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Filed under: Developer, Utilities, Web services, Open Source, Social Software, AOL

AOL boosts third-party chat clients with Open AIM 2.0

AIM 2.0
It's hard to get by with just one chat client these days. Your contacts aren't likely to be limited to a single service, like Google Talk, MSN Live or AIM, so a multi-chat client is a must. Now the multi-chat experience is about to get a lot better for AIM's 27.8 million users, with the launch of AOL's Open AIM 2.0 initiative.

Open AIM will aid the developers of clients like Meebo and eBuddy by releasing documentation for OSCAR, the protocol that the official AIM client uses to connect to the service. Open source libraries are now allowed to access the AIM network, and developers are free to create mobile or corporate versions of AIM to their heart's content, and AIM will now all kinds of widgets and plugins.

What does this mean for users? For one, some of the compatibility issues with third-party clients might finally go away -- file transfer is the one that's always been a sore spot for us. AOL is promising access to AIM's voice and video capabilities, too. Keep an eye out for updates to your favorite chat client, because the devs are likely working at full speed to add new features under Open AIM.

[Via TechCrunch]

Filed under: Developer, Internet, Productivity, Web services, Open Source

AIM API allows web site embedding

open aimLooks like parent company AOL has been testing out APIs that allow for embedding AIM into websites. This new feature for developers will allow users to directly send and receive instant messages from websites. The API also allows for availability, and away messages to be set in the user's profile via the web. The new AIM Whimsicals widgets allows developers to integrate different services and added functionality for websites. There are currently 50,000 developers that have registered for the Open AIM program already. Has anyone tried any of the Open AIM options yet? What are your thoughts?

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With Halloween fast approaching, it's a great time to get in some practice defending your territory against zombies. In Graveyard Shift, you take aim at zombies and other creepy-crawlies, blasting them into splatters of cartoony green guts. It's a casual first-person shooter, and it's very easy to get the hang of - use the mouse to aim, click to fire. Graveyard Shift has at least 15 levels, and it might even have some secret stages I haven't unlocked yet. They key to getting good at Graveyard Shift is learning to use ...

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