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 Ongoing Mess.be Server Maintenance
Ongoing Mess.be Server Maintenance

dwergs says ( 21 May 2005 ):

 

We're currently tweaking the Mess.be server a bit. The Mess forum as well as the MSN Messenger FAQ and maybe even some other sections of the site, are currently showing errors. Please be patient while we proceed...



 New TabServe Patch needs some testing
New TabServe Patch needs some testing

dwergs says ( 21 May 2005 ):

 

For the first time since its release in January 2004, Daniel Winter is about to make some major changes to the TabServe service that allows custom MSN Messenger tabs. The new patch offers clearer usage instructions and uses as new configuration URL, which was needed to balance the server load at busy moments.

Daniel is now looking for some serious testers who want to provide feedback and bug reports during the next couple of days. The plan is to drop tabserve.msnfanatic.com within about a week, forcing current and new users to apply the new patch to gain access their personal tabs.

UPDATE: Build #8 fixes Runtime Error 5 after entering the e-mail address.

>> Get the new patch, leave comments and bug reports here.



 Updated graphics on the MSN Messenger homepage
Updated graphics on the MSN Messenger homepage

dwergs says ( 20 May 2005 ):

 

msn messenger download homepageThe images of the six people that embellished the official MSN Messenger pages since the launch of MSN Messenger 6.0 and even starred in their own Mixed Messages Soap Opera have made room for more abstract, Warholian pictures. I'm sure I've seen these kind of images before on some other MSN site or at least a preview image, help me out here...

The change affects the US version of the official MSN Messenger homepage only, other countries still show the familiar gang.

UPDATE: )(Rockerboy found his way to a completely revamped MSN Messenger promo page featuring the same type of images.

[Reported by: Timothy]



 Logitech webcams, topic of the day
Logitech webcams, topic of the day

dwergs says ( 20 May 2005 ):

 

Logitech gave birth to a new baby. The Logitech QuickCam Chat is an affordable and complete starter kit for adding live video and audio (headset included) to online communications. With a suggested retail price of $29.95 in the U.S., the QuickCam Chat webcam affordably delivers great image quality at a 640 by 480 pixel resolution through software enhancement. Like all Logitech webcams, it is recommended by Microsoft for use with the free MSN Video Conversation feature in MSN Messenger 7.0.

>> Look for Logitech QuickCam Chat webcams on eBay.

logitech webcamsOfficial MSN Messenger 7 BETA-testers in Europe have started to receive the promised reward for their valuable contribution to the program. Messers Huuf and Silent Revolution have said to have received their Logitech QuickCam ZOOM, which is being shipped from Germany. We're guessing non-European testers will have to be patient a little longer.

>> Look for Logitech QuickCam ZOOM webcams on eBay

Arun, a Messer who entered the Gotcha! competition after reading about it on Mess.be, has won not one but two Logitech webcams (congratulations!) but he claims that he cannot log into the winners page with the special password sent to him by Microsoft via e-mail. Since a friend of Arun is experiencing the very same problem, we're wondering if there are others out there with the same complaint. Let us know, maybe we can get a ball rolling...

UPDATE: Similar reports are rolling in: moom210 and cherrybomb are not able to log in either!

Oh, and this week you can win a totally private video conversation with Keisha (ooh yeah!), Mutya and Heidi from the Sugababes via MSN Messenger 7. For runners up, there are hundred webcams up for grabs. Go here and answer the question correctly (*cough*Tahlia Maya*cough*... we looked that up for you). Good luck and if you win, make us some nice screenshots, ok?

>> Look for Logitech webcams on eBay.



 MSN Creates Interactive Reality Experience for Rock Star: INXS
MSN Creates Interactive Reality Experience for Rock Star: INXS

dwergs says ( 19 May 2005 ):

 

msn rock star: inxsMSN and Mark Burnett Productions today announced that MSN will be the official online home for Mark Burnett Productions' upcoming reality series Rock Star: INXS in the United States.

Launching in June, the Rock Star: INXS site will extend and enhance the show for both the contestants and the audience by taking fans backstage and giving them a VIP rock star experience. The site will let people see up-close the talent and commitment it takes to become a rock star by bringing them virtually inside the competition:

- Get the latest information and gossip from the show.
- Relive contestants' performances again and again on MSN Video and share them with friends.
- Download playlists from the contestants and INXS band members on MSN Music.
- Check out blogs on MSN Spaces from key members of the show.
- Chat with other fans to share thoughts about the show and support favorite contestants through MSN Messenger and MSN Spaces.
- Shop for official merchandise on MSN Shopping.
- Take polls and quizzes via the Encarta® online encyclopedia.
- Etc.

"In addition to offering exclusive video and music content," Mark Burnett said, "we can use interactive communications services like MSN Spaces and MSN Messenger to help fans develop an even deeper connection to the series."

"Mark Burnett is a rare talent, and we're thrilled to be working with him on such an exciting project," said Yusuf Mehdi, senior vice president for the MSN Information Services & Merchant Platform.

[Source: Yahoo! Finance]



 Messaging spreads office gossip
Messaging spreads office gossip

dwergs says ( 19 May 2005 ):

 

msn messenger gossip at workCyber-bullying is not the only malicious use for MSN Messenger. In an online survey commissioned by security firm Akonix, a quarter of users admitted they see IM as the perfect vehicle for office gossip. Another quarter say they have used it to send something their boss wouldn't approve of. See? It's not only naughty kids on MSN Messenger out there.

[Source: BBC News | Technology]



 Maximizing the strength of your MSN Messenger password
Maximizing the strength of your MSN Messenger password

dwergs says ( 19 May 2005 ):

 

Like Messers sarjoun, TheRebel and Swifrace have reported, the third version of Microsoft's Passport service we announced last month has gone live worldwide. From now on, when you choose or change your Hotmail/MSN Messenger password the Microsoft Passport Service tests its strength. So if you're a thoughie and aim for the mother of all passwords, check our tips for maximum password strength.



 Americans Seek Updated Messenger, E-Mail Services
Americans Seek Updated Messenger, E-Mail Services

dwergs says ( 18 May 2005 ):

 

April comScore Media Metrix Rankings reveal that e-mail and instant messenger programs soared in April as popular online communication tools were updated and heavily promoted.

The release of MSN Messenger 7 resulted in a 24-percent increase in unique US visitors over March. Personally, we saw a smaller but still significant 14-percent increase in unique visitors worldwide to Mess.be with just 5000 short of 2 million! That's our busiest month EVER, thanks to all of you!

Meanwhile, Google's Gmail recorded the highest traffic level measured since its inception, with more than 3.5 million unique
visitors
during the month. Despite its rapid growth, Gmail still faces steep competition from Yahoo! Mail and MSN Hotmail, which drew 64 million and 43 million users respectively.

[Source: Comscore]



 Police warns for cyber-bullies on MSN Messenger
Police warns for cyber-bullies on MSN Messenger

dwergs says ( 18 May 2005 ):

 

Police in Moncton (New Brunswick, Canada) are urging parents to protect their children from cyber-bullies who use the Internet to harass and intimidate other students at school. They invited parents and students to a city high school for an internet safety course on the weekend.

Cst. Derek Snow says the problem is growing as more and more kids use online services such as MSN Messenger. Even elementary school children are spending hours chatting online, without any kind of supervision. "I asked a class 'how many of you are on MSN?' And these are 10-year-old kids now, and three-quarters of the kids put up their hands. And I'm thinking if 10-year-olds, three quarters are online then how many are actually being supervised? Probably not a whole lot."

i'm with stupid msn display pictureOne of the parents at the workshop said her daughter was the victim of cyber-bullying. Karen Eustace said her daughter learned how to stop most of the nasty messages from getting through, but she doesn't think that solved the problem completely. "You know, she's blocked them so that those kids can't talk to her, but they can still go on somebody else's MSN account and send messages and that's hard."

Cst. Snow says the problem of cyber-bullying isn't going away. He says kids are fast learners online – and their parents will have to do their best to keep up!

[Source: CBC New Brunswick]



 Security Update for MSN Messenger 6.1 or 6.2?
Security Update for MSN Messenger 6.1 or 6.2?

dwergs says ( 18 May 2005 ):

 

Yesterday Microsoft published a security update for MSN Messenger 6.1 or 6.2 related to knowledge base article KB890261. While the latest MSN Messenger 6 build is 0208, the Download Center curiously links to the 0205 build. Some clarification could be useful here... Or is MS just having problems with the Gregorian calendar?

>> Get the Security Update from Microsoft's Download Center.



 The Return of the Mess.be News Alerts!
The Return of the Mess.be News Alerts!

dwergs says ( 17 May 2005 ):

 

After Microsoft bought MessageCast Inc. last week, our Mess.be News Alerts were put on-hold until further notice. Today we were told how to reactivate the free service and in case you're a subscriber already, this alert will have been brought directly to your MSN Messenger (if you were signed in and not busy, that is)!

>> Join our +16500 subscribers and sign up for the Mess.be News Alerts.



 New in Customess: Gugu Emoticons
New in Customess: <b>Gugu Emoticons</b>

dwergs says ( 17 May 2005 ):

 

gugu emoticons for msn messenger"Gugu" stands for "cluck! cluck!", the word that trained biologists among you instantly recognise as "the entire chicken vocabulary" (it's also Swahili for "weed" but you didn't hear that from me). I've added 16 Gugu emoticons by Keagle13 to our CustoMess software today, so you can add some intelligibility to your conversations with chicks (or "birds", if you're from the UK).

>> Download CustoMess for MSN Messenger 7.



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