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On the Internet, no one knows you're a dog. That, of course, was the caption to the classic cartoon from The New Yorker magazine. This anonymity comes into play even when instant messaging with someone you know. All the responses from your friends' computer may not actually be coming from your friend. Some may be inserted by malicious software running on your friend's computer.

As Randy Abrams, director of technical education for ESET, the company that produces the NOD32 antivirus program, put it last month:

"Instant messaging is a very successful means for the bad guys to … Read more

If you're an avid Windows Live Messenger user, now's the time to convince your friends to make the switch to the new Windows Live Messenger beta. If they don't, you'll be wondering what the hubbub is about.

Unveiled on Wednesday, the new beta offers a bundle of fun, fresh features, the best of which can be taken advantage of only when you're chatting with another beta user. As a beta, there are a few known bugs, and probably more to discover, but the adventurous early adopters who aren't afraid of leaving Windows' Messenger 8 … Read more

We promised that a full review of Altec Lansing's just-announced Orbit MP3 iM237 was forthcoming--and now it's done. Here's the quick take with a link to the full review below.

The good: The Orbit MP3 iM237 is a compact, attractively designed portable single speaker that runs on three AAA batteries and comes with a protective carrying case; sound is OK for a speaker this small; integrated cable plugs into headphone jack of MP3 players and other devices.

The bad: While it's inexpensive, this model is a bit pricier than the previous Orbit; overall thin sound; distorts … Read more

It's the little iPod speaker that could. The Orbit, Altec Lansing's inexpensive mobile iPod speaker has a new design and new name: The Orbit MP3 iM237. We like it better than the previous model.

This single speaker, which is about the size of two hockey pucks stacked on top of each other, runs on three AAA batteries for about 24 hours and has a hideaway cord that plugs into the headphone jack on just about any MP3 player, including all the iPods and iPhones, as well as laptops and portable DVD players. The $39.95 speaker ships with … Read more

Several of Altec Lansing's inMotion iPod speaker models have been among the favorites of CNET readers and editors alike, but it's been a while since we've seen a line refresh. That'll change in October, when two new inMotion models are released as part of Altec's brand relaunch.

First up is the inMotion Moondance GLOW (model number iM402, shown above). Designed for the nightstand, the GLOW is a clock radio iPod speaker system with dual alarms. It's so named because of its "unique multicolor, diffused illumination system" (according to Altec Lansing). In addition to a remote that enables playlist and song navigation from a distance, the GLOW includes a separate wireless "snooze remote" for alarm control. … Read more

Despite the uncomplicated version number, open-source, multiclient chat app Pidgin 2.5 doesn't include any major improvements unless you're fascinated by bug-fixes or are a big MSN-messenger user.

Available for Windows, in a portable version, and for Linux, the update features support for Microsoft's Live Messenger offline messaging, and personal messages. The latter will show up as Status messages. Live Messenger's non-face Smileys should be updated, too.

Other improvements are much smaller in scale: Group and Chat buddy list entries now support custom buddy icons via the context menu, and there's the usual spate of … Read more

AOL has upgraded its AIM Express software, an online Flash-based application that replicates many of the features of the regular downloadable software (add your own review here).

Among the new AIM Express 7.0 features are tabbed conversations, status messages, text-message support to communicate with buddies' mobile phones, and compatibility with Microsoft's Internet Explorer 6 and 7, Mozilla's Firefox 2 and 3, and Apple's Safari 2 and 3.

The software is an example of the growing utility and sophistication of Web-based applications. Instant messaging, though, is somewhat more amenable to the task: it doesn't require the … Read more

I remember my first cell phone being the Ericsson KF788. It had a three-line resolution on a black and white screen and an address book that had enough fields to store only a person's name and one phone number. If a friend had two phone numbers, I would have to create two separate entries. That was way back when, well, in 2001.

Cell phones have evolved so much since then, and, along the way, their internal address books have evolved right along with them. In the address book of today's smart phones, you can store almost any information … Read more

If you've been on the hunt for a tool that lets you chat with friends or clients that speak a different language, MeGlobe is a really simple solution that does all the work for you. Like Meebo, it will turn a single open browser window in a Webtop where you can manage your buddy list and chat windows. There's no software to install, and it handles 15 languages with relative ease.

I gave it a spin using French to English, and as advertised it translates in real time. You see what the person wrote in small letters, with … Read more