Tag: CHAT

A leaked early version of RIM's upcoming BlackBerry Messenger 6 has been making the rounds since late February, but images of the new app are just now beginning to appear. Over at CrackBerry, the crew has shared a handful of images of BBM 6 in action. Unfortunately, you won't get a glimpse at a chat or file transfer -- only the profile screens (after the break) and what you see above. All ...

Bots -- like the kind which automate IRC rooms and Google Wave -- are a good thing to know about. There are plenty of useful bots worth knowing about, too, including the Google Talk Guru. Just add guru@googlelabs.com to your GTalk buddies, and you can start firing off questions. Lifehacker suggests that the same types of queries supported by Google SMS will work, though we didn't have any luck ...

We've all thought it, but never dared think it could be true: what if Microsoft, Yahoo, and AOL actively monitor our instant messenger chats? What if mentions of 'bomb' and 'underage' are tracked and sent to law enforcement agencies? What if chat providers don't agree with the things we say, or the links we share, and filter or censor the content of our transmitted messages? Well, it looks like ...

Fresh off its acquisition by Skype, Qik has shown that it's business (and development) as usual for the popular video app. At SXSW, Qik unveiled its new Video Connect app for iPhone which allows users to participate in video chats as well as record and share videos. In addition the free version, there will be a $2.99 Qik Video Connect Plus app. Paid users will have access to a number of slick ...

Meebo has pumped up its iOS app with a handful of new features which take it beyond multi-network instant messaging. Initial Twitter support has been added, as has the ability for users to check-in to websites they're browsing. You can enter a site manually, or simply scan a QR code. There's also a new real-time feed tab which displays updates from your Facebook, Twitter, and Meebo streams. The ...

Kik continues its quest to become the multi-platform BlackBerry Messenger alternative. Today, the company announced the arrival of two important features: photo sharing and group messaging. Group conversations have been implemented the way many desktop instant messaging apps have done so. Start a conversation with one user, and you can add other contacts to your discussion -- it's a more ...

Skype has announced a new change to its desktop app, but this particular feature addition isn't about functionality, it's about monetization. Yes, advertisements are coming to Skype. On the upside, they'll only appear on the Skype Home tab -- so they won't get in the way of your actual chat sessions. The blog post also states that only the U.S., U.K., and Germany will be seeing ads ...

BlackBerry owners love BBM, and it's one of the best out-of-the-box messaging apps you'll find on any smartphone platform. According to Boy Genius Report, RIM may finally be preparing to extend BBM beyond its own OS -- releasing Android and iOS versions. The reason for the change of heart could be the spate of very capable and very popular cross-platform BBM alternatives. While it would ...

Facebook has snatched up Beluga, one of the most popular group messaging services around. We recently mentioned Beluga in our round-up of cross-platform BlackBerry messenger alternatives, and it's been growing steadily in popularity ever since it launched just a few short months ago. In its official announcement, Facebook says it is "excited that the [Beluga] team will continue their vision ...

For a while now, people have questioned whether multi-network chat app Trillian was worth its pricetag. With the company's latest update, there's a better chance users will say "yes." The big addition is that chats in Trillian are now shared in realtime across all your devices -- similar to how Google Talk and Skype have handled chats for some time. The difference, of course, is that Trillian ...

Back when we had the chance to play with some more mature builds of Chromium OS, one feature we particularly liked was its slick, panelized Google Talk funcationality. It later disappeared, replaced by a Gtalk app in the Chrome Web Store -- but while Google talks about 'the same platform everywhere,' the Gtalk Web app only worked on Chrome and Chromium OS. What about all us Windows, Mac, ...

Vivox offers a Facebook app which allows you to voice chat with your friends as you browse the site from your desktop, but what about while you're out and about? A mobile option would be nice, too. That's what the developers at Crisp App think, too, and its iPhone app lets you do just that. Grab Facebook Messenger for $2.99 in the App Store, and you'll have a convenient way to voice chat with ...

Users of the Skype iPhone app can now install an update which enables video calling to Skype contacts on more devices, including Skype-enabled TVs. While there still aren't a ton of sets which support the popular voice and video chat app, Skype really only began sidling its way into the living room last year -- so expect more models to appear in 2011. Here's hoping that Skype hurries up and ...

Skype 5 for Mac is now out of beta, bringing its shiny new single-window interface to the masses. Early adopters have gotten used to having contacts, chats and video in the same window, but it's a big adjustment for folks who will be upgrading from Skype 2.8. For people who've been using Skype 5 Beta, the final version has some pluses and minuses. The good news is that Skype has slimmed down ...

Android Honeycomb is getting plenty of time in the spotlight this week, what with all the tablets on display at CES 2011. One feature we're particularly excited about is support for video calling in the Google Talk app -- which T-Mobile has graciously demonstrated and posted to YouTube. Check out the brief video after the break for a sneak peek -- which includes a glimpse of the Talk app's tablet ...