Entries tagged with im - Channel 10

Create Dynamic Display Pictures In Messenger

sarahintampa — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:08:00 GMT

From Windows Live Chronicles, I just learned another great trick for use in the latest version of Windows Live Messenger, v9.0 beta. In this newest version of Live Messenger you have the option to create your own, dynamic display picture by using your webcam. To do so, go into Tools –> Change Display Picture. You’ll see a new option (a button) that reads “Webcam Snapshot.” Select this button and you can record a quick snapshot of you in motion. Make a funny expression, hold up a sign, whatever, then click “Save” when you’re finished recording. The new video snapshot will then become available to choose from among all the other static images already available in Messenger. Set the new video as your display picture and from then on, your friends will see that when they’re IM’ing you in Messenger. To view a quick demo of this in action, check out this video on Soapbox.

Login Here, There, Everywhere With Window Live Messenger

sarahintampa — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:17:00 GMT

Recently, the Windows Live team introduced all new versions of the Windows Live products and tools including new Windows Live Hotmail, Live Messenger, Live Photo Gallery, and more. As I’ve been using them, I keep coming across new features. One new feature that I discovered today in Windows Live Messenger is the ability to stay signed in on one PC even when I sign in to another. This is available under Tools –> Options –> Sign In. In order to customize this setting, you have to be currently signed into Messenger. Once you are, you’ll see the option becomes available instead of greyed out. Now you are able to stay signed in to your PC even when you sign into another PC, something I discovered today when I moved from the office to the laptop. You can also configure the name of this place to be something you’ll recognize like “home pc” or “laptop” for example. The name will default to your PC’s name, and that may be fine for you. The only problem I had was when I used Windows Live Messenger for mobile from my mobile phone later on – that signed me out on my PC.

Messenger for Facebook Updated

sarahintampa — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:20:00 GMT

Earlier this year, the Windows Live Messenger team released an app for Facebook which officially integrated Live Messenger with Facebook. The Windows Live Messenger Facebook app shows your online presence on your Facebook profile and lets you IM with your friends directly on the Facebook web site itself.

Recently, this app received an update. The new V.2 version of Facebook Messenger now syncs your Live Messenger status with your Facebook status. The team also listened to user feedback and removed the HIP (Human Interface Proof) challenge which was presented before you could start a conversation.

Additionally, the new version will automatically set your display name to whatever your name is in Facebook. Before it used to prompt you to fill this in. With these updates (both the HIP and display name), there are now no more dialog boxes that appear before chatting can begin. You can now just start typing to IM your friends!

You can add Live Messenger to your Facebook by adding the app here: apps.facebook.com/windowslivemessenger.

AIM App For Windows Mobile

sarahintampa — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:55:00 GMT

Earlier this month, AOL released their first custom-made IM application for Windows Mobile phones (versions 5 and 6). The application, AIM for Windows Mobile, lets you IM your friends, update your AIM status, manage your buddy list, insert emoticons into your updates, and more. In a variation on tabbed conversations, this AIM client shows the buddy icons for the people you're in conversation with on the left hand side of the screen instead. Those icons are overlaid with the user's status (busy, mobile, away, etc.) as well the number of unread messages from them. Another interesting, but yet to launch, feature is the ability to send out updates via SMS instead of IM - great for those with unlimited text messages but tight data plans as well as for communicating with friends who aren't signed in.

This app does not currently have an auto-updating feature, so you'll need to keep checking beta.aol.com to find out when new versions become available.

i'm Making a Difference - Now in Your Email, Too!

sarahintampa — Wed, 07 May 2008 14:12:00 GMT

You've heard about the i'm initiative before - it's the charitable movement that allows you to donate to your favorite causes just by using IM. Now, you can participate in both Windows Live Messenger or Hotmail or both. You can choose to support the same organization in both places or pick a different one for each service. To get started, go to http://im.live.com to join. This program is currently available only in the U.S. and benefits organizations like the American Red Cross, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the National AIDS Fund, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, ninemillion.org, Sierra Club, StopGlobalWarming.org, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, The Humane Society of the United States and the U.S Fund for UNICEF. (via LiveSide)

Windows Live Messenger on Facebook

sarahintampa — Mon, 05 May 2008 18:42:00 GMT

If you're always using your Windows Live Messenger for IM'ing with friends, then you're going love this news! The Windows Live team has just announced the introduction of a new Facebook app that lets your friends chat with you via Windows Live Messenger right from your Facebook profile page. When your friends visit your profile page, they can start an IM conversation just by clicking on the chat window. Then, their IM messages will come directly to your messenger client running on your computer. And, don't worry, your chats are private - others visiting your profile won't be able to see what you're saying or view message history. The new app also lets you add the owner of the Facebook profile to your contact list in WLM directly from the app itself. To add this to your Facebook profile, click here.

"I'm" Still Making a Difference

sarahintampa — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:42:00 GMT

Have you heard of i'm? The i'm initiative lets Windows Live Messenger users give money to selected charitable organizations just by using IM. The money comes from Microsoft's advertising revenues and goes to support organizations like the Red Cross, Unicef, Boys and Girls Club, Sierra Club, the Humane Society, and more. The program, now a year old, has now donated $1.3 million to the ten participating organizations so far, according to the Windows Live Messenger blog.

If you want to participate, it's easy - just open up Windows Live Messenger and go into the Options from the Tools menu (it's on the last button on the right). Look for your name in the box where it says "Display Name" under the personal section. After your name, just type in the code (see below) for the organization you want to support.

Here are the codes:

American Red Cross code = *red+u
Boys & Girls Clubs of America code = *bgca
The Humane Society of the United States code = *hsus
National AIDS Fund code = *naf
National MS Society code = *mssoc
ninemillion.org code = *9mil
Sierra Club code = *sierra
StopGlobalWarming.org code = *help
Susan G. Komen for the Cure code = *komen
UNICEF code = *unicef

New Tafiti Site

sarahintampa — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:17:00 GMT

Tafiti, the experimental search engine based on Silverlight, was updated recently and now offers more Windows Live Services integration. The update includes the use of presence and P2P messenger APIs that allow you to now share your search favorites with your IM buddies. To see this new feature in action, you'll need to sign into Tafiti with your Windows Live ID. If you're already signed into Messenger on your PC, you'll be signed out there and then signed into Messenger on tafiti.mslivelabs.com. Check it out for yourself - the new site is available here: http://tafiti.mslivelabs.com/Default.aspx.

Messenger Plus! Live

sarahintampa — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 21:10:00 GMT

Messenger Plus! Live is an add-on for Windows Live Messenger that lets you add features and extras to the IM software. With Messenger Plus! Live, you can download new skins, emoticons, scripts, or even options that let you log and search your chats. The service, which currently boasts 27 million users, offers so many features, that regular IM users will want to at least check it out. (Watch out when installing though - you may want to uncheck the "sponsor" program it wants to install).

Here are a handful of things that I found that make Messenger Plus! Live worth a look:

1. This Snazzy Vista skin makes Windows Live Messenger even more sleek and shiny.

2. Reminder+ is an add-on script that helps you remember scheduled tasks.

3. Messenger Plus! Live Enhancer features things like contact list docking, auto-hide contact list, disable flashing of windows & taskbar button, and more.

4. Screenshot Sender lets you easily send screenshots to your contacts.

5. CountDown in Personal Message adds a counter (up or down) to your personal message or nickname.

You can download Messenger Plus! Live for free from here.

Yahoo! Messenger with WPF Goes Live!

Larry — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 05:57:00 GMT

You may remember Jeff Sandquist interviewing the Yahoo! Messenger team at CES this year (link here if you missed it). This version of Yahoo! Messenger, which only works on Vista, has full animation using WPF. A public preview version of it is ready for you to download.

Features include tabbed conversations, drag and drop functionality (you can drag a contact to your Sidebar), enhanced emoticons, a slider that lets you adjust how much contact information you see, the ability to arrange your contact list into columns, spell check, and the ability to send files as large as 2 Gig!

Yahoo! Messenger now interops with Windows Live Messenger, including the ability to send files, so you can try it out without having to leave your Live IM friends behind.

Download it here and give it a try.

i'm Making a Difference

sarahintampa — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 18:55:00 GMT

IM for a cause! Join the i'm Initiative from Windows Live Messenger to help out your favorite cause. Every time you send an IM, a portion of Live Messenger's advertising revenue goes to one of the program's partners, which include: the American Red Cross, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Humane Society of the United States, the National AIDS Fund, the National MS Society, ninemillion.org, the Sierra Club, StopGlobalWarming.org, Suss G. Komen for the Cure, and the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. Each organization will receive a minimum of $100,000 and there is no maximum! To get involved, all you have to do is paste the text code corresponding to the organization of your choice next to your display name in Live Messenger (click on your name and go to options). Here's the list of codes:

*red+u - American Red Cross
*bgca - Boys & Girls Clubs of America
*hsus - Humane Society of the United States
*naf - National AIDS Fund
*mssoc - National MS Society
*9mil - ninemillion.org
*sierra - Sierra Club
*help - StopGlobalWarming.org
*komen - Susan G. Komen for the Cure
*unicef - U.S. Fund for UNICEF

There's also an "i’m MAKING A DIFFERENCE" Facebook group and buttons and banners for your website to show your support.

Add Windows Live Messenger to Your Blog

sarahintampa — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 08:44:00 GMT

The Windows Live Messenger Team posted on their blog about an easy new way to create an IM button to put on your website, blog, or in your email signature. To get started, click here and begin to customize your button. You can pick different shapes, colors, taglines, and then you enter in your Live ID and snag the code for your button. The button code works on Spaces, Blogger, Facebook, MySpace, Outlook 2003/2007, MSN Hotmail/Windows Live Hotmail/Windows Live Mail beta or it can be added to your website. When your friends and family click on the button, you are automatically added to their contact list. Cool.

TwitterMSN

sarahintampa — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Twitter is the popular web service that started a revolution by allowing users to answer and share their responses to the simple question: "What are you doing?" Rapidly morphing into a micro-blogging service that hyper-connected users update and check obsessively, Twitter gained momemtum. Recently the service garnered mainstream attention in a Wall Street Journal article on the subject of media marketing in Twitter.

Now arrives a new 3rd party service called TwitterMSN, integrating Twitter into your Windows Live Messenger application. The TwitterMSN service allows you to update your Twitter account from your MSN account. To use the service, you just have to add Get Windows Live Messenger 8.0, Pirates of the Caribbean