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2007/5/30  posted by Nicole
What time is it? Beta time 
If you are up for some Messenger beta testing beta' read the rest of this post
If you aren't up for beta testing beta' check back next time
Important Details:
- Get Messenger 8.5 Beta1 (build 517) here
- Send feedback here
- Talk about it here
- Get support here
- Markets (Country + Language) in order to get this Beta out asap we limited the number of supported markets. If your market is not listed below, please know that we are working on it!
- English - United States, United Kingdom, India
- French - France
- Japanese - Japan
- German - Germany
- Chinese (Simplified) - China
- Spanish - United States, Spain
What's new:
I have listed what's new in order of appearance...
Windows XP SP2
OK OK I know Windows XP SP2 is definitely not new (in fact it is almost 3 years old), what is new is that Messenger 8.5 Beta1 has bumped up the minimum OS requirement from Windows XP SP1 to Windows XP SP2.
If you are still running Windows XP SP1 I am absolutely shocked and you can:
Get SP2 here OR
Better yet you can get Vista here
Setup - the look
The next thing (or probably the first thing) you will notice is Messenger Setup looks different than previous Messenger releases. However it is the now same as the new setup experience for WL Mail and WL Writer 
Some before and after glamour shots of setup:
  
Setup - the desktop short cut
During Messenger setup you may notice that you are not prompted to create a desktop shortcut for Messenger. If you have an desktop shortcut from a previous release it will continue to work. Let us know what you think about this change here.
Setup - the start menu short cuts
After setup you will notice that the start menu short cuts are included in a Windows Live folder so you can easily find all your Windows Live clients. If you had Messenger installed previously your other start menu short cut will still appear.
Setup - Microsoft Update
If you read through the setup screens carefully you will notice that updates are going to be published through Microsoft Update - affectionately known in the office as MU pronounced "moo". Meetings about this are entertaining - we sound like a bunch of cows chatting it up - moo this, moo that, etc. Any moo, during the beta we will be testing this out with your help of course. Stay moo-ned I mean tuned 
Sign-in - the look
Right after setup of course you need to sign-in. A picture is worth a 1000 words (according to someone) so I will let the picture do the talking here. This reminds me of those games in a magazine where you are supposed to spot all the differences. Can you find them all 
Menus - the look and feel
After installing a Beta the first thing you might do is look through the menus to see what has changed... for this Beta the menus haven't changed but you will get to them in a different way.
Contact Window - the look
After you sign-in you will likely want to find someone to IM with. For this example I am looking for my dad - Dan.
Conversation Window - the look and a little feel
Now on to IMing, you will notice the typing indicator and "Last message received.." information has moved. After you have used if for a bit, let us know what you think by voting in the poll (note if you are reading this in an RSS reader - click here to see the poll). We collect feedback in multiple ways - the poll is an unscientific but fun method so you may not see changes based on it. If you are really passionate about it head on over here to provide detailed feedback.
New Emoticon - the bunny
While you are IMing you will likely want to send an emoticon or 2 or 100
I would like to introduce you to the bunny emoticon ('.') ....
OK so you are thinking if we like moo-ing so much why did we add a bunny instead of a cow. Stay tuned.. the mystery will be solved in an upcoming post  <Nicole laughs as she adds a cliff hanger - not as good as the Lost ones but still>
What else is new around Windows Live:
Windows Live Writer
Most of the MessengerSays posts are created through Windows Live Writer including this one. If you haven't used Writer yet let me tell you it really rocks! Here are some of my favorite things about it:
- It works well with Windows Live Spaces and works well with other non-Microsoft blogs (Blogger, LiveJournal, TypePad, WordPress, etc)
- It is so easy to insert a picture into a post - Insert -> Picture - could it get any easier?
- It supports plug-ins - my favorite plug-in is the Insert Spaces Emoticon
- It has spell check!
- The team is really responsive to feedback, if you have any head over here.
Windows Live Writer has also released a new Beta today! Important details:
- Get the Writer Beta here
- Send feedback here
- Talk about it here
- Get support here
- Read their blog here
Windows Live Mail
You can also use Windows Live Mail to check and organize all of your email. I use it for all of my newsgroup activity as well. If you haven't used Mail yet let me tell you it rocks! Here are some of my favorite things about it:
- It works well with Windows Live Hotmail and with other non-Microsoft email (gmail.com, yahoo.com, etc)
- It is really easy to setup, click "Add an e-mail account" and then you only need to add the stuff you will know - Your name, e-mail address and password and ta-da it figures out the rest of the stuff.
- It has the ability to insert emoticons built in
- It has spell check!
- The team is really responsive to feedback, if you have any head over here.
Windows Live Mail has also released a new Beta today! Important details:
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If you have a comment on this post please comment! For other questions/concerns/discussion topics/rants/raves/etc - please head over to the Windows Live Messenger Newsgroup. 2007/5/25  posted by Wendy the Mighty
Aloha, my people! I just got back from Hawaii. Hawaii, and I believe this deeply, is exactly like I expect heaven to be... minus a view tiki torches and tourists (grin). A former Microsoftie up and got married on the isle of Kauai, and although it was a TREMENDOUS HARDSHIP, what could I do but throw myself on the grenade and accept my duty as a loyal friend and confidante and attend the wedding?!? Well, I did and WOOHOO! What a blast. I am red as a cherry, but it was soooooooo worth it. This is the color of the sky for much of my time in Hawaii. Ohm..... Ohm..... 
This is the fire dancer that came to our Luau. (Sorry, I have to say this.) He was sooo hot! 
Here are a few dolphins who popped in for a "Heighty Ho!" when we were speeding around the Na Pali Coast. 
This is the Na Pali Coast at sunrise. And yes, my teammates, I do occasionally see the sunrise. 
And this is the Na Pali Coast just after midday. 
And this is a picture of my finger, taken when we were surrounded by sea turtles for about three seconds and I was trying desperately to get a shot in before they swam away. (sigh) 
So, you say, what exactly has this to do with Windows Live, Messenger or otherwise?!? Well, just this. While I was on Kauai (aka the Garden Isle), I experienced a vast VAST array of multiculturalness. (And yes, that's a word. I made it up just now.) The native Hawaiians, the Samoans, Tahitians, and the assortment of tourists from all over the United States, Europe and Asia. We even met a guy from Australia. Way cool. So I though, Hey! Why don't I show my awesome Messenger people a little trick they can use to experience a little multiculturalness themselves? BRILLIANT!! To get started, you will need to go to Live.com (http://www.live.com/). WARNING: SIGN OUT if you are signed in!! You will LOSE all of your settings if you click on Start Over if you are signed in. That's BAD. There is a list of international Live.com links listed below. And don't cry if your country isn't listed. I wanted to grab a sampling so I asked everyone in my hall where they were from and POOF! I got my list. Oh, and I highly suggest flipping through the different pages and getting the latest news stories and entertainment bits and pieces relevant for that country. Its waaaaay fun! You may not understand the language (although you may!), but pictures speak a thousand words, heh heh. China: http://www.live.com/?mkt=cn-cn
France: http://www.live.com/?mkt=fr-fr
England: http://www.live.com/?mkt=en-gb
Germany: http://www.live.com/?mkt=de-de
India: http://www.live.com/?mkt=in-in
Japan: http://www.live.com/?mkt=jp-jp
Korea: http://www.live.com/?mkt=kr-kr
Spain: http://www.live.com/?mkt=es-es
Switzerland: http://www.live.com/?mkt=ch-ch
United States: http://www.live.com/?mkt=en-us
Tip: After you select a country, select the "Personalize page" link next to the house (picture below). 
When you are done with that country, (AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE NOT SIGNED IN) select the "(Start Over)" link at the top of the page in parentheses next to the Sign In link and Icon to get you back to your original search state. This will allow you to explore even more countries! yay! 
To go back to your country of origin, just hit the "(Start Over)" link (AGAIN, MAKE SURE YOU ARE NOT SIGNED IN) on the site that you are on, and return to http://www.live.com/. You should be back where you started. =) I love doing this little walk around the world. It's almost like I am taking a little peek at my neighbors to see what they are up to..not that I am nosy. Just curious (grin). "Hello, South Africa!" I say as I tour their news sites. "What great events are unfolding in your part of the world?" When I get REALLY wild, I will change my Messenger passport profile to a different country and sign-in to Messenger. Then I explore the tabs and look at the MSN Today window. Heh. Multiculturalness rocks!! Woohoo!! Jump in and explore with me! The water is just fine. =) The Ocean, between Kauai and Niihau, the Forbidden Island. Isn't it BLUE?!? 
Wendy the Mighty
got Messenger?
2007/5/22  Posted by Jason
If you’re anything like me, you probably have a million things going on around you all at once. You’re writing an e-mail, browsing the web, answering your phone, carrying on a conversation in Messenger, and thinking about what to have for dinner… all at once. Lots of times, my friends say to me, “Hey… do you remember that link I sent you last week? The one with the video?” Um… no…  Messenger has a great feature to help with this problem! It’s called the conversation history. The conversation history is an archive of the messages sent between you and your buddies. This feature is off by default because, well, some people get a little uneasy about saving all of their IM’s. That’s understandable… but you might just find this feature REALLY useful!  To enable conversation history, click on “Tools – Options” in the main window or any conversation window. Select the “Messages” item from the list on the left. 
Select “Automatically keep a history of my conversations.” “Show my last conversation in new conversation windows” is also a very handy feature! You can save your conversation history to any folder, but it defaults to “My Received Files\History” your Windows Documents folder. The next time you have a conversation with a buddy, your IM’s will be saved on your hard disk. To see a history of your IM’s, go to “File – View message history” in the conversation window. It’s easy to search your message history or delete it, if you choose. So, the next time your buddy sends you a link and asks you about it later, you can refresh your memory with the conversation history! ---
If you have a comment on this post please comment! For other questions/concerns/discussion topics/rants/raves/etc - please head over to the Windows Live Messenger Newsgroup. 2007/5/17  posted by Nasa
Hey Gamers ... If you have an XBOX 360, you can now IM with your friends on Windows Live Messenger from the console. Way Cool!  
Using Xbox 360, you can connect with your Microsoft® Windows® Live Messenger community directly from your television. Text chats with friends and family are integrated between the Xbox 360, PCs, and mobile devices.
The integration of Windows Live Messenger lets you:
- Combine your Xbox LIVE Friends and Windows Live Messenger contacts on your console, and see where they overlap.
- Broadcast what you are doing on your Xbox console to your PC contacts.
- See which contacts play Xbox 360.
- Have as many as six multiparty conversations at one time.
- Participate in a conversation within the Xbox Guide or while watching video, navigating the dashboard, or playing a game.
Set Up Windows LIVE Messenger on Xbox 360
You can set up Windows LIVE Messenger on Xbox 360 with the Windows LIVE ID associated with your Xbox LIVE account.
To set up Windows LIVE Messenger:
- Turn on your Xbox 360 console with no disc in the tray and go the Xbox LIVE area of the Xbox Dashboard.
- Select Chat and IM.
- Select the Messenger tab.
- Select Continue.
- Select Sign Up for Messenger. The Windows LIVE Messenger welcome screen is displayed.
Warning
If you sign up for Messenger on Xbox LIVE, your gamertag will be visible to your Windows LIVE Messenger contacts.
- Select Continue. The Windows LIVE ID field automatically populates with the Windows Live ID that's associated with your Xbox LIVE account.
- Type your password and select Done.
- Select Save Password or Don't Save.
Note
If you decide not to save your password, you will need to enter it each time you sign in to Messenger on Xbox LIVE.
- Select Continue.
If you have Windows LIVE Messenger contacts who also have signed up for Messenger on Xbox LIVE but are not already on your Xbox Friends list, a list appears with contacts who you can invite to become Xbox LIVE friends.
- Choose which contacts you want to invite to your Friends list, and select Done.
For more information on how to sign in, IM your friends list, use a USB keyboard with Messenger on XBOX, and more, go to xbox.com. 
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If you have a comment on this post please comment! For other questions/concerns/discussion topics/rants/raves/etc - please head over to the Windows Live Messenger Newsgroup. 2007/5/14 posted by Nicole The following may not be news to some of you but here is a quick round up of some happenings around Windows Live.  Windows Live Spaces Road Trip - if you don't have summer plans yet this sounds like a blast. Make sure you check it out asap - you need to enter by May 15th!
 HOT happenings with Hotmail - there is a lot of excitement over in Hotmail land too much for me to do it any justice in providing a recap. Check it out for yourself!
 When was the last time you changed your password? If it is has been a while I suggest you change it - head here.
 Search and Love - interesting post over on the Live Search blog - discussing how Search and Love are related...
 Jigsaw Too - this is my new favorite game in Messenger! You and a friend get to work on a puzzle together. It is great for me and my sister since we live about 6 hours apart so we couldn't do this otherwise. All of you puzzle fans check it out!
 Upcoming Windows Live Mail release - is just around the corner, check out the post for details - including background on the name.
---- If you have a comment on this post please comment! For other questions/concerns/discussion topics/rants/raves/etc - please head over to the Windows Live Messenger Newsgroup. 2007/5/11
One of my favorite features of Windows Live Messenger is  Music Mix. If you're a veteran MessengerSays blog reader, you might remember Leah posting about this in January 2006. This feature is so cool, it worth another mention for users who haven't discovered it yet! 
Music Mix allows you to listen to music with your friends via a shared playlist. Each person can:
- add/remove music to the playlist
- re-order songs in the playlist
- play, pause, start or stop the music
Music is played simultaneously on each computer. It's very cool! 
If you haven't tried it yet, here's how:
Use the "Activities" button from the conversation window. You'll see a drop down of activities. Select "Music Mix". This will send an invite to your buddy.
When your buddy accepts, Music Mix will begin to load.
Once loaded, you can add music by clicking the "add music" button.
Select the MP3, WMA, or WAV from your hard drive. When you click "open" the song will start to load on your friend's machine. Once loaded, you can both play the song.
Your friend can also add songs to the playlist. You will see their song loading, like below.
Rock on!
Update:
Thanks for all your questions and comments on this post. You reminded me that I also wanted to mention some notes from Leah's post:
- Remember – you’re sharing a play list. If you fastforward, skip, or stop a song, your buddy will hear the same thing you do.
- Songs are not actually transferred to your buddy, only a compressed version is temporarily cached on their computer while you mix.
- Playlist file formats are wma, mp3, & wav
- Music Mix holds up to 25 songs at a time, each a max of 20MB in size. You must delete songs to add more
- Album art info is shown at the top of the activity window only in the US, but obscure songs can sometimes show the wrong album art.
- The Search button only shows up for songs added by your buddy, clicking it will take you to an MSN Music search for your song
Requirements:
- Currently only available in the US, France, Germany, Japan, and the UK.
- Requires WMP 10 or greater, which is available for Windows XP and up.
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If you have a comment on this post please comment! For other questions/concerns/discussion topics/rants/raves/etc - please head over to the Windows Live Messenger Newsgroup. 2007/5/8 Posted by Jason A few weeks ago, I suggested some way to express yourself with Messenger. Since then, Windows Live has introduced another way to get personal expression content: the Windows Live Gallery. You can not only download your favorite personal expression content -- you can also upload your favorite emoticons, display pictures, and backgrounds to share with your fellow Messenger users. Just think, your masterpiece can now be used by hundreds of millions of users! How cool is that?!?! While you're there, check out the Agents and Activities tabs... hours of fun await you! By the way, Windows Live Gallery isn't just for Messenger, it's for all of Windows Live. You can get gadgets for Vista, Live.com, Spaces, and SideShow, Writer add-ins and content, buttons for the Windows Live Toolbar, and much more! ---- If you have a comment on this post please comment! For other questions/concerns/discussion topics/rants/raves/etc - please head over to the Windows Live Messenger Newsgroup.
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