The Windows Live Mail team launched the latest milestone of their product last night. As Chris previously reported some of the improvements/new features include:
Windows Live Mail team blog post
Windows Live Mail support blog post
Sign up for Windows Live Mail at Windows Live Ideas
New features list at Windows Live Mail blog
- Firefox support - includes drag and drop and signatures but doesn't include spell checker and the resizable splitters between message list and reading pane.
- Better performance and faster loading times
- Effective UI tweaks and ability to change colours on the fly (notice the new loading grahpic is the same as in the most recent Windows Live Messenger beta)
- The return of signatures
- More 'Classic Hotmail' updates
- Don't auto select first message when the inbox is loaded
- Policy changes meaning accounts expire in 120 days if inactive instead of the old 30 days limit
- Compose button is displayed on every page
- Subscribe to contact updates
- Contact display name choice
- The skyscraper ad on the right side has been removed (finally)
Windows Live Mail team blog post Windows Live Mail support blog post Sign up for Windows Live Mail at Windows Live Ideas New features list at Windows Live Mail blogWell well well. It seems the popular add-on, Messenger Discovery Live, an update to Messenger Discovery is nearly ready for its official release, and to make sure everything is going to plan a beta has been dished out to the public. The new 6 months of code is now fully compatible with Windows Live Messenger and contains some exciting new features, such as spell checking and a new contact manager (very nice indeed).
There are heaps of features in the program, some unique and cool sounding ones at that, but as always, there is some criticism. The way it hooks onto messenger is not always user friendly, and still it uses the system tray to show what is going on. Also positioning and design of things just seems a little unprofessional. However, bugs don't seem to be such a huge problem this time, and because it is a beta things can change and if they do, wow, this program will be a Windows Live Messenger must. Give it a try today!
View a screenshot of the hot new program
Download Messenger Discovery Live beta
Visit the Messenger Discovery Live Website
There are heaps of features in the program, some unique and cool sounding ones at that, but as always, there is some criticism. The way it hooks onto messenger is not always user friendly, and still it uses the system tray to show what is going on. Also positioning and design of things just seems a little unprofessional. However, bugs don't seem to be such a huge problem this time, and because it is a beta things can change and if they do, wow, this program will be a Windows Live Messenger must. Give it a try today!
View a screenshot of the hot new program Download Messenger Discovery Live beta Visit the Messenger Discovery Live WebsiteWindows Live Messenger is sprinting to the finish line now as a new build crosses our paths. The team say this is like a final beta, just to see if anything major is going wrong and guess what anyone can have it. So what has changed from the recent braches build? Well, not much at all really, a lot of bug fixes have been made thankfully, and now it is tying up all those loose ends before it can be officially released.
Messenger Plus! Live is not in a good point at the moment. Patchou is leaving for 2 weeks, so yes, you will have to wait a little longer before you can get it, but that's life. Can I remind you if you want your bug fixed in Windows Live Messenger, don't complain about it, report it, the feature is there (I think by reporting your bug you can help improve the product, remember you are testers!).
There is also a competiton for testers, thanks to .lou on this find. (Only for connect testers)
Personally, I don't know how the beta is going to turn out, there still maybe serious bugs in there and remember your friends and family are going to be totally confused by such a change from MSN Messenger to Windows Live Messenger. I can't say too much, not much has changed from the 8.0.0683.00_Branches build, but looks as if things are finally coming together.
Download Windows Live Messenger 8.0.0689 (from our mirror)
Download Windows Live Messenger 8.0.0689 (English) (from Microsoft)
View MessengerSays blog post
Report a bug to the Windows Live Messenger team
Give other feedback to the Windows Live Messenger team
View release notes for Windows Live Messenger 8.0.0689
UPDATE:
There currently seems to be some issues with the new build of Windows Live Messenger. As explained on the messenger team blog by Leah it is not communicating properly with the servers and therefore has lead to such problems as the sharing folders icon being missing, beta invitations appearing to have vanished and entry points for the messenger phone feature being lost.
However, do no panic! Nothing has been lost except for the entry points, with which there is only a temporary problem. The team are currently working to figure out the problem and fix these issues.
We'll tell you right here as soon as the problems are fixed.
For a quick solution try signing out of messenger and then back in again. This may or may not work.
If this problem is still not fixed for you (after signing out and back in again) then try exiting messenger (by completely closing msnmsgr.exe) and opening it again and signing in. If the problem is still not fixed for you wait for at least 30 minutes and try again.
Messenger Plus! Live is not in a good point at the moment. Patchou is leaving for 2 weeks, so yes, you will have to wait a little longer before you can get it, but that's life. Can I remind you if you want your bug fixed in Windows Live Messenger, don't complain about it, report it, the feature is there (I think by reporting your bug you can help improve the product, remember you are testers!).
There is also a competiton for testers, thanks to .lou on this find. (Only for connect testers)
With the new build comes new test scenarios. We want you to complete these scenarios so bad we will give out a prize to ten of you just for completing them. For each test scenario you complete between now and 10-May 2006 your name will be put in the hat (we have six new scenarios giving you six chances to win). Then on 17-May 2006 we will draw ten lucky names to receive one of the cool prizes out of our prize bin. Some examples of the prizes are:
Limited Edition "Perfect Dark Zero" XBOX 360 video game
Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 6000
MSN Magic Eight Ball Toy
Microsoft Digital Image Suite 2006
And more!
Personally, I don't know how the beta is going to turn out, there still maybe serious bugs in there and remember your friends and family are going to be totally confused by such a change from MSN Messenger to Windows Live Messenger. I can't say too much, not much has changed from the 8.0.0683.00_Branches build, but looks as if things are finally coming together.
Download Windows Live Messenger 8.0.0689 (from our mirror) Download Windows Live Messenger 8.0.0689 (English) (from Microsoft) View MessengerSays blog post Report a bug to the Windows Live Messenger team Give other feedback to the Windows Live Messenger team View release notes for Windows Live Messenger 8.0.0689UPDATE:
However, do no panic! Nothing has been lost except for the entry points, with which there is only a temporary problem. The team are currently working to figure out the problem and fix these issues.
We'll tell you right here as soon as the problems are fixed.
For a quick solution try signing out of messenger and then back in again. This may or may not work.
If this problem is still not fixed for you (after signing out and back in again) then try exiting messenger (by completely closing msnmsgr.exe) and opening it again and signing in. If the problem is still not fixed for you wait for at least 30 minutes and try again.
A small update of the most notorious MSN Messenger add-on has been released today mainly focusing allowing Messenger Plus! and Messenger Plus! Live to work on the same system with no troubles. The build 362 was meant to do this but unexpectly Messenger Plus! Live conflicted. Now 363 should fix this problem for the future.
With the update comes the new sponsor installation. It is safer, than ever, now not adding a toolbar to Internet Explorer. If you have the sponsor installed on your PC in add/ remove programs to says "Messenger Plus! & Sponsor", a nice little touch don't you think?
Finally, Patchou has said Messenger Plus! is compatible with MSN Messenger versions 4-7, so you can enjoy the program on any great version of MSN Messenger. Messenger Plus! Live will hopefully be released in a month from now, and the new betas we are receiving are getting better and better.
Download Messenger Plus! 3.63.148
With the update comes the new sponsor installation. It is safer, than ever, now not adding a toolbar to Internet Explorer. If you have the sponsor installed on your PC in add/ remove programs to says "Messenger Plus! & Sponsor", a nice little touch don't you think?
Finally, Patchou has said Messenger Plus! is compatible with MSN Messenger versions 4-7, so you can enjoy the program on any great version of MSN Messenger. Messenger Plus! Live will hopefully be released in a month from now, and the new betas we are receiving are getting better and better.
Download Messenger Plus! 3.63.148What is that good sir? We have big news, this is a big achievement then. Therefore, what do I need to say, a big long post about what the title says. Na, but it seems any .net passport can sign into the service regardless of being a tester or not. This means ... dun dun dun ... Windows Live Messenger is now public. Soon all your friends will be confused to what is happening to MSN Messenger so conflict may happen within the next few days and cause a lot of confusion. Hopefully the MSN pages will reflect the changes soon and explain all. In addition a string of new languages has been added for the beta.
Download Windows Live Messenger 8.0.0566
Download Windows Live Messenger 8.0.0566MSN Messenger for Mac, clean simple fast and unique. Sure, it may not have as many features but it is a must for the office. The new 5.1 version improves security by adding encryption to file transfers and improvements to chat logging.
Ok, ok so it is not everything in the world but it mainly is an office tool so you will not find much like nudges and winks there. Still the design for Mac users is a great bonus.
Ok, ok so it is not everything in the world but it mainly is an office tool so you will not find much like nudges and winks there. Still the design for Mac users is a great bonus.
Messenger Stuff