(http://on10.net/Link/aa39327e-e832-4c11-b12d-44d8318cb5c8/?default=content)
Messenger Companion, a new browser plugin for Internet Explorer, makes surfing the web a more social experience. Detailed here on the Windows Live blog,
http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_live/b/windowslive/archive/2010/07/26/messenger-companion-have-conversations-with-your-friends-directly-in-internet-explorer.aspx
the new plugin lets you view links you’re friends are sharing, comment on them and share links with others directly from a website. And since Messenger now connects to your social networks (like Facebook, for example), Messenger Companion lets you share to those services as well.
However, this is no mere “status update” link-shortening tool – it can also help you discover new content of interest as you browse the web.
For example, if you’re on YouTube, Messenger Companion will subtly flash to notify you that a friend (or friends) of yours have recently shared links from that site on any social network (Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, etc.). You can then click on the notification to see what they were sharing. You can also click the Messenger Companion button in IE to see all the recently shared links from the site. After doing so, the Messenger Companion sidebar opens up to display a News Feed-like stream of shared links.
If you choose to comment on those links, that comment is posted back to the original social network from where the link originated.
And if you find something share-worthy, you can use Messenger Companion to do so. It will updated your Windows Live Messenger status as well as your status in any social networks you’ve connected via the Windows Live service.
Messenger Companion works in IE7 and IE8 and comes with the Windows Live Essentials beta
http://download.live.com/