ooVoo - Video Messenger

ooVoo is a free application which you can use to talk face-to-face with your friends with high quality video and audio. Using ooVoo you are able to:

• Include up to five people in your conversation.
• Send video messages to a specific person or a group of them.
• Of course, text messages and file transfers are possible.

The application has a nice 3d video interface which is convenient and intuitive and nicely compliments the Vista style. All you need is a webcam and a headset (or separate microphone and speakers, of course). The installation takes up to 20 MB.

It seems that ooVoo is trying to be a competitor of Skype. Unfortunately, with ooVoo you cannot call out to standard phones. However there is click-to-call, and the ability to send video messages to non-ooVoo users. The quality of the video and the sound is definitely noticeable.

The ooVoo instant messenger is definitely a very interesting and useful application. One of the biggest problems would be to convince your contacts to switch to ooVoo.

I've found here an interesting story of two people who married using the ooVoo messenger. I don't know if it's real but it sounds like a funny and exciting story.

More Web-Based Instant Messengers

About an year and a half ago I've posted a list of some of the most popular web-based instant messengers. Meanwhile many new versions and new messengers appeared. Here is a list of those of the messengers I've found most impressive and interesting:

• Ninja IM - Instant messaging for office ninjas
  http://www.ninjaim.com/
  Now you can IM with your friends and co-workers in the office! For all you who work in an office where IM clients like MSN messenger, Yahoo! messenger and Google Talk are prohibited, you'll love this.
  
• KoolIM
  http://www.koolim.com/
  KoolIM.com is a web messenger application that allows you to stay connected with your favorite Instant Messenger almost anywhere. You need a computer with just a browser only. You can sign in to AIM, MSN, Yahoo, Google Talk and ICQ.
  
• Meetro
  http://www.meetro.com/
  Meetro is the world's first location-aware IM client and real-time social network - which means Meetro allows you to meet real people in your neighborhood. It works with MSN, Yahoo, Google Talk and AIM.
  
• RadiusIM
  http://www.radiusim.com/
  You can use your MSN, Yahoo and AIM accounts here. The most interesting thing here is that the users are placed on a map and you can see where your friends are and find more people in a region specified by you. You should definitely try it.
  
• Plugoo
  http://www.plugoo.com/
  You can use Plugoo to chat directly from your favorite instant messenger with any visitor of your blog or any website you own. When you’re logged into your instant messenger (Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, AIM, Google Talk, Jabber, ICQ), you can receive in real time all the comments of your visitors or any question they might ask, and answer instantly!
  

And these are the messengers I've already written about but they are worth mentioning again:

• Meebo
  http://www.meebo.com/
  In my opinion, this is best web-based messenger I've seen.
  
• Goowy
  http://www.goowy.com/
  Goowy is a service that offers you simple, intuitive tools for communicating and sharing on the web.
  
• Google Talk inside Gmail
  https://mail.google.com/
  Of course, everyone knows about the chat integrated into Gmail. One of the best additions to the Gmail interface.
  

Cool IM Websites (Part 1)

All the emoticons and national flags available in Skype are listed here.

Wondering if your friends at Yahoo Messenger are trying to be invisible? Check here - Buddy Spy will also tell you whether your friend is in a Chat Room or even if their Web Cam is online.

If you don't like to minimize Skype/Google Talk/MSN to look at your RSS reader, you can get your favorite feeds directly in your favorite messenger with Anothr.

Universal Instant Messaging Platform by VoiceOne

VoiceOne™ Communications presented a new universal instant messaging platform that integrates the instant messaging services of Google (Google Talk), Yahoo (Yahoo Messenger), MSN and AOL IM. By using this service provided on Click4Me.net and VoiceOne Labs the users can send messages between any of the four services. For instance, Google Talk users can send instant messages to MSN users, or AOL users, or Yahoo! IM users - using Click4Me.Net - without having to use separate Instant Messaging clients for each service.

VoiceOne has added this IM integrated functionality to its recently released beta version of Click4Me.Net, the world's first Web-click calling service that utilizes VoIP technology for free phone-to-phone calling, and now Instant Messaging across services. Click4Me.Net is available for testing on VoiceOne's Virtual Lab - an open forum for users to preview, test free of charge, and provide feedback on new IP communications services developed by VoiceOne.

To start using the Click4Me.Net service, just register for free. The members can then review, provide feedback on the service or discuss additional IP communications services with VoIP Inc.'s development team.

Features:

• SMS Text messaging to users,
• An online Inbox allowing people to leave messages for one another on the Click4Me.Net website,
• Email and SMS text notifications of missed calls or new messages,
• Instant Messaging across popular IM services.

VoiceOne will add more expanded and new features in the coming days and weeks.

New Generation of IM Worms

According to Kaspersky Labs, new generation of instant messaging worms is spreading across protocols and platforms. We have seen a lot of worms which were specific to a single instant messaging protocol, for example MSN or AOL. However, the next generation of worms poses a much greater threat because of their ability to use different IM protocols to spread. And more - they can attack both Microsoft Windows and Mac platforms.

Of course, if the instant messaging user is smart and careful enough, the computer will be safe. It's very important not to open any attachments or URLs sent by unknown persons. Even more - if you receive an attachment or URL by someone in your buddy list, always ask him what he's sending you. Maybe he doesn't even know that his computer is under the control of a worm.

Meanwhile, Postini announced that there is a 160% increase over June in instant messaging attacks against corporate networks. One of the detected IM threats is Prokeylogger, which logs every key you type on your keyboard and gets your passwords. Then it sends this information to their owners, which can get details about your e-mails, credit cards, other sensitive personal information.

Free calls in US and Canada

All US and Canadian-based Skype customers can now make free SkypeOut calls to traditional landline and mobile phones in the US and Canada. This offer is valid until the end of 2006 year.

While SkypeOut calls within the US and Canada will now be free, SkypeOut calls to and within all other countries will continue to incur charges. Those charges are unchanged by today’s announcement and remain among the lowest available to consumers.

Skype website

Download the latest Skype 2.0.0.105 (Windows)