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 I've had it with these #@%$ worms on this #@%$ Messenger!
I've had it with these #@%$ worms on this #@%$ Messenger!

dwergs says ( 11 Aug 2007 ):

 

It's been a busy week for malware creators and their victims. Since Monday, Internet security vendors have identified the ugly faces of following worms: W32.Mimbot.A or W32/Delf-EXR (PictureAlbum2007.zip), W32/Picu-Gen, W32/Imagine-A or WORM_SDBOT.EXT or W32.Scrimge.A (img1756.zip), W32/IRCBot-XH, and W32/IRCBot-XF (pictures07-01.zip).

All of these worms are variations to the year old idea, so somebody's going to have to go to war with malware creators seriously to discourage them. Server-side blocking, as proven here, appears to be too slow as all needed to bypass Microsoft's filters is a new URL or filename. Alternatively, security consultant James Turner claims ISPs could stop the worm if they tried. "It's pretty pathetic that we can see the code for this worm moving around the Internet. We've got the capability to block this attack at the network level (...) what's lacking in the war against malware is any initiative from ISPs [...] in offering managed security services for home users. This kind of offering could knock malware on its back," said Turner.

check out my cool summer pics! *NOT*But for the time being we'll have to keep relying on "client-side awareness", something we've been trying to improve for the past couple of years. So no matter what exotic destination your buddy went to on vacation, if (s)he suggests to "check out my cool summer pics" you're not interested. In fact, ignore any suspicious file transfer, especially if it looks like summer[number], pictures[number], photo_album[number], photos[number], images[number] , or album[number]. Anyway, you get the, ehm... picture.

[Reported by: Natalie., Coeluh, absorbation, Link0, SonicSam & fr3ako]



 Communicator 2007 versus Windows Live Messenger
Communicator 2007 versus Windows Live Messenger

dwergs says ( 09 Aug 2007 ):

 

Darren Strange and Mark Dea, both Microsoft employees, have compiled a list of reasons why the Communicator 2007 and Office Communications Server combo beats Windows Live Messenger hands down. Of course, this has to be seen in a business context, but features like message encryption, advanced and automatically-set statuses, less bloated UI, multi-party video conferencing, centralized conversation logs, and comprehensive phone integration wouldn't look bad at all in our consumer-oriented Messenger product either. Sometimes you'd wish certain product teams would spend more lunch breaks (and overtime) together.

For the full list of assets, check the Office Rocker blog.



 Pimp my Live Messenger: five free Mee-Zone Theme Packs
Pimp my Live Messenger: five free Mee-Zone Theme Packs

dwergs says ( 08 Aug 2007 ):

 

Seems as if the auto-installable Emoticon Pack- turned out a success, or at least that it's been effective in increasing the use of Live Search. Microsoft has compiled five more theme packs, now in collaboration with Mee-Zone, and brought them all together at a new Pimp my Live Messenger micro-site. Let's see, there's the Karate Boy Pack, Karate Girl Pack, another Emo Pack, Bear & Rabbit Pack, and the Squirts Pack, all with their respective display pictures, Winks, backgrounds and emoticons. And like before, you'll have to opt out for the standard homepage and default search modifications if you're not interested.

pimp my live messenger free theme packs


>> Download the Karate Boy Pack.
>> Download the Karate Girl Pack.
>> Download the Bear & Rabbit Pack.
>> Download the Squirts Pack.
>> Download the Emo Pack (part 1) (the older one).
>> Download the Emo Pack (part 2) (the new one).
>> And there's always our own CustoMess for free, auto-installable Messenger content.

Also interesting, and I found this somewhere else on the Pimp my Live site: get a FREE £5 (or $10) gift voucher at gadget paradise, Firebox.com.

[Digg me baby]



 Windows Live Family Safety for contact list management
Windows Live Family Safety for contact list management

dwergs says ( 08 Aug 2007 ):

 

Scott from LiveSide has nicely summarized the recent updates to Windows Live Family Safety which allows parents to manage their children's contact lists, provided that they're using Windows Live Messenger 8.5 Beta. In short, you can technically make your kids have to ask your permission for adding a specific contact. Screenshots and details over at LiveSide.



 133 million IMs per month over 3's Windows Live Messenger
133 million IMs per month over 3's Windows Live Messenger

dwergs says ( 08 Aug 2007 ):

 

threeAfter adopting Windows Live Messenger to its portfolio in 2006, mobile operator 3 UK has now enabled "unlimited" access to Yahoo! Messenger as well. Because of the interoperability agreement between both IM providers, 16 million potential users are now able to take instant messaging on the road, railway, yes, and other travel routes.

According to the press release, 133 million messages were sent over the mobile Windows Live Messenger app during June 2007. :O, the surprised emoticon, wouldn't be out of place here.

"All of 3's 3.9 million customers can take advantage of free Yahoo! Messenger for life on selected handsets on all 3's Pay Monthly plans, and until the end of 2007 on all Pay As You Go plans. A fair usage policy of 10,000 messages per month applies for the service to be free."
[Source: Pocket-Lint]



 Moaning about a minor Microsoft marketing miscalculation
Moaning about a minor Microsoft marketing miscalculation

dwergs says ( 08 Aug 2007 ):

 

halo msn display picturesForgive me the lame nitpicking but isn't it strange how the display pictures on Microsoft's own Halo 3 goodies site have completely wrong dimensions? Everyone and their uncle knows display pics measure 96 by 96 pixels like -and here's the intended bridge- those from our own Halo Display Pictures set.

>> Browse our 64 Halo Display Pictures.

>> Check out the official Halo 3 downloads.



 Updated: Messenger Air Live 2.0.115
Updated: Messenger Air Live 2.0.115

dwergs says ( 07 Aug 2007 ):

 

After I posted about the release of Messenger Air Live 2 last month, I received a few complaints from people about its problems with Windows Vista. So it's good to hear Destruction has fixed this and some other bugs in a new build, making a couple of interface changes along the way.

messenger air live 2 windows live messenger addonAnd from now on Messenger Air Live 2 will be available in the Turkish language, with Spanish and Dutch versions on the way.

>> Download Messenger Air Live 2 (English version).



 Mundu IM: iPhone Edition Beta
Mundu IM: iPhone Edition Beta

dwergs says ( 07 Aug 2007 ):

 

mundu IM iPhoneWhile Apple is possibly plotting their own take on the whole IM thing, you can now easily rely on third parties to compensate for one of the iPhone's current flaws. New player in the field is Mundu IM: iPhone Edition, which offers simultaneous access to Yahoo!, AIM, Google Talk and of course Windows Live Messenger. The basic features of this beta-version include tabbed conversations, presence management, adding buddies (no deleting!), iChat-alike speech bubbles, and conversation history scrolling.

I do not own an iPhone (and will I ever?) but from reading comments here and there I've learned it's quite fast (especially when on WiFi) and that it has an intuitive UI. The only letdown seems to be lack of password saving, something that's likely to be adjusted in a next version.

Unlike Mundu IM for other devices, the iPhone edition will remain free of charge.

>> Go to iphone.mundu.com using your iPhone's browser.

>> Other Windows Live Messenger compatible clients for iPhone: Heysan & JiveTalk, eBuddy and Meebo.



 Get your meal on: Ratatouille game for Messenger
Get your meal on: Ratatouille game for Messenger

dwergs says ( 06 Aug 2007 ):

 

Reckon you're as good with cutting tools as Wesley Snipes in Blade? Then this French Messenger game promoting Pixar's latest, Ratatouille, is something for you. Challenge a contact to quick-slicing or precision-cutting one of five possible ingredients and swing your mouse like a knife.

All instructions are in French, but who reads these anyway. Go to our launcher and get cooking!

>> Launch Ratatouille through our Messenger Games Launcher.



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