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Posts with tag instant-messaging

KonoLive turns instant messaging into "instant collaboration"

KonoLiveKonoLive is launching a new "instant collaboration" service at DEMO this week. The company's application looks a lot like an instant messaging client built on Adobe AIR. But while most IM clients allow you to do a few things besides chatting (like sharing files, images, and even video), KonoLive takes things to a whole new level.

Users will be able to share Office documents, PDF files, and digital media files with contacts without opening a web browser. Users can also comment on media, and keep track of various versions of a document.

The application is geared more toward business users than casual computer users. Most folks don't really need yet another IM client littering their desktop. But if you're looking for a way to collaborate with a team of people scattered across the globe, or even a typical office space KonoLive looks like an interesting option. The service is expected to launch in private beta on Wednesday.

[via Mashable]

SpeakLike offers real-time IM translation

SpeakLike
Need to communicate with a colleague, client, or eBay seller in China, but don't speak Chinese? SpeakLike wants to help. The service, which launches in private beta this week provides real-time chat translation services.

SpeakLike works by using a combination of machine and human translation. As you send a message, a machine will automatically translate it to another language, while a human translator looks things over to make sure the translation is accurate.

SpeakLike plans to charge by the message. So rather than paying by the word or minute as you would with most translation services, you'll pay $.10 per message. It's not clear if there's a word limit on messages, but we're going to assume you can't write a 10 paragraph message and then hit send.

At launch, SpeakLike supports English, Spanish, and Simplified Chinese. Human translators will only be available during limited hours while the service is in beta. But eventually the goal is to offer 24/7 translation services.

In order to user SpeakLike you'll need to install the company's chat client. The service is not compatible with AIM, MSN Messenger, or any other service. And there's currently no option to save transcripts of your chat. But you'd be amazed what a little copying and pasting can do to remedy that situation.

Yahoo! launches stealth beta of myM: A Meebo competitor?

myM
Yahoo! appears to be working on a new social networking/chat service. MyM is in private beta at the moment, so we can't tell you much about it, but Silicon Valley gossip rag Valleywag reports that the service could be some sort of web-based instant messenger that will tie in with other social sites including Facebook, Friendster, MySpace, LiveJournal, and competing IM services including AIM, MSN Messenger, and Meebo.

We'd say the whole thing doesn't make a lot of sense, except we don't really know enough about the service to condemn it yet. When you sign up for email notification of future myM news, you're asked what social networks and chat clients you use. While Valleywag surmises that this means myM will tie in with those services, it's also possible that Yahoo! just wants to know how you use the internet.

Still, as long as we're in the realm of speculation here, we're going to make a wild guess that myM will be a Yahoo! branded web-based instant messaging widget that you'll be able to add to various social networking sites or your personal blog. But until someone sends us an invite, we'll never really know. Hint hint.

Pidgin 2.2 flies the coop

Pidgin 2.2Multi-protocol instant messaging client Pidgin has hit version 2.2. And when they say multi-protocol, they mean it. Pidgin supports AIM, Bonjour, Gadu-Gadu, Google Talk, Groupwise, ICQ, IRC, MSN, MySpaceIM, QQ, SILC, SIMPLE, Sametime, XMPP, Yahoo!, and Zephyr.

In other words, there's a good chance this open-source program is the only instant messaging client you'll ever need to install on your Windows or Linux PC. There are a bunch of updates since the last release. One of our favorites is the return of optional protocol icons which make it easy to tell which of your friends are using MSN Messenger, and which are using AIM (and so on). Here are some of the other changes:
  • Yahoo! Chat is fixed
  • AIM file transfer issues fixed
  • Properly restore idle status time for AIM and ICQ accounts that reconnect after being disconnected
  • Remember "enable sounds" setting for a conversation
If you've got friends and family using 17 different instant messaging applications, Pidgin is a great way to keep in touch with everyone without installing 17 different programs. And the best thing is when you turn it off, they all go away. You know, unless they e-mail, call, or stop by your house for a visit.
[via Digg]

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