Web & Mobile IM News
Zipit Wireless Messenger 2 Offers SMS Texting
Last week Zipit Wireless launched the new Zipit Wireless Messenger 2 (see
IM Watch: Zipit Revamps Wireless IM Device), a Wi-Fi instant messaging
device that enables wireless instant messaging connectivity across major IM
platforms. Today Zipit Wireless announced that as of Thursday
you will also be able to use the Z2 device for sending and receiving SMS text
messages.
While all Z2 users get 10 free SMS messages per month with no contract
requirements, if you choose to subscribe to the SMS text messaging feature, the
monthly subscription rate is $4.99 for 3,000 text messages. Also, until January
31, 2008 Z2 users will receive the full text messaging service of up to
3,000 messages for free. Instant messaging between friends on major IM platforms
using the Z2 is still free. Only the optional SMS text messaging
feature requiring a monthly subscription fee.
Meebo Meets Facebook
This week, Meebo announced that it tailored its product Meebo Rooms, Partner Edition,
to function inside Facebook applications. Already several application
providers including BuddyMedia, RockYou and WaterCooler have implemented Meebo Rooms, Partner Edition inside their Facebook applications. The company
says that beginning next year, it will also offer
developers a revenue stream when integrating Partner Edition into their
communities and applications as Meebo plans to run what it describes as unobtrusive and
user-friendly ads inside the Meebo Rooms. A portion of this ad revenue will be
shared with partner developers.
WildBlue to Offer Google Services
WildBlue, a company that offers
high-speed Internet access over satellite, says it has signed an agreement
with Google to provide a suite of Google services directly to its customers. In the first
quarter of 2008, the WildBlue.net home page will include many of Google's
Web services, including Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Page Creator and Google
Talk instant messaging.
Mainstream IM News
Yahoo Previews Messenger for Vista
Yahoo released a preview version of Yahoo! Messenger for Vista, which,
according to the official Yahoo Messenger blog, has been built from the ground
up for the Vista operating system. The current preview version, which is
considered a pre-beta release, includes a new interface to take advantage of the graphics
subsystem in Windows Vista, and many new user features including conversation
organization using a tabbed interface, file transfers up to 2-GB in size, the capability to
drag and drop contacts into your Windows Sidebar gadget, enhanced emoticons, an
as-you-type spellchecker that recognizes LOL and other common IM abbreviations,
as well as a new preferences menu, to name a few of the new features. For those
interested, the
preview version of Yahoo Messenger for Vista can be
downloaded here.
Company Offers Free Online IM Archiving
A new start-up company called IM-History
has launched its new service that lets instant messenger users better
manage their contacts and access their chat histories online. Designed for
people who use multiple instant messaging services, IM-History gets the contact
details and history logs of all user accounts together, then integrates, indexes and
stores the information in a private Web account for the user. IM-History supports all the
popular IM platforms including Skype, Yahoo Messenger, ICQ, MSN, Miranda IM, QIP, Trillian and Pidgin. Currently, while in beta stage the service is free. On
the IM-History Web site the company says the release version will offer
unobtrusive ads for free accounts and provide pro accounts with additional
features and no ads.
mindSHIFT Offers Hosted MindAlign Services
MindSHIFT Technologies says they
will host Microsoft's persistent group chat technology, MindAlign (which it acquired
from Parlano). The hosted solution lets customers build secure internetworks
of business and enterprise-class chat rooms for financial services firms, call
centers and other organizations that conduct business critical communications to
have a hosted Microsoft option for group instant messaging discussions.
Built for Microsoft Live Communications Server (LCS), hosted MindAlign enables
organizations to have structured communications with individuals both within and
outside of the organization. The group chat communication is persistent, so
discussions are archived and fully searchable by the current and future members
of a group. MindAlign 2007 hosted by mindSHIFT offers archival for
compliance purposes, service and support for external chat channels, deployment and
also secure access.
Holiday IM Round-up
Live Messenger Santa Bot Snowed In
This past week Microsoft announced that parent and children who use Windows Live
Messenger could freely chat with Santa online by adding Santa's address (Northpole@live.com)
to their Windows Live Messenger contact list. Currently, visitors to
Santa's page on
Messenger cafe, the Web address promoted by Microsoft, displays a "Santa is
snowed in right now and can't chat" greeting. The reason for this
according to KIRO
Seattle, is because the automated IM chat bot program being used by Santa was put
through the wringer by one user who reported the Santa bot was being naughty rather than nice in its chat responses.
In place of having your own online chat with Santa
through Windows Live Messenger, Microsoft is instead offering a downloadable
picture pack theme of Santa's friend, Howard the Elf, on Santa's Chat home page.
The Cost of TXTing Your Holiday Greetings
America Online's Tegic Communications says that last year, 39 percent
of residents in the United States said they planned to send "Merry Christmas"
SMS text messages to family and friends
using their cell phones. This time of year almost everything comes with a price
tag, and cellular text messaging is no exception. For those users who do not
subscribe to a monthly messaging bundle, here is how much it will cost to send
each of your holiday greetings of 160 characters or less this year:
- T-Mobile: 15 cents per message within the United States and to Canada (up 5 cents
from 2006)
- Verizon Wireless: 15 cents per message within the United States and 25
cents per sent text message to International numbers
- Sprint Nextel: flat rate of 20 cents per message in the United States and
International locations (up 10 cents from 2006)
- AT&T: 15 cents per message and 25 cents per sent text message to
International numbers
While 2007 saw many carriers raising the cost per message, text messaging is
still less than half the price of a stamp. With so many cell phone users in the
United States using test messaging, seasonal greetings sent via SMS are sure to
ring in the dollars for carriers this holiday season.
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