Darren Straight's Blog

ICT Enthusiast and photographer.

By - Darren Straight

Windows Live Messenger 8.0 Released for Download

Windows Live Messenger 8.0 (8.0.0787.00) is now released for download! Features of Windows Live Messenger include the following: Cheap PC-Phone Calling Sharing files with friends through Messenger Unified Contacts between Messenger & Hotmail Improved voice quality for free PC-PC calls Totally updated look at feel. Way improved connectivity & Performance Messenger Duel Phone- works as a regular phone and a

By - Darren Straight

Windows Live Messenger 8.0 launch very soon!

According to the guys at LiveSide.net, the Windows Live Messenger 8.0 Final Public Release will soon be with us, with an expected launch date of late Monday 19th June 2006 or early Tuesday 20th June 2006. Windows Live Messenger final will be available from the new Windows Live products page, soon to be published at get.live.com, or you can jump straight to the Messenger

By - Darren Straight

New UI for Windows Live Search on the Desktop coming soon!

Just noticed this post by Michelle on the Windows Live Search on the Desktop Team Blog, and it looks like we shall soon have a new UI for Windows Live Search on the Desktop this summer! I’m happy to be joining the blog ranks to give you some more news about our product. Check out the new visual of the upcoming

By - Darren Straight

Loose Change 2nd Edition Film

Has anybody else seen the Loose Change 2nd Edition Film? “Loose Change 2nd Edition” is the follow-up to the most provocative 9-11 documentary on the market today. This film shows direct connection between the attacks of September 11, 2001 and the United States government. Evidence is derived from news footage, scientific fact, and most important, Americans who suffered through that

By - Darren Straight

Code of ethics to be published for machines!

THE race is on to keep humans one step ahead of robots: an international team of scientists and academics is to publish a “code of ethics” for machines as they become more and more sophisticated. Dilemmas may arrive sooner than we think, says Christensen. “People are going to be having sex with robots within five years”. Keeping control New robo-ethics

By - Darren Straight

phpBB 3.0 Olympus Beta1 released!

phpBB 3.0 Olympus Beta1 is was released for download last night, so go ahead and check it out, it has loads of new features, most of which you’ve all been waiting for a long time now. But saying this remember this is a beta, so it’s recommended that you don’t start being crazy by installing it on a current live forum that

By - Darren Straight

Robert Scoble on Newsnight talking about Bill Gates

I missed BBC’s Newsnight last night, in which Robert Scoble appeared talking about Bill Gates, but I have now just watched it on the BBC Newsnight Website, and it’s pretty interesting. Thanks goes to a comment left by Duncan on Robert’s Blog for posting the link. http://tinyurl.com/s9bhw (Real Player) http://tinyurl.com/mcq32 (Windows Media Player)

By - Darren Straight

Windows Live Session Tokyo #1!

Unfortunately I don’t know Japanese, but I did just find the pics for the recent Windows Live Session held in Tokyo, after the success of the European ones, and yes there will be a Windows Live Session in the US soon, around late summer/fall. But for now here’s the link to the tokyo pics, check out the space invader gadget!

By - Darren Straight

BCS Event – 28 July 2006 – Digital Forensics in Law Enforcement

Now I don’t normally blog about what events the BCS (British computer society) is holding as everybody else who probably already wants to attend BCS Events has probably already set themselves on the mailing list, but as this event looks quite interesting and  Non BCS members are welcome to attend, I thought I might as well blog about it! Friday 28th

By - Darren Straight

MSN Games Turns Ten

The year was 1996, and the Internet still had training wheels when Microsoft entered the realm of online games.  Originally known as The Village, the site began as a retail matchmaking destination for massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs).  But Microsoft quickly realized that a different kind of gamer was waiting to be cultivated the casual gamer who was interested in