Got some news on Messenger? Help contribute to the website by sending us your find.Censoring messages is nothing new for Windows Live Messenger. It was introduced as a security measure and blocked websites leading to various viruses that were spreading across the network. This was of course a good idea, in the years that notorious viruses plagued users these measures were necessary and the system appeared to have worked.
However, implemention of the system was criticized as it slowed down conversations due to its sloppy programming. Using phrases like '.pif' would end group conservations, paving the way for hijacking multi-conservations your friends were trying to have.
However it was when Microsoft blocked all .info domains being sent over the network that the system came under heavy scrutiny. Then the andyman discovered the list of blocked strings and websites within Messenger, including services that were found clean and virus free. In recent weeks links were blocked to the hit web messenger eBuddy.
Now Fanatic Live have discovered links to YouTube have now been blocked. The reason? We're not sure, but the website has nothing to do with viruses or any other security issues.
With all the talk of net neutrality and criticisms over countries blocking access to the website this is going to portray Microsoft in a bad light. Moreover as YouTube is owned by Google one could question weather Microsoft is trying to create direct competition with their new video service Soapbox. Microsoft have just received a $1.4bn fine for their anti-competitive behavior.
The worrying thing, however, is that this is probably not the end ...
However, implemention of the system was criticized as it slowed down conversations due to its sloppy programming. Using phrases like '.pif' would end group conservations, paving the way for hijacking multi-conservations your friends were trying to have.
However it was when Microsoft blocked all .info domains being sent over the network that the system came under heavy scrutiny. Then the andyman discovered the list of blocked strings and websites within Messenger, including services that were found clean and virus free. In recent weeks links were blocked to the hit web messenger eBuddy.
Now Fanatic Live have discovered links to YouTube have now been blocked. The reason? We're not sure, but the website has nothing to do with viruses or any other security issues.
With all the talk of net neutrality and criticisms over countries blocking access to the website this is going to portray Microsoft in a bad light. Moreover as YouTube is owned by Google one could question weather Microsoft is trying to create direct competition with their new video service Soapbox. Microsoft have just received a $1.4bn fine for their anti-competitive behavior.
The worrying thing, however, is that this is probably not the end ...
Willz is at it again. Nope not another skin, but something more interesting. Although Messenger Plus! Live has made skinning significantly easier, there is still a learning curve in the skill and finding what resources do what can be a chore. Open Live changes that; in many ways it is a skin that provides a blueprint for other skinners to work on:
This is yet another step forward in skinning Windows Live Messenger.
>> Download Open Live
>> Visit the official website
Skinning Windows Live Messenger has never been an easy task. Most people struggle to understand what is going on when you make and skin and do not know where to start. I created open live to try and help those new skinners out and to give experienced skinners something to save them a bit of time.
Open Live is a special version of Windows Live Messenger 8.5 that has been edited to make a skinners life a lot easier. The key features of open live are as follows:
Open Live is a special version of Windows Live Messenger 8.5 that has been edited to make a skinners life a lot easier. The key features of open live are as follows:
- No MSNRLE images, all images are normal png, jpg, bmp, ico and gif
- Easy one line edits for things such as text colors and spacing of buttons
- All images are named and labeled to show what they do and are also in organized folders
- Comes with guide images and source images for animations and those tricky images
- Comes with pre-made and pre-translated options and about windows
This is yet another step forward in skinning Windows Live Messenger.
>> Download Open Live
>> Visit the official website
Yahoo! Messenger for Vista, the version of Yahoo! Messenger designed specifically for Windows Vista using its interface technologies, was first released to beta at the end of last year. The first new version since then has now been released.
The main improvement is the addition of much-requested audio chat features. This includes the usual PC to PC calls and PC to phone calls, as well as cool visualisation effects that match you and your contact's voices when you speak.
Along with this there have been general speed and stability improvements, the ability to send "free" SMS messages to mobile phones has been added, and there is a new email alerts feature.
>> Source: Yahoo! Messenger blog
>> Download Yahoo! Messenger for Vista Beta (direct download link)
>> Official Yahoo! Messenger for Vista site
The main improvement is the addition of much-requested audio chat features. This includes the usual PC to PC calls and PC to phone calls, as well as cool visualisation effects that match you and your contact's voices when you speak.
Along with this there have been general speed and stability improvements, the ability to send "free" SMS messages to mobile phones has been added, and there is a new email alerts feature.
>> Source: Yahoo! Messenger blog
>> Download Yahoo! Messenger for Vista Beta (direct download link)
>> Official Yahoo! Messenger for Vista site
MessengerDiscovery Live is a very popular Messenger add-on with a fair few technical issues. However, the ideas made are some of the most interesting and unique changes you can make to Windows Live Messenger. The past week has been various updates the to the program, the latest being 1.4.7924. The main changes are:
>> View the complete changelog
>> Download Messenger Discovery Live
- Parental controls (eg. only allow certain accounts to sign into Messenger)
- Allow conversation windows to stay open after you sign out
- Temporary blocking
- Automatically decline group conversations (something which should be in Messenger itself!)
- New commands that shortcut various Messenger tasks
- Vista style settings interface
- No more ads in the installer and tray menu
>> View the complete changelog
>> Download Messenger Discovery Live
Messenger for Mac 7, the official Windows Live Messenger client for Macs, has finally been released.
The main improvement is the much-awaited introduction of audio and video chats, although if you're a non-business user of Messenger for Mac you will probably be disappointed. The A/V features require your network to be running Office Communications Server, but chats can be made to people on other networks using OCS and even to Windows users running Office Communicator. Business users also get updates to make Messenger for Mac more like Office Communicator, for example more presence information.
Regular users of Messenger for Mac, who use their Windows Live IDs to sign in, will see no sign of these new features. Instead, the main thing they have to look forward to in the new version is being able to give contacts nicknames and to search through contacts in a way similar to the 'word-wheel' in Windows Live Messenger for PCs. Another new addition is integration of the Mac OS X Bonjour technology.
The audio and video features for non-corporate users seem no closer either:
>> Download Messenger for Mac 7 (official source)
>> Find out more about Messenger for Mac
>> Release announcement at the Office for Mac team blog
>> Find out more about the new A/V features (and the lack of them)
>> Get help for the new version
>> Information about corporate use and deployment
The main improvement is the much-awaited introduction of audio and video chats, although if you're a non-business user of Messenger for Mac you will probably be disappointed. The A/V features require your network to be running Office Communications Server, but chats can be made to people on other networks using OCS and even to Windows users running Office Communicator. Business users also get updates to make Messenger for Mac more like Office Communicator, for example more presence information.
Regular users of Messenger for Mac, who use their Windows Live IDs to sign in, will see no sign of these new features. Instead, the main thing they have to look forward to in the new version is being able to give contacts nicknames and to search through contacts in a way similar to the 'word-wheel' in Windows Live Messenger for PCs. Another new addition is integration of the Mac OS X Bonjour technology.
The audio and video features for non-corporate users seem no closer either:
"We provided a look at our roadmap late last year and we remain on track--delivering A/V support to our corporate users and continuing to work with the Windows Live team to make A/V support available for (consumers)," senior marketing manager Amanda Lefebvre said in a statement.
>> Download Messenger for Mac 7 (official source)
>> Find out more about Messenger for Mac
>> Release announcement at the Office for Mac team blog
>> Find out more about the new A/V features (and the lack of them)
>> Get help for the new version
>> Information about corporate use and deployment