Yes, Cnet's News.com reports "Microsoft is prepping a version of MSN Messenger with new features that will be available exclusively to paying subscribers of the MSN 8 online service. "
"MICROSOFT PLANS to offer two versions of MSN Messenger 5, one as part of MSN 8 and another as a separate, stand-alone product. But some of the best new features will only be available to MSN 8 customers, who must pay to subscribe to the service. An additional feature would be available exclusively to Windows XP users. " Contd...

Windows Messenger lets you see when your friends are online and exchange instant messages with them. Send instant messages with cool, new emoticons, call anywhere in the world from your computer, see when someone's typing, page a contact's mobile phone, send pictures and music to your friends, and much more. No changelog available.

Saw this at Windows Media Technology download page, dated 24 Septmeber.

Get fast and flexible playback with the best audio and video quality for Windows and the Web. Includes special new features optimized for Windows XP. Read more about the updated build 2800 in the release notes.

Ok this update has just came in from Winbeta.org. Thanks for the pointer, guys. LOL, Microsoft gives WinBeta users a hand.

Curiously it would appear that our friends at M$ have finally accepted the inevitable. Either that or it took them an extra month to learn how to do it correctly.

HOW TO: Change the Volume Licensing Product Key on a Windows XP SP1-Based Computer (Q328874)

Ok peeps if you are still looking for the Windows XP Service Pack 1 in your own languages look no further cause we got the comprehensive list posted for the English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Brazilian versions. And a big thanks to all the guys that sent in the info.

Some Windows XP users are having trouble installing the operating system's first service pack, bulging with bug fixes and updated drivers--and are judging the cure worse than the disease. For more info warp 2 ... Yahoo News.

Time for more MSN 8 eye candy for ya'll to wow at. This time I also felt like posting a few previews of the face lift that's being done on the MSN channels. The only MSN 8 screenshots I posted were the new Media Player and About box, other than that, not much is new in Beta 2 (Build 2007.6). Check out the shots under read more...

Thanks Anonymous for sending us this article, It appears Microsoft have gone all soft and mushy and are telling pirates how they can change their Volume License Key after they spent a good deal of time blocking 1 or 2 keys from the SP1 code. read on! Microsoft Knowledge Base Article - Q328874: This article describes how to change the Windows XP product key in a Volume Licensing installation. Because of changes in Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1), Windows XP-based computers that use a leaked product key that is known to be available to the general public may not be able to install SP1 or automatically obtain updates from the Windows Update Web site. For example, you may experience the symptoms that are described in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article when you install SP1: Read More at NeoWin.Net

The Microsoft® Windows XP Tablet PC Edition Platform Software Development Kit (SDK) contains the information you need to develop applications for Microsoft Windows® XP Tablet PC Edition. The Tablet PC platform encompasses Windows XP and its extensions that enable input and output of handwriting and speech data on a Tablet PC as well as interchange of this data with other computers.

The Windows XP startup disk allows computers without a bootable CD-ROM to perform a new installation of the operating system. The Windows XP startup disk will automatically load the correct drivers to gain access to the CD-ROM drive and start a new installation of Setup. You cannot upgrade from a Windows XP startup disk.

Windows XP Home Edition startup disks will not work for Windows XP Professional installations and vice-versa.

This update resolves the "Cryptographic Flaw in RDP Protocol can Lead to Information Disclosure" security vulnerability in Windows 2000. Download now if you use Remote Desktop or Terminal Services, to prevent an attacker from potentially learning encrypted information that was sent during Remote Desktop or Terminal Services sessions! This fix is NOT included in W2KSP3.

Here's another update from the nice peeps over @ Winbeta.org:

New builds of .NET 2003 Server, Standard and Enterprise are now available. No feature reports as of yet. But if the post RC1 builds that we've tried till now are any indication, the stability and configurability of this server family is unmatched.Come pay us a visit and get the latest toys from Microsoft!

Who should read this bulletin: System administrators who operate terminal servers using Microsoft® Windows® 2000, or Windows XP users who have enabled Remote Desktop. Fixed with XP SP1. Others please download to secure your system.

The Remote Data Protocol (RDP) provides the means by which Windows systems can provide remote terminal sessions to clients. The protocol transmits information regarding a terminal sessions' keyboard, mouse and video to the remote client, and is used by Terminal Services in Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000, and by Remote Desktop in Windows XP. Two security vulnerabilities, both of which are eliminated by this patch, have been discovered in various RDP implementations.

This update was previously posted on WindowsUpdate V4 as we reported earlier. Microsoft now released the complementary knowledge base article and Technet announcement. Impact of vulnerability: Three vulnerabilities, the most serious of which could enable an attacker to gain complete control over a user?s system.
Maximum Severity Rating: Critical
Recommendation: Customers should apply the patch immediately.
Affected Software: Versions of the Microsoft virtual machine (Microsoft VM) are identified by build numbers, which can be determined using the JVIEW tool as discussed in the FAQ. All builds of the Microsoft VM up to and including build 5.0.3805 are affected by these vulnerabilities. Read more...

This just in from winbeta.org: Yet again another Messenger release by the famed gang of WiNBETA. This time it's build 5.0.0527.

No patch is needed to stay connected/online, so come on over to your favorite suger shack on IRC to grab yourself a copy.

Ad removal patch also created and available!

Big Thanks to Bink's Windows XP

We are writing to let you know that you have been accepted into the Office 11 Individual Evaluation Program for the upcoming Office 11 beta this Fall! You will be hearing more about the beta soon, but we wanted to keep you informed about your status in the program. We're very excited about this next version of Office and think you will be also. Thank you for your interest in providing feedback on our products, and taking time to be involved in this way.

You'll be hearing from us again when the beta kits are shipped, and again, thank you for being an Office 11 beta evaluator.
The Microsoft Office Team

This just in from Winbeta.org!

As some of you may know, beta testing for Microsoft Visual Studio .NET CodeName Everett has begun. Kits have already been shipped out for a good majority of the testers, including all eight CD's with documentation.

There is a new post SP1 update available on Windows Update V4. The knowledge base and Technet have not been updated yet. This update resolves the "Java Applet" vulnerabilities in Microsoft virtual machine (Microsoft VM).

A few days ago the rumours started: every currently-supported version of Windows -- that's -98 to -XP and everything in between -- can be rooted by a novel means which MS regarded as a mystery. It seemed to be an automated, malicious bot which makes it possible to control the target machine via IRC, but it seemed not to replicate itself as a worm would do. Exactly how it finds its way onto the victim's box was not known! but Rancho does ?Hehe Can I get a job @MS!

This article lists the Microsoft Knowledge Base article numbers for issues that are fixed in Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1 (SP1).