IM in the Mainstream
In what is to be a first for both instant messaging and social networking,
MySpace and MTV have announced plans to host a series of real-time, one-on-one
dialogs between the presidential candidates and plugged-in voters. The
dialogs will be webcast live through both MTV.com and MySpaceTV.com. The dialogs start
on September 27, at 12PM EDT, with Democratic candidate John Edwards. While
scheduled to take place at the University of New Hampshire with MTV News
correspondents and WashingtonPost.com political reporters, there will also be
an opportunity for people to submit questions through
MySpaceIM which will let viewers
at home and online interact in real time with the candidates.
MTV has confirmed that additional candidates participating in the
MySpace/ MTV Presidential Candidate Dialog series include Senator Sam
Brownback, Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator Chris Dodd, Former Mayor Rudy
Giuliani, Representative Duncan Hunter, Senator John McCain, Senator Barack
Obama, Representative Ron Paul, Governor Bill Richardson and Former Governor
Mitt Romney.
In other mainstream instant messaging news this week, EyeWonder has launched a new product
designed to display rich media ads on instant messaging clients. InstantWonder enables media planners and buyers to deliver rich media and video advertising across five major platforms including AIM, ICQ, MSN Windows Live Messenger, the MySpaceIM Messenger and Yahoo Messenger.
Mobile IM Headlines
SIPphone Inc. has recently announced the release of
Gizmo for Mobile, free-to-use software that will allows users to send instant messages via mobile browsers. Supported networks include the Gizmo Project, AIM, MSN, Yahoo and Google Talk. It also allows users to place Gizmo VoIP calls when they log into a Web site and enter phone numbers for themselves and their call's recipient. After entering the numbers, users hang up and
their phones will ring as soon as the connection has been made. All calls are billed
at Gizmo's Call Out rates, which are significantly cheaper than international
long distance. For example Gizmo rates for US-to-US calling is 0.038USD per
minute, and US-to-Canada calling is billed at a rate of 0.039USD per minute.
Instant messaging through Gizmo for Mobile is free and the software offers
presence awareness. Users can also use the Gizmo for Mobile file transfer options for free as well. Gizmo for Mobile can be downloaded here. The client is compatible with more than 200 models of mobile phones from over 20 brands including Nokia, Blackberry, Palm, and Motorola.
Nokia is also working to improve its instant messaging services to users. Its
Beta Labs developers have recently posted Conversation, an instant messaging application that lets users follow conversations in a threaded manner. Conversation displays incoming and outgoing messages in a display format that better manages and tracks complete messaging conversations (threads). The Conversation application also offers an easy way to replying to messages.
Conversation has been compatibility tested with the Nokia N73. The application
works but has not been fully tested with the Nokia E50, E60, E61, E61i, E62, E70,
N71, N75, N77, N80, N91, N92, N93 and N93i models. Nokia users wanting to try Conversation will first need to install Nokia Contacts Services Support Package to the device memory then install Conversation application. These files are available for download on the Nokia Labs Web site.
Last week Shape Services released
version 3.0 of its IM+ All-in-One Mobile Messenger for Palm-powered devices. The
IM+ All-in-One Mobile Messenger lets subscribed users chat with friends on AIM, iChat, Live Messenger, Yahoo, ICQ, Jabber, Google Talk and MySpaceIM from PalmOS-based devices. Features include contact list information, dynamic input area support, presence status, message history, sound notifications, 5-way navigator support for Treo devices and more. Users can try IM+ All-in-One Mobile Messenger (v3.0) free for seven days. The cost to purchase is $29.95 USD. The purchase price is a one-time fee: all further updates are included. Users can also
transfer the license for free if, in the future they switch to a device using
another mobile operating system such as Symbian, or Windows Mobile.
Also released this week is a new version of ApolloIM, an instant
messenger client for the Apple iPhone. The client has been updated and released
as version 1.0. The official developer blog lists support for DotMac, ICQ, MSN
and AIM, buddy list notifications, away/un-away messages, time stamps, and a new
user interface as some of the new or changed features. Users can download the
installer from the new ApolloIM Web site.
IM Security Highlights & Research Trends
Presensoft Inc., a company offering
security solutions for public instant messaging has launched Presensoft IM
Caller ID, a solution that helps prevent identity hijacking and
guard against information leaks. Presensoft IM Caller ID protects the
integrity of IM correspondence by authenticating both internal and external IM
users. Presensoft IM Caller ID can be used in addition to other IM applications
such as FaceTime, Akonix, and Symantec IM Manager. It currently supports MSN
Messenger, AIM, ICQ and Yahoo Messenger, with added functionality for Microsoft
Live Communications Server expected before the end of the year.
Secunia has disclosed a vulnerability in AOL Instant Messenger that can be exploited by malicious people to execute arbitrary script code. The vulnerability, which is confirmed in version 6.1.41.2., involves input passed to the Notification window, which is not properly sanitized before being displayed to the user. According to Secunia, "successful exploitation requires that the target user is ... chatting with a different user so that the Notification window is shown, and that the attacker is in the Buddy List of the target user or the target user accepts the IM message from the attacker."
According to
Research and Markets instant messaging is also a growing trend in China. In
the report "Mobile IM in China: Call for Enabled Handsets and Applicable Client
Software", Research and Markets say that wireless carriers, China Mobile and
China Unicom, have begun to pay greater attention to IM service with full mobile
IM client applications launched in mid-2007. The survey also showed that a high
proportion of respondents who were either positive or neutral to new technology
had used the service. Non-users had a moderate level of interest in mobile IM -
only 19.8 percent of respondents who had not used it said they were either
extremely or very interested in the service.
Lastly, in our in our IM news round-up for this week,
NextAlarm.com, an
Internet-enhanced Alarm Monitoring Services for homes and small businesses, has
announced that its E-Notify alarm notification service has been expanded
to include support for popular instant messaging platforms such as AOL Instant
Messenger and Yahoo Messenger. Those who have subscribed to NextAlarm services
can now opt to receive notifications of alarm events sent directly to their PC
or mobile IM client.
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