! 4.10 is on the doorstep

dwergs says ( 08 Nov 2006 ):

 

In addition to a personal statement and clarification on the revocation of his active MVP status, Patchou has some exciting news on the progress of the next Plus! release:

"Now that this is out of the way, let’s talk about what’s coming next. Messenger Plus! 4.10 is on the doorstep, every translation has been updated and internal beta testers are making sure one last time that this version is ready for primetime. I’m also preparing a new contest around scripts to celebrate the first million of scripts downloaded from this site so if you’re a script developer, make sure you don’t miss the new version!

Many things have been done to improve the scripting interface and seeing how popular scripts already are, in addition to the gifts I’m preparing for the contest, you’d better make sure that your scripts are up to date
"
His final words: "Stay tuned for this weekend’s release! :)"

You bet we will, Patchou!



 Windows Live Messenger Mobile quickly gaining ground
Windows Live Messenger Mobile quickly gaining ground

dwergs says ( 08 Nov 2006 ):

 

Unless you recently crashed on an island with polar bears and a mysterious black smoke, you'll know that mobile instant messaging is on the rise. Joining the expanding list of mobile network operators offering Windows Live Messenger to their customers are Hutchison Essar and Ten-Mobile. The Indian "Hutch" operator is extending an existing relationship with Microsoft by adding a package of Windows Live services for mobile phones to their offerings, while the French Ten-Mobile -operating on the Orange network- made access to Windows Live Messenger completely free of charge where it used to cost €6 per month before.

nootmobile msn messenger for mobile phonesIn the likely case that your network operator is not offering the Windows Live (Messenger) service, you can try and install this mobile client or use one of the growing number of free web-based IM services. Although, I gave Knewtrino's NootMobile a try today and it's not as convenient as I thought it would be. As you can see in this picture showing Noot in action on my SonyEricsson, the contact list is reduced to a pulldown menu (imagine having dozens or maybe hundreds of contacts!) and messages are not as "instant" as they should be (refresh is required to update conversations).

I'll be testing a lot of these mobile IM services in the coming weeks, but I doubt they'll beat the supertastic Pocket PC/Smartphone version of Windows Live Messenger which got leaked a couple of days ago. Now we mention it, Microsoft has removed all mirrors we initially discovered as well as our WLM Mobile Beta preview video on YouTube. And we appreciate your help, but please don't send us any new mirrors for the leaked files because we don't have the intention to feed the leak.



 Doctor Love bot tests safe sex knowledge
Doctor Love bot tests safe sex knowledge

dwergs says ( 07 Nov 2006 ):

 

doctor love msn messenger botBelgian Public Health Minister, Rudy Demotte, launched a new sex education campaign today aimed at 13-year olds. The Laura-campaign will not be marketed through traditional channels (eg. print, radio,...) but exclusively via new media. For instance, a safe sex information booklet is downloadable as a .PDF file or PSP-compatible file, there's a podcast featuring two "big in Belgium" radio hosts, and teenagers are also invited to add a Messenger bot called Doctor Love.

When talked to, the -quite macho looking- doctor will be happy to quiz your knowledge on safe sex with tons of multiple choice questions. Unfortunately, that's about all he does. There's no "small talk", typical for doctor visits if you ask me, and it would've been a lot more fun if you'd be able compete with a buddy. The agency behind the campaign, Duval Guillaume, should've put a little more effort in Doctor Love to retain user interest, but nevertheless it's good to see the Belgian government use a Messenger bot in their communication strategy.

>> Add drlove@laura.be (Dutch) to your contact list.

>> Watch last year's TV ad here (mostly English).

On a related note, the first political bot in the world was launched by the Dutch CDA (Christian Democratic Appeal) party about a week or two ago. It's based around a fictuous member of the party called Harmen Groen, well aware of all its political beliefs.

>> Add harmen_groen@hotmail.com (Dutch) to your contact list.



 Leaked: Windows Live Messenger for Windows Mobile 5.0
Leaked: Windows Live Messenger for Windows Mobile 5.0

dwergs says ( 06 Nov 2006 ):

 

windows live for mobile g2 messengerThe mobile Windows Live Messenger client we brought to you at the end of last month did have the Windows Live look, but it had a very meager feature list. The Windows Mobile 5.0 version, on the other hand, will boast many useful features like Voice Clips (just press your Call button while in a conversation and you can send 15-second voice messages), group conversations, file transfers (send your camphone pics), nudges, etc. Unfortunately, it's still in private Beta as part of the G2 suite of Live services which also includes Live Mail, Contacts, RSS and Local Search.

A couple of days ago, the Beta was refreshed to version 10.6.0023.0200 for both Smartphones and Pocket PCs. Over a hundred bugs have been fixed since the last update, and some features were added. For instance, users of previous Beta-versions will be glad to hear that contact synchronisation isn't obligatory anymore (just untick the boxes when asked). You also have the option to add your Messenger dashboard (showing your nickname, e-mail address, Display Picture (!) and current status) to the Today screen. Other changes include support for Personal Status Messages and several extra menu options here and there.

We've tested the next-gen Messenger client and it's truely a killer app that will boost mobile IM significantly once officially released. Obviously, lucky owners of a Windows Mobile 5.0 device are eager to get their hands on the Windows Live G2 Suite, so I did a bit of searching and found that it had been leaked less than two days after its recent Beta release. Mess.be nor Microsoft supports this leak, so install at your own risk. The private Beta is currently available in English only.

>> Download Windows Live for Windows Mobile 5.0 (Pocket PC version): here, here or here.

>> Download Windows Live for Windows Mobile 5.0 (Smartphone version): here

UPDATE: Too late: all mirrors except one have been removed "...because of Terms of Service violation".

Some new screenshots of the latest Beta build:

>> Screenshot: Windows Live Mobile Messenger - Signing in.
>> Screenshot: Windows Live Mobile Messenger - Contact list.
>> Screenshot: Windows Live Mobile Messenger - Send emoticons.
>> Screenshot: Windows Live Mobile Messenger - Voice clips.
>> Screenshot: Windows Live Mobile Messenger - Today screen.
>> Screenshot: Windows Live - Main.

>> Watch our video of the previous version (which lacks some new features) here (UPDATE: Removed per request of Microsoft).

[Kanye doesn't digg it, but do you?]



 Party with Moby, chat with Scissor Sisters
Party with Moby, chat with Scissor Sisters

dwergs says ( 05 Nov 2006 ):

 

moby msn display pictureIf you're interested in a private gig in Moby's apartment (trip to/stay in New York included) or -less far from home- a Messenger video chat with the Scissor Sisters (signed album included), then hurry up! Mr. Exclusives offers both prizes in exclusive competitions inside his Messenger activity, but both contests close tonight. To make it a bit easier for you, here are the sign-up forms:

>> Enter the Moby contest here.

>> Enter the Scissor Sisters contest here.

Unfortunately for many of us, the contests are only open to UK residents (though I don't think this matters for the webchat) and for the Moby contest you have to be 18 years or over, or travel with a guardian over 18 years. The lucky bastard will leave on Tuesday 14th November and return to the UK two days later. If that lucky bastard is you, please make me jealous.

By the way, the free Windows Live Messenger contact cards offer is still available until the end of the year, and like before, they ship it to any country in the world. I just received my nth set of 9 cards with a custom back print which looks professionally cool. You should try it too, go here. Make sure you mention your country after your city name (eg. Copenhagen Denmark).



 Fixed: Mess Patch for Windows Live Messenger Beta 8.1.0106*
Fixed: Mess Patch for Windows Live Messenger Beta 8.1.0106*

dwergs says ( 05 Nov 2006 ):

 

We're sorry for the inconvenience but here's a new, fully working version of Mess Patch for 8.1.0106 without the sudden crashes. Rest assured, the previous version was completely harmless.

>> Download Mess Patch for Windows Live Messenger 8.1.0106 Beta

UPDATE: Now with completely working download link! ;)

[Thanks to: Skatanic, SAM22SAM, Stephanie, Amr Hassan and all others who reported]



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