If you are changing your nickname and anything else using no$gba, then when you close the emu, the settings will change back to the way it was before you made any changes. To change the settings in your firmware and to save them, you will either have to change the settings in your real ds and dump it again, or use an editor program like this one.
As for your last question, we assume the development is still ongoing unless the author state that he has stopped working on it.
As for your last question, we assume the development is still ongoing unless the author state that he has stopped working on it.