Windows Live Messenger 9.0 – First Signs of Life

Windows Live Messenger 9.0, Microsoft's forthcoming version of its instant messaging client, is showing the first signs of life. At the beginning of November the Redmond company wrapped up the evolution of its Windows Live suite of services and products, and finished up introducing Wave 2 of its cloud platform. Windows Live Messenger was one of the Windows Live puzzle pieces that fit into place in Wave 2, with Microsoft dropping version 8.5, specifically tailored for Windows Vista.

Windows Live Messenger 8.5 was leaked hours before the official release, and at this point in
time it is the latest version of Microsoft's instant messaging client up for grabs. But at the same time, Windows Live continues to grow, as the company has already started cooking Wave 3 of the online suite's evolution. And Windows Live Messenger 9.0, the successor of the current version 8.5, is at the forefront of the next generation of Windows Live.

In this context, Microsoft has already begun shipping invitations to testers of Windows Live Messenger 9.0. Just a couple of weeks following the release of version 8.5, the Redmond company is inviting testers to grab a hold of early builds of Windows Live Messenger 9.0. As of now, the beta testing program for version 9.0 of the upcoming instant messaging client is a private program that involves Microsoft Connect. This means that users are locked out of test driving early builds of Windows Live Messenger 9.0 unless they receive a specific invitation from Microsoft.

With a community of approximately 300 million users worldwide, Windows Live Messenger betas are generally extremely popular, but for the time being, only previous Windows Live testers are getting invites and the chance of an early taste of the instant messaging client. According to Microsoft's Andrew Jenks, Windows Live Messenger 9.0 is planned for late 2008, early 2009, and will come to the table with a range of enhancements for a new application programming interface for developers to support for Multiple Points Of Presence, allowing for sign in from multiple devices.

Sexy Real-Life Samus Aran in Life-Sized Power Suit

Since Halo 3 is enjoying such a good dose of popularity, especially when it comes to strapping the Spartan armor onto hot chicks, other titles involving heroes (heroines in this case) in armors had to do the same for themselves, right? Well, they didn't really have to, but someone actually thought that Samus' Power Suit would work just great with the girl you see in the picture to the left.

And it does, doesn't it? Just look at the striking resemblance between her and the comic book version of Samus Aran - the protagonist of Nintendo's Metroid series of video games. A bunch of
other pictures depicting the real-life 'Samus Aran' in a life-sized Power Suit can be found below, right at the end of the article. Now here's some information on Nintendo's Metroid franchise, bust mostly on Samus herself, just in case those checking this piece out didn't get their chance to play the game:

Samus Aran is a cybernetic bounty hunter tasked with penetrating the space pirates’ home planet, Zebes, and keeping them from destroying the galaxy with dangerous life forms known as Metroids. She does that in the game. The end! Well, that's what happens in the first installment of course. With the launch of the first Metroid Prime title (the fifth in the franchise), things tend to get a little more complicated.

The first installment in the Prime series of Metroids has an extensive use of storyline, which was considered a major difference from previous Metroid games. One of the most noticeable aspects about it consisted in the short cutscenes appearing before important moments – a boss battle for example. More than that, the Scan Visor could now be used to read text related to the Chozo and Space Pirates.

And so, Samus fought her endless battle with the Space Pirates until Metroid Prime 3, dubbed Corruption, arrived on scene. Prime 3 is the tenth game in the Metroid series and the third and final of the installments in the Metroid Prime trilogy (excluding two spin-offs).

Corruption takes place six months after the events of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. Leaving aside the graphical improvement and the motion sensitive control scheme possible only with the Wii's controller, the Wii Remote, players again take the role of Samus Aran who, unlike other installments in the series, now meets with other bounty hunters: Ghor, Rundas and Gandrayda. She has to kill them during the events of Prime 3. Sorry for the spoiler guys, but I've given it some thought – if you've read everything up to this point, you must be a fan of Samus and so, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is certainly old news for you.

Anyway, that's summing up Samus' background in the shortest way possible. Click on each one of the pictures below (courtesy of pixelninja.se) and by all means, save them to your computer if you will, no one blames you if you do.