The Linux operating system has gone through a number of “default” chat applications. From the earlier text-based chats like zicq, to the later Gaim, then to Pidgen (still in use), and now (and, hopefully, finally) GNOME has settled on Empathy. Empathy is a messenging program built upon the Telepathy protocol which is based on Gossip. [...]

Categories: Desktop Manager, Linux, Online Services, Open Source, Software, Tutorials Basic

Google Talk is a Google service that is currently in beta (are not they all) which allows users to communicate in various ways with each other. It does feature PC to PC voice chat (with the option to record a voice message if the other user is not available right now) but also instant messaging [...]

Categories: Software, Windows

Many users with more than one computer system face a problem if they use Instant Messengers: How can they make sure that the data of all messenger clients is synced. This might not be a problem for users who simply chat and forget but what if you use a messenger for business and need to [...]

Categories: Online Services

Google Talk is an instant messaging software program for Windows that can be used to chat with friends and colleagues, initiate file transfers, do voice over IP and to send and receive voicemails. It’s basically an instant messaging client for the desktop that automatically includes Google Mail contacts.

Categories: Software, Windows

Coccinella is an interesting chat client that brings new features and lots of customization to the table. If you want to compete in the Instant Messenger market you either need backing of a major player or provide users with features that they cannot find elsewhere. The client Coccinella takes the second path by adding new [...]

Categories: Software, The Web

Gabtastic provides desktop access to the chat applications Facebook Chat and Google Talk. Those two are normally only accessible on the Facebook and Google Mail websites which require a permanently opened browser during chat. The chats put some strain on the browser and system and using them in a desktop client instead could be a [...]

Categories: Facebook, Software, Windows

What language will a German and a French use to communicate usually ? What a Italian and Swede ? They will speak English unless you find someone that speaks both languages which, depending on the two languages in questions, could be rather rare. A huge problem arises when you have to speak to someone who does not speak English, how do you communicate ?

Categories: The Web

Instantbird plans to be for Instant Messengers what Firefox is for web browsers. The first version with the number 0.1 does show a lot of promise but naturally lacks the stability of a software that has been developed for years. It uses the Mozilla rendering engine to render IMs and the Pidgin libpurple to connect to the various networks.

Categories: Software, Tools

Web Messengers that allow you to connect to Instant Messenger networks are becoming extremely popular because they make it possible to connect to those networks and chat with your buddies and contacts from computers that where it is not possible to install Instant Messenger software. Meebo was one of the first Web Messengers that I wrote about and Koolim is a comparable service which has the advantage that it is not that popular yet.

Categories: Online Services, The Web