It has been a couple months since a major update but I am happy to announce that MessengerDiscovery 2 is back into full-time development. Along with a new MessengerDiscovery version I will be announcing/releasing a few new products that I've been working on during my big break.
Within the last hour details of the update surfaced on the MessengerDiscovery Twitter feed, where three tweets giving light on a Facebook chat integration feature were posted. The tweets [1] [2] [3] read:

This looks very exciting, but we will have to wait and see how well the feature is implemented and what changes it brings to the Messenger experience.
View a screenshot of the new Facebook chat integration inside MessengerDiscoveryThis sounds like a useful feature and if you look at the patent in more detail you will see that Microsoft envisages storing different goodbye messages then using them in different situations:
When the user terminates a conversation with the converser, such as by closing a conversation window of the messaging application, the facility automatically sends the goodbye message to the converser. The user can configure the messaging application with multiple goodbye messages, such as to personalize goodbye messages based on conversers, select goodbye messages based on time of day or randomly, and so forth.
Also, goodbye messages could even be recorded voice messages for automatically saying goodbye in a voice or webcam conversation:
A user can configure a messaging application to store a goodbye message having various types of content, such as in textual, graphical, iconic, or even multimedia (e.g., including voice or video)
View the patent application
Source: The Register (via Neowin)on Thu 01 Feb 2007 (22:42 GMT) (1594 views)
To put this clearly - the parent's Windows Live ID will oversee the child's Windows Live ID (as the Family Safety product does anyway), but now parents will be able to approve and decline contacts to the child's Windows Live Messenger view. Parents will be able to view information on the person who’s about to be added, view their Space, check ages etc.
It's a great new feature which I have heard at a great new blog. Hopefully this will be good for children using Messenger. Seriously, I know users as young as 8 who use their Messenger account all the time (not to sound dodgy or anything).
Source: Live and BeyondSo what do I do? I add the person, they turn out to be annoying, and I just can't find myself to block them. I only have one person blocked on Messenger, and I think he knows who he is, hi George *waves*.
That's where the new 8.1 beta comes in. It is now possible to send a small message to a contact when adding them. Something along the lines of: 'Hey, it's me, you gave me your address in Physics'. You know who it is and you add them.
Can I hear an amen? No. Why, because I, being that picky Messenger freak I am, just can't be satisfied. It's a great idea, so simple, but it's so great. What is the idea? Customisation. Messenger has all the features you could ever want, but most of them are only the raw features. Adding features to features is the way forward, and simple steps like this will make all the difference.
I certainly will be using this feature every time I now add a contact.
Source: MessengerSays blog
Just like in older builds the contact information window displays:
- The last time a contact was online
- The last time you had a chat with them
- Their email address and display name
- If they have Messenger Plus! installed
- Displays recent events of the contact
Now as a bonus, it displays your contact's display picture as well and has an added twist that gives you the chance to save it to file, working as a display picture stealer. So now we have a display picture stealer that works with Windows Live Messenger, integrated in a great add-on. However, you can only steal their current picture and not previous ones.
These new updates look as if Messenger Plus! Live is coming close to release. Patchou, the creator of the program originally thought Windows Live Messenger would be released in April, but now it is June and there is still no sign of a release date, this means more and more features are being added to Messenger Plus! Live. It is about 17 odd days away to the public beta of this program, so keep your eyes pealed for it.
View the new Contact Information window
Messenger Stuff