Darren Straight's Blog

ICT Enthusiast and photographer.

By - Darren Straight

Help Celebrate Messenger’s 7th Birthday

MSN Messenger/Windows Live Messenger will be 7 years old next Saturday the 22nd of July 2006. So the Windows Live Messenger Team would like you’re help in celebrating it’s 7th Birthday by spreading the word to the world that it’s Messenger’s 7th Birthday soon. There’s many ways that you can spread the word, and it will be intriguing to see

By - Darren Straight

Microsoft withdraws Windows Private Folders

Following an outcry from corporate customers, Microsoft is removing an add-on feature to Windows that allowed users to create password-protected folders. The feature was introduced as a free download last week. Almost immediately, people raised questions over how businesses would grapple with the ability of individual workers to encrypt their data. “Private Folder 1.0 was designed as a benefit for

By - Darren Straight

Microsoft Silicon Valley Product and Career Open House 2006

Microsoft Silicon Valley is hosting a Product and Career Open House for 2006 to feature products and career opportunities in Silicon Valley, so if you’re looking to get into any of the following sections: Microsoft TV Macintosh Business Unit TV Services Live Meeting Windows Live Mail PowerPoint Windows Live Search Operations Xbox Hardware I would like to recommend that you

By - Darren Straight

The World’s Largest IM Network for May 2006

So you may have already heard that MSN Messenger/Windows Live Messenger is the World’s Largest IM (Instant Messaging) Network for May 2006, but have you actually seen the some of the stats from ComScore’s May 2006 Report where it reports MSN Messenger/Windows Live Messenger has 204m subscribers, Yahoo! Messenger 78m, AIM 34m and ICQ 33.9m. Well if not here’s a

By - Darren Straight

Windows Live Expo has launched out of Beta in the US

I was away for two days this week so I didn’t have a chance to blog about this up until now, but it seems like Windows Live Expo has now launched out of Beta in the US and at the same time is going into Beta internally in the UK. This new release includes some of the following exciting features:

By - Darren Straight

Virtual PC 2004 Is Now Free!

Not long ago Microsoft made Virtual Server 2005 R2 Free for Download, but as most people wanted to try Virtual PC instead, they have now made Virtual PC 2004 Free for Download as well. But it dosent stop there because in 2007 Microsoft will also be releasing Virtual PC 2007 for free along with support for Microsoft Windows Vista. So why not

By - Darren Straight

Win one of 100 Amazing New Philips Messenger Phones

Now’s your chance to win one of 100 amazing new Philips Messenger Phones by helping a little blue contact buddy find his little green friend, just check out this site for more information. Make phone calls to your Messenger contacts for free The Philips Messenger Phone will display all your Windows Live Messenger contacts and their presence (online, busy, be

By - Darren Straight

Team BritBot: Invasion of the Robots

Microsoft is challenging developers worldwide to create conversational Bots for MSN Messenger and Windows Live Messenger. The most original, useful Bots will collect £1000s in total prizes. And you can win loads more cool prizes when you enter the UK competition running alongside the global Robot Invaders contest! The first 50 Bot designers to sign up at www.britbot.co.uk will get

By - Darren Straight

Windows Live Messenger Yahoo Interopability Released!

You’ve probably already heard about this but the world’s largest instant messaging network is getting even bigger. As you can now chat to friends who use Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. See when they’re online and communicate with them directly all from within the all-new Windows Live Messenger that is available for download at the sign up page. Via: Windows Live Messenger Team Blog

By - Darren Straight

Back home from my summer 2006 trip to Alton Towers

Well what a great past two days it has been at Alton Towers with some friends, it would have been near enough perfect if it hadn’t been for some unfortunate things that happened like the dying of my digital camera, the loosening of the screw on my glasses or even the technically difficulties with the rides. The journey to Alton Towers began