For the past few weeks I have been playing around with 9 seeing what has changed and how far we can push things. I have to say that although there are a lot of changes and nearly double the amount of layout files to modify, overall 9 is going to bring some really interesting things to the table. One of the things I am looking forward to playing with is with some of the new effects that Messenger 9 brings such as fades, text glows and other types of animation.

I should also point out that I am only able to modify 9 because of a small workaround that was discovered that allows us to force Messenger to use its old layout files over the new ones. This allows skins, Messenger addons and patches to do their thing on 9 once again. Most people are counting this as a victory saying that stuff is possible again on 9, but really all this was was something to buy us some time. The old layout files have a really high chance of not existing in the final version of 9 so we will be back to square one.

The main problem about 9 still exists and in order for things to survive in the final version of 9 the new layout file format of Messenger 9 has to be figured out properly or we will be stuck with not being able to modify Messenger again. This new layout file isn't standard XML and style information that we can easily edit with any text editor, instead it is some weird file type that can't be read or edited properly without cracking it.

Faster Call Connect Time. This would be the first thing that you'll notice when you call a friend using our latest Windows Live Messenger. You will be connected and talking in less time than ever before! Not only that but we've done quite a bit to improve the sound clarity and video sharpness in addition to adding higher resolution video modes (if your hardware and connection supports it). We believe you'll be quite happy with the improvements our team has made here.

As hardware technology advanced, so did we: If you have a dual core PC, recent webcam and fast broadband connection; you will benefit more from Full Screen Video Call. Because if you have a dual core PC, and you switch to full screen during your video call; it will be upgraded to High Quality Video Call.

According to an email sent out tonight to users of MSN Direct Spot watches, which will not support the new Wave 3 version, Windows Live Messenger is set to be released on February 10, "2008" (sic). The email gives the correct start date for the beta (Sept 17, 2008). Of course it remains to be seen whether or not the release schedule is met, but this gives us some indication of the timetable for Wave 3 final releases.

Basically instead of using Messengers own resources like always, the new Aero frame that Messenger uses relies on Windows Vista's own theme which means skinners can no longer edit this part of Messenger under Windows Vista unless Aero is disabled at all times. So what does that mean exactly? It means that you will not be able to have a truly complete Messenger skin under vista whilst Aero is enabled. There are a few other things that 9 brings that also kill a few skinning techniques that people use at the moment. One of the new things the 9 brings to the table is the fact that resources are now 90% MSNRLE, which means there will be a lot of resources that will not be able to be replaced without being able to replicate the layers that MSNRLE images use. One of these is the emoticons, normally skinners edit one png image, but with the new beta they are now an MSNRLE image which means they are impossible to replace because there is no emoticon code anywhere and in order to replace a MSNRLE with a png you must have access to its code. The only solution is to somehow replicate the layered MSNRLE (which isn't possible at the moment).

1. Personalisation – We've talked about the new Wave 3 header before, but what we haven't really talked about is how it can be personalised. With Wave 3, the header allows for theming across Windows Live using "scenes", meaning that the UI you see in Messenger is also the UI you see on the web. As the image on the right shows, users can select their own background image – maybe its time for some LiveSide themed screenshots? This was discussed in one of our first ever interviews with Phil Holden over 2 years ago, so its great to see this finally come to fruition.
2. Simplified header - As well as having the new Wave 3 UI, the header at the top of the contact list has also had a redesign, removing a lot of the clutter. Gone are many of the buttons like Windows Live Call, Windows Live Today, Spaces, Mobile messaging etc, leaving just a simplified Hotmail notification icon on the right hand side. This is something we're not so surprised about, we heard a while ago that usage of these extras was very low (think less than 1 percentage of all users).
3. Improved Personal Status Message (PSM) – The PSM was first introduced in Messenger v7 along with the music PSM, showing your contacts what you are listening to. Since then not much has changed, despite some intrepid investigators noticing that there are Office and Games icons contained within Messenger for use in this area. With Wave 3 this upgraded PSM allows users to show both their regular status and music updates at the same time.
4. The new buddy icons - There's two parts to this. The most obvious point is the removal of the messenger buddy icon to be replaced with a coloured tile [the andyman adds: more similar to those in Microsoft Office Communicator]. Then there’s also the new new online presence indicator, which both colours the tiles and surrounds display pictures in the form of a glow. See the Favorites at the top of the contact list for an example of this. Presumably green is available, orange is away and red is busy - could we also see this implemented at the top of the new Wave 3 header for online services?
5. The "What's new feed" - This is my pick for underrated killer feature. Much like the existing Spaces homepage and the Facebook news feed, this displays notifications showing what your contacts are doing. Check out what playlists your Zune friends have made, or what files they’ve added to Skydrive for example. This should drive cross-platform integration in a big way, and turn Windows Live into a truly cohesive web platform. Can you tell I like this? See also the individual contact feed in the conversation window showing new photos are being shared online.
6. Tabs – No not the kind you chat through, the kind that links to other online services which Microsoft wishes to promote. These have been moved from the side of the contact list down to the bottom, just above the advertisement, saving screen real estate and making them less intrusive.
   
   We ran through some of the other new features already in our first post about Messenger Wave 3, here’s a quick summary:
   
   
   • Favourite Contacts - these are the contacts you are most interested in. Positioning this special group of contacts at the top gives you at-a-glance information about their status and activities
   • Groups – Allowing groups of contacts to communicate with each other through Group IM, this update takes the existing multi-party chat functionality to a new level. Of course it also opens up others scenarios such as sharing files and photos.
   • PhotoShare application - This is a new application that allows users to transfer photos to their contacts for viewing. The main part of the conversation window shows a large preview for one of the photos, with the right hand side column showing smaller previews for the upcoming photos

The Windows Live Team invites you to be an extension of our development process by giving us feedback on our software. You'll be helping us ensure that we deliver a great experience to all Windows Live users.

As a Windows Live beta tester you'll have an opportunity to try out multiple Windows Live products as part of a single beta program! As always, this beta program contains all of the great components you've come to expect from a Windows Live beta, including the ability to file bugs and talk to the product teams in private newsgroups.

Unlike past betas, this is a small-scale beta with a very limited number of open seats. The nomination survey will close as soon as we reach our target number. If you want to participate in this beta, please act quickly. (Early entry doesn't guarantee final approval)

• Speed: The coming soon page says that for broadband users, the new Hotmail will be up to 70% faster on sign in (50% for non-broadband users). That's a pretty big claim, and one which should provide for some interesting testing once the beta is open to the public.
• Ever-increasing storage: Microsoft have carefully avoided using the phrase "unlimited storage", as Yahoo has done, but in a sense this is what is being offered. The figures we last heard for this were the the existing 5GB free accounts would be getting growth of 250MB per month, but this is pre-beta and could have changed and so our usual disclaimer applies. Obviously the PR definitely looks better leaving the figures out, but a free inbox of 8GB by the end of year 1 gives us a warm feeling. (For comparison, Gmail is currently on 7GB and still growing.)
• New UI: Along with the new Wave 3 UI, in particular the new header and themes available shown below, the new promotion site suggests that the classic and full versions of Hotmail will be combined together. This potentially means that full functionality could be available across all browsers. Also worth mentioning here are improvements around dealing with spam.
• WebIM built-in: This feature doesn't really need much explaining and should be a popular addition. From what we've heard it'll support most of the basic needs such as presence, notifications and chat via the WebMessenger dogfood. Yes its been a while since we've spoken about that!
• Integrated Calendar: No surprise if you're on the new Windows Live Calendar beta to hear there will be integration between the two services.
• Easier to send group emails: Thanks to the new Windows Live Groups service (go ABCH!) it'll be easier to email all those contacts in one go.

In a week's time, we will send out mass invitation to previous Windows Live beta testers, which means you probably will receive a second invitation for this beta. When you receive the second e-mail, please ignore it. Do NOT take the nomination survey because by that time you should already be approved in this beta, there is no need to waste your time and ours.