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Yahoo will ping Messenger 8 IMers to upgrade

Sometimes, skipping a software update makes sense. Sticking to Windows XP instead of switching to the Vista operating system is a case in point. Yahoo Messenger 9 is not.

On Tuesday, Yahoo announced that it's time to grow up. Like it or not, in a few weeks, Windows users still chatting on Yahoo Messenger 8 and Yahoo Messenger 9 beta will see a window pop up at sign-in urging an upgrade to the latest version of the free chat client. While there's no indication that Yahoo will force you to change, it's a sure bet that nag … Read more

VoxOx offers points deal to CNET readers

Update: VoxOx has extended the deal from Thursday, April 9, at 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. PDT. Also, $5 normally buys 500 VoxOx points, not 250 as previously stated.

Multiprotocol chat client VoxOx is offering a deal to CNET readers until 2:30 p.m. PST on Thursday, April 9. If you buy $5 worth of VoxPoints, instead of the usual 500 points, CNET readers will get 1,500 points. This is triple the number of points VoxOx is offering readers who sign on through VoxOx's own site. Each point converts to 1 minute's worth … Read more

IM is coming to your MySpace profile

It's about time: MySpace's formerly desktop-only instant-messaging client, MySpaceIM, is going in-browser. The company is beta-testing it with Canadian users but plans to roll it out to other English-speaking countries (including the U.S.) over the next few weeks and then to other regions in the following months.

To be fair, MySpaceIM is already accessible from the Web-based Meebo.

The new MySpaceIM, anchored at the bottom of the browser window in its own toolbar, takes a format quite similar to Facebook Chat. It can also pop out into its own browser window. You can, in addition, IM with … Read more

U.K. to monitor, store all social-network traffic?

The U.K. government is considering the mass surveillance and retention of all user communications on social-networking sites, including Facebook, MySpace, and Bebo.

Vernon Coaker the U.K. Home Office security minister, on Monday said the EU Data Retention Directive, under which Internet service providers must store communications data for 12 months, does not go far enough. Communications such as those on social-networking sites and via instant-messaging services could also be monitored, he said.

"Social-networking sites such as MySpace or Bebo are not covered by the directive," said Coaker, speaking at a meeting of the House of Commons … Read more

Yahoo Messenger encroaches on Facebook turf

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--Facebook has a Web-based instant-messaging application, but Yahoo wants to one-up the social networking site with an application called Pingbox that lets Facebook users chat with widely used Yahoo Messenger technology instead.

In 2008, Yahoo released a version of Pingbox that would let people put an IM widget on their pages at Friendster, Xanga, hi5, LiveJournal, MySpace, and Google's Blogger sites. It was harder work to build the Pingbox application for Facebook but now that's available too.

With Pingbox set up, anyone who visits your Facebook page sees a chat window that invites them to send … Read more

The case for enterprise micro-blogging

I wrote yesterday about the case against enterprise micro-blogging. And while many people agreed with my suggestion that Yammer may not be ideal for my situation, we all agree that there is something to the notion of short-message style communications in the enterprise.

In Twitters' consumer setting, we tend to want the instant gratification with little to no follow-up on the discussion. In the business world we are looking for everything to have a meaning to our team/company and so on.

In the business world content is king, but context matters.

Besides the act of communicating, most people want … Read more

Meglobe opens up to other IM networks (and you)

Meglobe, a Web-based IM client that translates conversations in real time is now open to everyone. Previously in private beta, the service has re-launched with a new design and support for Yahoo, AOL AIM, and MSN chat protocols.

If you have buddies on one of these other services who speaks a different language, Meglobe will automatically translate based on the home language you've set as a preference. Previously they would have had to sign up to be a Meglobe member.

More importantly, the service has improved its translation tools, allowing users to make fixes and suggestions to the ones … Read more

Microsoft tugs at heartstrings with Windows ad

Microsoft's new Windows ad made its expected debut over the weekend, with a 4-year-old cutie named Kylie showing how easy it is to use Windows Live Photo Gallery to edit and share photos.

As I noted last week, Microsoft is pushing ahead with new spots in its Windows ad campaign after taking some time off following the Gates/Seinfeld and "I'm a PC" spots.

In the new spot, which debuted during the Grammy Awards Sunday (and is embedded below), Kylie shows how she uses the program to touch up her photo and then share it with … Read more

VoxOx wants to be a voice for all

What if Digsby and Skype merged into one seemingly all-powerful VoIP and messaging communications tool is the question that VoxOx seeks to answer. VoxOx's many features have not yet been seen in one package. It's got multiprotocol chat abilities, social networking support, and Web-mail integration. It also offers a telephony service that includes call encryption, mobile-to-mobile calls initiated by either SMS or via a Web site, a free personal assistant-style call forwarding service, and a system for earning minutes by watching ads or responding to surveys.

In addition to the features listed above, VoxOx offers 120 free minutes … Read more