That iBuddy MSN emote guy we caw back at CES is now on sale at Brando for US$20. If you don't remember, you can set up notifications on your MSN buddies, so that when they sign on, the iBuddy goes nuts and flaps its wings. It also recognises up to eight emotes and blinks/flaps/explodes accordingly. Sucks that it's only MSN-compatible out of the box, but should be easily hackable to support just about all networks. [Brando]

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Not content to just offer a new version of Windows Live Messenger for a competing platform, Microsoft today released an updated official version of the full Windows Live app for Windows Mobile that features contacts syncing, support for Live Spaces, Live Maps, and push email from Hotmail, MSN, or Live accounts. It's a free mobile download, though you'll have to make sure you nuke the old version first lest you mess up your device. [Download, via JK On The Run]

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Google's brand new Gtalk webapp for the iPhone is as crappy as I expected it would be. It has a nice design, and sending messages was easy, but at the end of the day it's still running in Safari—which means if you get a call you are signed out of chat. And unlike other web-based IM apps, Gtalk doesn't work in the background, so interruptions as simple as going to the home screen sign you out too. Also, there are no preference settings, so you are stuck looking at your whole contact list, online and off. Gtalk's AIM support is also curiously absent from this release. In short, this program sucks. If you're looking for a solid IM solution before the App store opens, I strongly recommend Agile Mobile's AM client recently released on Installer, which I've been playing around with.

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The Blackberry Internet Services 2.5 upgrade (and subsequent downtime) is still go for a June 29 launch, but there's a catch. According to the Boy Genius Report, some of the "sexiest" 2.5 features won't be available until Blackberry OS 4.5 arrives--in September. From the looks of the BIS 2.5 presentation they got their boy-sized mitts on, at least one of those features is push AOL email and Hotmail/MSN accounts. Of course, if you have a newer Blackberry handset, or plan on buying one before September, it will come with 4.5 OS already installed. [Boy Genius Report]

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Well, the time has come. It's 6 p.m., and according to the Bill Gates' retirement video, this is the exact moment Bill is leaving from his last day of work. With this monumental occasion, we thought it was only fitting we send him off with an MSN e-card. Feel free to give your best wishes to Bill in the comments. [Bill Gates' Retirement Party on Giz]

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Microsoft will extend the life of its MSN Music servers—that authorise its old purchased music for new PCs or players—to at least 2011, after originally scheduling them for shutdown later this year. After "careful consideration", it decided it was a good idea to hold off on screwing the poor folks who bought songs smothered in PlaysForSure (HA!) DRM. Microsoft recommends burning your songs to CD to avoid being caught in this DRM death hole; we say you should poke around the web—there are plenty of ways to strip DRM without burning a CD. [Digital Home Thoughts]

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Sure, it's easy to blithely state that DRM is annoying and sucks. But the fact is, it really can leave you holding vaporous media that you paid real money for, like when a vendor closes up shop or switches to new DRM. Last 100 rounds up five stores that have done just that: Major League Baseball (switched DRM, nuking any video bought pre-2006); Google (killed video store, and any vids you bought); Sony (ditched ATRAC and shut down Sony Connect); Virgin Digital (closed store, told customers to burn tracks to CDs and re-import as MP3); and most recently, Microsoft, which is shuttering MSN Music and its PlaysForSure (now officially worst DRM name ever) authentication servers in August.

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Ignoring previous "iPhone VoIP" apps like Jah Jah, which are only VoIP after you connect to their analogue to VoIP bridge, this Fring app seems to be the first real VoIP solution for the iPhone/iPod Touch. To get in on this action you need a jailbroken iPhone, Wi-FI access, and you'll be able to call regular phones using either SkypeOut or SIP (your prices will be determined on which SIP provider you use and how much SkypeOut charges for your particular call). Best of all Fring has built-in IM capabilities for Skype, Google, ICQ, MSN, Twitter, AIM, and Yahoo contacts. The download and install are free. [Fring Install Instructions]

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MSN Direct's weather, news, stocks, and entertainment info have been available on MSN Spot devices for a while now, but have been surprisingly missing from Microsoft's own mobile devices. Not anymore. You can get now up-to-date info right on... Read More »

In his CES keynote tonight, Bill Gates (and Bob Costas) announced that NBC would broadcast 3,600 hours of games from the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics via MSN on the nbcolympics.com site. The video will be both live and on demand, with over 30 simultaneous live broadcasts. The cool thing is that finally, people who love ridiculous games like the hammer toss will get their fix, without upsetting the basketball fans who wouldn't dare allow for a pre-emption. The catch is that it's all happening on Silverlight, not Flash. "One more plug-in to download," says our smart-as-a-whip Texan intern Eric. Still, I think it's worth it for a good hammer toss. [Bill Gates Keynote]