Gates: 'I believe the children are the future...'

NEWS Microsoft has announced plans to begin testing a radically new instant messaging and communications product next week aimed at youngsters who have grown up using the internet. The new software, called threedegrees, creates a peer-to-peer social group where young people can chat, share photos, listen to music and meet friends. Concurrent with the beta, Microsoft also plans to release the Windows Peer-to-Peer Update for Windows XP. To use threedegrees, prospective testers must be running Windows XP with Service Pack 1, the new peer-to-peer update and MSN Messenger 5 installed on their computer. The software allows users to create groups, where up to 10 people can participate in the same instant messages. Group members also can share animations and photos or listen to music. The new software comes out of Microsoft's 18-month-old NetGen division, which operates on a separate campus in downtown Seattle. A team of 12 recent college graduates, led by group manager Tammy Savage, has been trying to develop products aimed at the 'Net generation' - people aged between 13 and 24. Savage said: "I think that's the thing people in this age group really gravitate to is the communications tool, really socialising through the instant messenger." Core to threedegrees is the group instant messaging, for which there is no restriction on the number of groups. While each group is limited to 10 members, one person could participate in a dozen different groups or more, instant messaging or participating in activities in any or all of them. Another feature, known as Winks, lets one user send animations to everyone in the group. "Winks is an activity where they can basically wink at someone across the room." Group members also can share photos and, more importantly, listen to music available in a common play list. Savage sees this as one of threedegrees' most important features. "Music a lot of times is the background for the fun that you have." As for the name, it is a takeoff on six degrees of separation, the theory that every individual on the planet can be linked to any other individual by six other people.