- Technology news website Neowin claimed Windows Live Messenger 2010 would contain full screen advertisements. Back in December I wrote a comment post asking whether Messenger advertisements were becoming too obstructive and many users agreed that they were. Maybe Neowin's joke may one day become a reality?
- Messenger Plus! Live took similar direction aimed at creating negative news, claiming that thanks to a deal with Kaspersky the software would no longer be free and require a licence to operate. With recent news that the application has took a new direction under Yuna Software, the post could well of contained some merit. Honestly, as one of the first things I read on the day, I believed it was true (even if it was just for a second) before it hit me it was April 1st. The irony however, is just to obvious to miss, with the problems the add-on has faced with various security suites, mostly notably Windows Defender.
- Mynetx's blog reported that Microsoft are planning on introducing paid badges to support campaigns or certain teams you may support. I know Microsoft like users to pay for useless customisation (*cough* Xbox Live avatars) but even they wouldn't do something like this.
So what about us? Well I'm afraid I wasn't around much on Thursday to continue with our tradition, but rest assured it will return next year.
Automatically determining a user's mood is something we've always heard as being important for Windows Live Messenger but knew that the technology was years away from being ready. In WLM 2009, we even took a nice first step introducing Dynamic Photos, which let you manually associate a photo with an emoticon/mood.
We're happy to announce that due to the great breakthroughs from Microsoft Research, we have an alpha version working that monitors your real-time physiological state and translates that into a mood (happy, sad, anxious, etc), such that you would never have to enter an emoticon again. At the core of this technology is the patented Human Attitude Heuristic Algorithm, which uses simple instruments, such as a body heat monitor, webcam and keypad pressure sensor to automatically determine your mood and appropriately insert emoticons/phrases directly into your IM conversations... saving you both time and energy.
View the full post as the MessengerSays blog
on Tue 01 Apr 2008 (14:46 GMT) (1914 views)
Well there we go boys and girls we finally have a reason for the delay in the next build of Windows Live Messenger 9.0. Microsoft has been working on a new feature which will change things drastically in the skinning world. Just a couple of minutes ago I received an email from the Windows Live Messenger team which has invited me to test the upcoming Windows Live Messenger 9.0 beta version which will feature none other than skins.
Ill share these details now since they didn't say that I couldn't post this but I'm sure they'll catch on soon enough and I will have to remove this post. So listen up!
Microsoft has been watching skins closely for quite some time now, in fact they started observing my stuff when I released the first version of Ev0 (yeah its freaky people at Microsoft actually tried something that breaks their own EULA..... irony).
Anyway after seeing Messenger Plus! 4.50 launch they saw how much interest there was in skinning and decided to try and implement an official system. At this point their system is apparently working and a new version of WLM 9.0 beta will be offered to butterflies within the next 2 weeks.
But don't think it is good news now, because there is more to this than meets the eye. Whilst official skins may be coming they come at a cost. Yes a cost. Microsoft will be implementing the same system they used for Winks and Dynamic Display Pictures where only developers who pay the license fee for the digital signature will be able to create skins.
So could this mean skinners could implement flash content into their skins? Quite possibly. But sadly this means the average person will not be able to make skins (apparently I will be able to get my hands on a license though because of my history with skinsBig).
Furthermore new "Premium skins" will also be introduced for paying customers which will feature a Windows Live Messenger without ad's.
Yep thats right Microsoft has been keeping tabs on how people remove ads and have come to the conclusion that people want a client without ad's. So they have come up with this new premium Messenger system to allow this (but hey we will get around that too huh Tongue)
So how does this affect Plus! Skinning? From what I have been told, the next Windows Live Messenger 9.0 is built from the ground up so all the techniques I know will be obsolete which could possibly impact the current skins dramatically.
Anyway I will be talking with Microsoft later today with regards to me trying out this new system. All I can say is they better have Aero implemented
My opinion is that IF Microsoft are creating a skinning feature, it would be rushed and poorly implemented like most features of Windows Live Messenger thus making Messenger Plus! Live's engine superior. But what's the point of me even having an opinion on this day, it could be made up. Then again I believed the Windows Live Messenger 8.0 design was a fake. I guess we will just have to wait.
Source: Design EvolvedThere has been a lot of news about since the Windows Live brand was revealed about how weak it has been. There has been constant confusion and even reports of getting rid of Windows Live. Several Windows Live products have changed their names - most notably Windows Live Mail changing to Windows Live Hotmail because of the strength of the existing MSN Hotmail name - and several products have changed their branding back to MSN - such as Soapbox, Shopping and Wifi.
Now we've been told by a Microsoft employee, who wants to remain unidentifiable as just William G, that tomorrow Microsoft will release an official press release detailing the plans to change Windows Live Messenger back to MSN Messenger.
This is not a big surprise to many who know that the uptake in users of Windows Live Messenger has been low, many opting to keep their old versions of MSN Messenger as it is what they have always used. Also many users still refer to Messenger as 'MSN' and not having that in the name of the product has just caused even more confusion. These are presumably the main reasons why Microsoft has taken this decision.
But now with the main Windows Live product gone could we see a complete collapse of the brand? Quite possibly, and if so then a major blow to Microsoft.
We'll post more on this tomorrow when the press release is out.
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