Last month we talked about BuddyFuse web messenger, the first of its kind to use the Windows Live Messenger library and Web Toolkit to chat to contacts. This however, is just a side project to the real BuddyFuse application which aims to integrate Messenger with popular social networking websites as well as adding compatibility with other IM clients such as Google Talk.




Integration is key within BuddyFuse

BuddyFuse is currently in private beta testing and is already shaping up to be a useful add-on for Windows Live Messenger. Although there is still a lot of work required, the idea of adding compatibility with more IM clients and social networking websites will make this a must-have application by the time BuddyFuse enters public release.


A screencast of BuddyFuse

So far I'm impressed with BuddyFuse, and I know its developer is very capable of creating high quality products while being very familiar with MSN/ Windows Live Messenger. Hopefully it won't be too long before BuddyFuse becomes publicly available.

Visit the official website

I'm going to be honest here, the current release of StuffPlug is rather bland. It lacks what made the add-on for MSN Messenger so great; unique features, exceptionally well coded. It wasn't the fault of the developers, they were busy and everyone was inspired by their ideas. Stealing emoticons and display pictures used to be StuffPlug's big features until they were mimicked by various other add-ons. What could TheBlasphemer and the other developers do to fix this?

The answer ... StuffPlug 3.5! Beta testers today received one if the largest updates to program in recent months and its going to make using StuffPlug with Messenger a must again. StuffPlug 3.5 has a new design which matches Windows Live Messenger's Vista style and changes to your specific colour scheme. The add-on is integrated well, the features are vast and it also contains some small tweaks that make Messenger more bearable.

This release is due on January 7th 2008 (in English) and on 21st January for translated versions. This is just a small step to where StuffPlug will be soon as TheBlasphemer is working on StuffPlug 4 for Windows Live Messenger 9 which will contain some new features and perfect the experimental ones. StuffPlug 3.5 is an important update, but is essentially here so Windows Live Messenger 8.5 users can use StuffPlug while adding several must have new features including:

• Editing of display name from the contact list
• Blocking of an entire group
• Adding new contacts through the wordwheel
• Sending 'action texts' to contacts, which mimics Messenger's action prompts
• Chatting to contacts whom you have blocked
• Use of chat only names within conversations
• Showing the current time of your contacts matching to their timezone
• Sending of fake invites to contacts
• Flashing of LED keyboard when computer is in full screen mode
• Disabling the file transfer limit allowing you to send more than 3 files at one time
• Boost character limit up to 5,000 in conversation messages
• Allow unlimited emoticons to be used within a message
• Window icons reflect your contacts status
• Creation of customizable timestamps
• Disable your 'user is typing a message' notification
• Opening of links in default browser
• Polygramy (multiple Messenger's running at once)
• Adding of mail icon in system tray
• Memory flusher: 'This feature periodically flushes messengers used memory and keeps its overall memory usage lower'
• Security speedup: addressing the issue that was highlighted here

View some screenshots of the upcoming version
Visit the official StuffPlug website

Messenger Plus! Live 4.50 has been in beta testers hands for a few weeks now, and there are some significant changes. A new design, numerous tweaks and some impressive new features really make this release one of the best ever. Here are the main changes:

Skinning

Messenger Plus! Live's main new feature is fully integrated skins within Messenger! The program manages skins, allows skin creators to develop them easier than ever before (no more .rle issues) and customize Messenger's design to its full potential. It is seriously impressive and I bet more skins like the ones available for MSN Messenger. Skins will be made faster and in a larger quantity. Windows Live Messenger itself could not implement this feature better. Skinning also allows manipulation of Messenger's windows, something which was never possible before. You can see a basic example of this happening in the screenshot below:

Design

Messenger Plus! Live has fully integrated its design with Windows Live Messenger 8.5, but with additional tweaks that Messenger itself can benefit from. Check a look at some screenshots in our gallery and see the new design for yourself.

Changes to contact list clean-up

The new contact list clean up wizard has two modes: one for the contacts on your list and one for the contacts that have you on their list. This helps you know the people you have deleted that still have you in their contact list and who knows you may want to add them again.

Event notifications within conversations





Chat logging

The chat log viewer has had various improvements, which can make the script we talked about, Log Manager seem a little dated. However, new features such as a print preview menu, faster browsing their ability to search within multiple logs, reading over old chats is better than ever.



Scripts

A new debug window is present and the script editor window now has line numbers and the ability to close off certain sections. Basically the script editor is now more practical and similar to that of most modern code editors.

Others

• An additional options menu has been adding to contact cards.
• Encrypted log files an now have an optional password hint.
• Event notifications such as when a contact signs out is enabled by default.
• The installer system has been improved with a bigger uninstaller menu and is faster on Windows Vista.
• An option has been added that allows you to hide your 'contact is typing a message notification', something we have already talked about in the past.
• You can show your currently installed scripts with the (!SVER) command.
• A /exit command has been added which closes all current chats and exits Messenger.
• There is now 'disable sign-out confirmation when chats are opened' option in the Customize section of the preferences.

I can assure you the changelog goes on and on and on and you will notice the various little tweaks for yourself. The list above are just the main changes. However, what you will really notice is the development of skins. If you are skinner don't think we have been skinning for long, testers only got it enabled as of yesterday, so you are pretty much in the same shoes as us.

View some screenshots in our gallery
Download the current release of Messenger Plus! Live

Last week it was announced a competition was coming soon attempting to promote Messenger Plus! and give away some fabulous prises. However the news of the new 4.21 build under works was hardly noticed, so I hope to shed some some light on specific details coming with the update.

First thing, again there are no new features coming to the program, it simply improves on existing ones and adds more to the scripting functionality. There is a lengthy changelog, so I'm just going to sum up the main changes:

• You can now customise your chat logs using a custom stylesheet.
• The chat logs font now matches your system's default.
• The script editor will contain a search function to find text and the window remembers the size and position you last placed it in.
• Event notifications have the option to display notifications about contacts you are currently chatting to.
• Scripts have a variety of new text controls to make editing text in Plus! windows ridiculously customisable.
• Plus 24 other nitty gritty details I decided not to mention, but they all add up to make the program so much better. There are a lot of bug fixes, mainly focusing on scripting.

It alls sound pretty good, but the focus is going to be on the competition, then hopefully Patchou will unveil some new features, as it has been since September 2005 before we last saw a new feature to Messenger Plus! with tabbed chatting (that and of course Messenger Plus! Live itself).