We just pushed an update to alpha testers (Build 56, r22037 r22044 r22059) which introduces several new features along with a few major performance enhancements that we have been working on. As always, you can read the entire list of enhancements on our Change Log. Notable changes include:

• Buddy List Search – just type a buddy’s name and the status bar converts into a search box making it easy to find buddies or perform a web search
• Significantly optimized all buddy list sorting and drawing code, reducing Digsby’s overall CPU usage by about 20% (or more for very long buddy lists)
• Significantly optimized IM window performance for much faster scrolling, especially with slow themes like GoneDark

This release is packed full of major changes so we are expecting some new bugs to pop up. If you experience any issues please use “Help > Send Bug Report” in the main menu to submit a diagnostic log or email us at bugs@digsby.com.

Update 1 (05/19/2009 3:20pm EST): We just pushed out a small patch fixing a bug that caused the buddy list to stop sorting completely. Also, double clicking social network tray icons does open the “Set Status” dialog now. The new release number is r22044.

Update 2 (05/19/2009 5:40pm EST): There is a known bug that causes offline buddies to stay in their original group after signing off in a few cases.  This is now fixed and will go out in the next patch release tomorrow.

Update 3 (05/20/2009 1:30pm EST): We just pushed out a small patch fixing several bugs bringing the release number to r22059:

• Fixed a bug that caused offline merged contacts to remain in their original group after signing off
• Fixed a bug that caused Available/Away to not show in the tray icon right click menu
• Fixed a bug that caused the infobox to break if you press Alt + F4 with it in focus
• Fixed a bug that caused your Google Talk status to get cut off by one character in some cases
• Added log statements to help hunt down a bug that causes the status dropdown to not show

We just pushed an update to alpha testers (Build 55, r21904 r21909) which introduces fixes for several issues we introduced in the last alpha release along with a Facebook protocol fix. As always, you can read the entire list of enhancements on our Change Log. Notable changes include:

• Add support for a change in the Facebook protocol that broke login
• Fixed the most common cause of crashes in the latest alpha release
• Fixed a bug that caused Digsby to crash on startup on older computers
• Fixed a bug that caused Digsby to leak RAM and go into a CPU spin

If you experience any issues please use “Help > Send Bug Report” in the main menu to submit a diagnostic log or email us at bugs@digsby.com. If Digsby crashes or tells you it is running slowly please submit the bug/crash report.

Update (5/7/2009 7:45pm): We just pushed out a small patch fixing the issue with POP mail accounts.

We just pushed an update to alpha testers (Build 53, r21752 r21804) which introduces many new features and enhancements. As always, you can read the entire list of enhancements on our Change Log. Notable changes include:

• Lowered Digsby’s CPU usage by about 30% (tech jargon: switched from Python 2.5 to 2.6 and moved to the Intel compiler)
• Improved the reliability and speed of file transfers for both AIM and MSN protocols
• Added an option for new IM windows to start hidden and blink the tray icon instead of popping up a window
• Added support for setting status on your MySpace account
• Added new emoticon packs and changed the default emoticon pack
• The infobox now uses the same user interface control as the IM window. This will make it much faster and more versatile
• Added support for Google Talk shared-status so Gtalk accounts now support the “Invisible” status

This release is packed full of new features so we are expecting some new bugs to pop up. If you experience any issues please use “Help > Send Bug Report” in the main menu to submit a diagnostic log or email us at bugs@digsby.com.

This update is pretty large (13.2 MB) so the auto-update may take some time.  We are going to change how the auto-update system works in the future so Digsby logs in and then downloads updates unless there are critical protocol fixes.  It will then apply the update next time you run Digsby.  This way logging in is never delayed.

If you would like to become an alpha tester and get new releases before everyone else, download this file and place it in the main program folder. Keep in mind that as an alpha tester you may get a release with a few bugs every now and then.  We are looking for people who are proactive in reporting these issues so we can fix them before builds go out to all users.

Update (4/30/09 2:00pm): Thank you all for helping test this new alpha release.  We just pushed out a patch fixing most of the issues reported and are working on fixing the remaining bugs now.  The new release number is r21804 and includes the following fixes:

• Fixed a bug that caused some services to fail to connect when connecting through a proxy
• Fixed a bug that caused Google Talk to fail to connect if your firewall blocks the default port it tries
• Fixed a bug that caused your MySpace status to clear when you click “Cancel” instead of just leaving the status untouched
• Fixed a bug that caused conversation log files to load as gibberish into the IM window when the conversation was in a language other than English
• Fixed a bug that caused AIM status messages and profiles to show without the background color in the infobox
• Fixed a bug that caused your font selection in Preferences > Conversations to not save when you changed it
• Fixed a bug that caused the bottom of the infobox to not show a border
• Fixed a few bugs with AIM file transfers
• Fixed a bug with the new hidden conversations feature that caused incoming IMs to show twice in the IM window when you click the tray icon

We just pushed an update to all users (Build 52, r21443) which fixes a few bugs that were introduced in the last release and also includes a patch for a change in the MySpace protocol. Notable changes include:

• MySpace newsfeed is back (protocol change patch)
• Fixed two bugs that caused incoming IMs to not show in rare cases
• Fixed a bug that caused plugins like LinkedIn and “Listening to” not to load

If you experience any bugs please use “Help > Send Bug Report” in the main menu to submit a diagnostic log or email us at bugs@digsby.com.

We just pushed an update to alpha testers (Build 52, r21404) which fixes a few bugs that were introduced in the last release and also includes a patch for a change in the MySpace protocol.

Our goal is to push this build out to all users ASAP as long as no new issues have been introduced.  So, if you catch any new bugs please let us know. Notable changes include:

• MySpace newsfeed is back (protocol change patch)
• Fixed two bugs that caused incoming IMs to not show in rare cases
• Fixed a bug that caused plugins like LinkedIn and “Listening to” not to load

If you experience any bugs please use “Help > Send Bug Report” in the main menu to submit a diagnostic log or email us at bugs@digsby.com so we can fix them before this build goes live for all users.

We just pushed an update to alpha testers (Build 51, r21071 r21152) which introduces a few small bug fixes and enhancements. Our goal is to push this build out as the next public release as long as no new issues have been introduced.  So, if you catch any new bugs please let us know. As always, you can read the entire list of new features, bug fixes, and enhancements on our Change Log. Notable changes include:

• When the buddy list is closed to the icon tray or minimized to the taskbar, it will no longer resort as buddies sign on or off. When you bring it back into focus, it will resort to apply any status changes. This will significantly reduce CPU usage when Digsby is not in use (especially useful for gamers)
• Added diagnostic info to bug reports to help us hunt down CPU spins. If Digsby tells you it is running slowly, please choose “Yes” to submit the bug report so we can fix the issue

If you would like to become an alpha tester and get new releases before everyone else, download this file and place it in the main program folder. Keep in mind that as an alpha tester you may get a release with a few bugs every now and then.  We are looking for people who are proactive in reporting these issues so we can fix them before builds go out to all users.

As always, thank you for all the feedback and enjoy the new build. If you experience any bugs please email us at bugs@digsby.com or use “Help > Send Bug Report” in the main menu to submit a diagnostic log. If you have any suggestions, please email us at features@digsby.com.

Update  (3/24/2009 1:45pm EST): We just pushed out a small patch that fixes several bugs which were introduced in the latest alpha. Please let us know if there are any remaining issues.  If not, we hope to release this build to all users shortly.

We just pushed an update to alpha testers (Build 50, r20937) which introduces new bug fixes and enhancements. As always, you can read the entire list of new features, bug fixes, and enhancements on our Change Log. The list is a bit shorter than usual because we have been working on a few large projects, which are not quite ready for release. Notable changes include:

• Fixed several major issues with the To/From dropdowns in the IM window
• Changed the default port for AIM and ICQ to 443 since it is more likely to succeed in many firewall situations
• Fixed Hotmail message actions such as Delete and Mark as Read, which broke due to a protocol change

If you would like to become an alpha tester and get new releases before everyone else, download this file and place it in the main program folder. Keep in mind that as an alpha tester you may get a release with a few bugs every now and then.  We are looking for people who are proactive in reporting these issues so we can fix them before builds go out to all users.

As always, thank you for all the feedback and enjoy the new build. If you experience any bugs please email us at bugs@digsby.com or use “Help > Send Bug Report” in the main menu to submit a diagnostic log. If you have any suggestions, please email us at features@digsby.com.

We just pushed a new release (Build 49, r20700) to all non-alpha users.  This release is a small patch, which adds support for a change in the MySpace protocol that broke newsfeeds.  This will be fixed for alpha users in the next alpha release we do.

If you experience any bugs please use “Help > Send Bug Report” in the main menu to submit a diagnostic log or email us at bugs@digsby.com. If you have any suggestions, please email us at features@digsby.com.

As always, thank you for all the feedback and enjoy the new build. Remember to invite your friends to use Digsby via Email or Facebook.

We just pushed an update to alpha testers (Build 48, r20416 r20432 r20444 r20453 r20559) which introduces tons of bug fixes and enhancements. As always, you can read the entire list of new features, bug fixes, and enhancements on our Change Log. Notable changes include:

• Added a “Local Mode” which saves all account info on your machine and uses that if Digsby is unable to connect to our servers to synchronize preferences.  Next time Digsby is able to log in, everything is synchronized. Please let us know if you run into any issues with this feature.
• Fixed several major memory leaks in Digsby and currently hunting down the remaining ones.
• Added support for the new Hotmail protocol.
• Yahoo Protocol now uses their load balancers for more reliable login.

If you would like to become an alpha tester and get new releases before everyone else, download this file and place it in the main program folder. Keep in mind that as an alpha tester you may get a release with a few bugs every now and then.  We are looking for people who are proactive in reporting these issues so we can fix them before builds go out to all users.

As always, thank you for all the feedback and enjoy the new build. If you experience any bugs please email us at bugs@digsby.com or use “Help > Send Bug Report” in the main menu to submit a diagnostic log. If you have any suggestions, please email us at features@digsby.com.

Update 1 (12:00pm EST, 2/17/2009): We are working on fixing a few bugs that have been reported in this alpha and will push out a release shortly.  If you have contacts showing up as duplicates, are having trouble connecting via proxy to some services, or can’t log in to ICQ and are in Germany, those issues will be fixed in a patch shortly.

Update 2 (12:30pm EST 2/17/2009): We just pushed out a patch fixing the above issues.  If you were having proxy issues you may need to reinstall since auto-update could fail for you.

Update 3 (7:00pm EST 2/17/2009): We just pushed out another small patch fixing two bugs that were reported.  One caused your accounts to not show on login in rare cases and another caused the “Typing” notification to stay at the top of the IM window even after someone stopped typing.

Update 4 (10:00am EST 2/18/2009): One more patch fixing a bug with the IM window.  Please let us know if there are any remaining newly introduced issues with this alpha.

Update 5  (11:00am EST 2/20/2009): Another small patch fixing a couple remaining IM window bugs and a bug with messaging WLM buddies after they go idle. Also, Yahoo Protocol now uses their load balancers for more reliable login.

We just pushed an update to alpha testers (Build 46, r20058 r20063 r20092) which introduces tons of bug fixes and enhancements. As always, you can read the entire list of new features, bug fixes, and enhancements on our Change Log. Notable changes include:

• Added auto-update capability for Windows 2000 users (if you are the admin account)
• Fixed several bugs that prevented some users from auto-updating
• Fixed an issue that caused buddy list data (ie: merged contacts, nicknames) to not save
• Preferences that synchronize with our servers are compressed much more efficiently now

If you would like to become an alpha tester and get new releases before everyone else, download this file and place it in the main program folder. Keep in mind that as an alpha tester you may get a release with a few bugs every now and then.  We are looking for people who are proactive in reporting these issues so we can fix them before builds go out to all users.

We are currently focused on optimizing the most CPU intensive components in Digsby.  Our goal is to lower overall CPU usage by at least 50%.  We are also ironing out a few longstanding bugs and working on making file transfers more reliable.  After that, we’ll push several feature focused releases and begin to focus on getting the Mac and Linux releases out the door.

As always, thank you for all the feedback and enjoy the new build. If you experience any bugs please email us at bugs@digsby.com or use “Help > Send Bug Report” in the main menu to submit a diagnostic log. If you have any suggestions, please email us at features@digsby.com.

Update 1 (1/27/2008 5:40pm): We pushed a small patch to fix a bug with “message of the day” targetting so we can set a message of the day that only alpha testers see on login.

Update 2 (1/28/2008 1:40pm): We pushed out a patch fixing the ICQ login issue that was affecting users in Germany. The patch also includes a fix for a bug that prevented some users from logging into their Jabber accounts and a fix for Hotmail (Windows Live Mail) auto-login.  The new release number is 20092.