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Filed under: Internet, Windows

Adam's Favorite Windows Apps: Trillian

Trillian 3 BasicI've blogged about it before, and I'll blog about it again.

Back when I was just a wee lad of the Internet, I found a most wonderful concept: instant messaging! At the time, I thought MSN Messenger was the coolest thing since the automatic bread slicer. Of course, my best friend preferred Yahoo! Messenger, and the majority of everyone else I knew would use nothing but AOL Instant Messenger. So, I had two choices: have three relatively bloated instant messaging running simultaneously on my computer, or lose electronic touch with the rest of the world. That is, until I found Trillian.

Trillian, like Digsby or Adium, aggregates multiple different instant messaging services into one relatively light-weight application. The Basic (free) version supports AIM, ICQ, Windows Live, and Yahoo! service as well as IRC chat. The Pro version throws in support for Jabber (Google Talk and soon Facebook), Novell GroupWise, and Bonjour (formerly Rendezvous). Also, if you shell out the $25 for the Pro version, you'll get video chat support for the networks that support it.

Filed under: Internet, Windows, Microsoft, Freeware

Windows Live Messenger 8.1 beta released

Windows Live Messenger 8.1
Microsoft has released a beta version of Windows Live Messenger 8.1 over at Live.com. It's not an enormous update, but it does add a few nice features to the IM client. Among them are a "Roaming Identity," meaning you can (optionally) have your display picture and personal message follow you wherever you login, an improved emoticon, background, and display picture menu that shows you recently-used emoticons, etc. up top, an SMS phone book that lets you associate phone numbers with you contacts and send them SMS messages easily, a "report abuse" function, and support for Vista's Presentation Mode that keeps IMs from interrupting you when you're in the middle of a presentation. There are a couple other minor new features like an improved Contact Card, a Sign Out option on the Status menu and a new contact emoticon. Windows Live Messenger is a free download from Microsoft.

Filed under: Utilities, Video, Windows, Freeware

Command your PVR via IM with /mobileRecord

/mobileRecordWhat do you do when you're out of town and realize you forgot to set your PVR to record, say, Celebrity Duets? Nothing! You're out of luck! No duets for you! That is, unless you have a Windows Media Center PVR, and the foresight to have installed /mobileRecord by Casey Chestnut. /mobileRecord is an IM bot that talks to your WMCE scheduling software and lets you schedule recordings via MSN/Windows Live Messenger. This is particularly handy if you have an IM-capable smart phone, but even if you're just IMing from the office it could be seriously handy. /mobileRecord also supports voice recognition if you have Microsoft's Speech Server 2007 beta installed, which will allow you to command your PVR from any phone. /mobileRecord is delightfully free.

[Via Engadget]

Filed under: Fun, Internet, Windows, Microsoft

Windows Live Messenger "Invasion of the Robots" Contest

Invasion of the RobotsMicrosoft is sponsoring a contest that challenges developers to create chatbots for the MSN/Windows Live Messenger network. The contest, called Invasion of the Robots, promises over $40,000 in prizes, including the grand prize, a sweet Alienware system or US$10,000 in cash. The deadline is September 15, and Judging will presumably be done by a Microsoft panel (the contest rules just say "qualified judges supervised by an independent judging organization"), with winners being announced on October 15. There is also a "Users' Choice" category, the winner of which can choose among thre different prizes valued $500, or just the cash. If you want to enter, head over to the Invasion of the Robots site and download the SDK.

[Via Digg]

Filed under: Internet, Windows, Microsoft, Freeware

Windows Live Messenger public beta released

Windows Live Messenger

At long last Microsoft has opened beta-testing of Windows Live Messenger, formerly known as MSN Messenger 8, to the public. The biggest new features are Sharing Folders, the fruits of Microsoft's acquistion of FolderShare, which aims to simplify sharing photos and files with your contacts, and Windows Live Call, a pre-paid service that lets you call regular phones, a la SkypeOut, via Verizon. Also new is a simplified interface, integrated MSN Video (I'm still not sure who wants this), and a semi-customizable GUI. To get in on the beta you'll have to have a (free) Passport account, natch.

[Via TechCrunch]

Featured Time Waster

Graveyard Shift - zombie-busting Time Waster

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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