As you may have noticed, there is a new box above the categories and links to the right. What does this box do, I hear you ask..

This box provided by Microsoft as part of its messenger service allows you to see when I’m online with MSN messenger, along with my current nickname and online status. But not only this, but if you click on it, a popup will show up that allows you to chat to me!! You don’t even have to login to MSN yourself!

Go on! Give it a try!

I dont know if any of you have a gmail account (Google Mail) but if you have you may have noticed a new tab appear in the settings called “Themes”.

Gmail now gives you the choice of around 30 different themes to change the look of your Gmail account.

As you can see in the picture I chose the Planets theme but there are some really nice themes to choose from like Shiny, Mountain and even Ninja, which tempted me but I’m in a darker mood today.. hehe

Gmail is ever added and improving its email service which now has Instant Messaging, Video and Audio chat, Themes, Huge File sending, tons of storage for your emails and files. I’d say Gmail is by far the best email service, with Windows Live Mail coming in close second.

http://www.gmail.com

Now, I’m not usually a big fan of Microsofts software, but when installing the new Windows Live Messenger 9 Beta (which is brill!) I decided to include this Live Writer, wondering if it was any good..

Windows Live Writer allows you to manage your blog, whether it be on blogging service like blogger.com or your own personal blog like mine. Its easy to use interface will get you writing and publishing your posts within a few minutes. No need to open your web browser, login to your admin panel, choose add post anymore, just run this program!

As you can see below you can also easily add website links and photos with many more options available to customise your posts just as you like.

http://www.error406.com

Tags: live, microsoft, windows, writer

Channel 4 is using a series of viral games and videos to draw the crowds to 4mations, its new (ish) video-sharing animation website.

The site, which launched three weeks ago as collaboration between Channel 4, animation specialists Lupus Films and Aardman Animations, has collaborated with developers Rubber Republic to create two videos and a game where users can aid General Tiddles’ bid for self-destruction.

BSkyB is set to throw down the gauntlet to rivals with an ad campaign claiming it is the only company to offer truly unlimited broadband usage.

The company is preparing the campaign after deciding to remove its fair usage policy, which caps heavy downloaders, from its top-tier Sky Broadband Max product.

It also said that because it does not “traffic shape” - regulate or cap broadband speeds at peak times to manage heavy internet usage - it can now claim to be the only UK company to offer “unlimited” broadband.

“Customers have told us that they want unlimited broadband to be exactly that, so we’ve acted on their feedback,” a BSkyB spokesman said.

“We believe that we are now the only major broadband provider to offer truly unlimited broadband.”

The BSkyB ad campaign, which will include TV, press, direct marketing and digital advertising, is timed to break later this month, with the company expecting it to spark a marketing battle with rivals.

“We believe that there is no other ISP that makes both of these promises, and we are going to start talking about this more openly in our marketing,” said a BSkyB spokesman.

“This is likely to open up a new front in the highly competitive broadband marketplace, where most advertising has so far focused on either price or headline download speeds.”

BSKyB said it will still maintain its “acceptable use” policy, but this relates to the type of content users download and not the amount.

The move will irritate rivals, which have fallen foul of regulations while trying to market unlimited broadband services, and potentially attract the eye of the advertising watchdog.

In July, the Advertising Standards Authority banned a print campaign by Virgin Media, which promoted broadband download times for TV shows and music, after complaints that they were inaccurate because the company “traffic shaped” at certain times.

Last year, Orange was censured by the ASA for claiming it offered “unlimited downloads” when in fact its fair usage policy meant that some internet users might be impacted by its fair usage policy.

BSkyB notched up a total of 1.6m broadband customers as at the end of June, making it the fifth biggest broadband provider in the UK.

The company has had huge success in tapping the market - the 200,000 customers it put on for the three months to the end of June accounted for almost 50% of all new sign-ups in the UK for that period.

On Friday, Goldman Sachs issued a note, based on Virgin Media chief executive Neil Berkett’s speech at its Communacopia Conference, stating that it expects the “soft launch” of the company’s mega-speed 50Mb service to launch in late October.

Virgin Media also said that it had upped its expectation of 40% UK coverage for the 50Mb service by the end of 2008 to 50% reach of UK homes.

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