Messenger 2010: Get the new emoticons now!

As recently showcased by Group Program Manager for Social Networking Jeff Kunins in the Inside Windows Live blog, Messenger 2010 will get a new set of emoticons.  These will be introduced throughout Windows Live, so you can use them in Live Writer as well as Hotmail and the other applications.  Today the full set has been unveiled by the Chinese news sites cnbeta.com and LiveSino.net.

Use the new emoticons today

You don’t want to wait until Windows Live 2010 (Wave 4) is released?  There is a way how you can use the new emoticons right now.  Here is how it works:

1. Download the Messenger 2010 Emoticon Pack:
   [download id=21]
2. Extract the file contents to a folder of your choice.
3. Sign in to Messenger, and open any conversation window.
4. Click the   button, and choose Show all.
5. Click the Create button, then click Find image…
6. Select the first emoticon from your disk and click Open.
7. Enter a shortcut, and press OK.
8. Repeat the last 3 steps for each emoticon you want to add.
9. Done — now you can use the new Messenger 2010 emoticons in your chats as custom emoticons.

Download: [download id=21]