Posted 07/20/09 at 11:30:00 AM by David Murphy

Ding!  If you're still using AOL's default instant messenger (or Google Talk, or Yahoo! Messenger, or...), then you're missing out on a wide range of alternative features--more than you perhaps though possible in a common messaging application.  Or, worse, you're trying to converse with your friends across the various networks by using three or more individual applications at once.  While this might have been the only way to bridge the gap between these services before, you can plead ignorance no longer.  Start the uninstaller--and this article--and by the time you're finished with both, you'll never go back to the antiquated world of official messaging applications.  Third-party is where the real party's at.

What can you expect to find in these open-source and freeware apps?  For starters, an interface that combines a number of common messaging networks into a single program.  In some cases, you can even lump your friends' various online names across the separate chat networks into a single, unifying alias--click a drop-down box to specify which network you want to reach them on.  Beyond that, these programs can bring a number of plugins and external connections to the table.  Combine your Facebook and Twitter feeds into your friends list, find out when people are about to message you before they do so, and call your buddies through your messenger interface akin to Skype.  And that's just the tip of the IM iceberg.

Get a list of your favorite emoticons ready to go and hit the jump.  The competitive world of instant messaging applications awaits!

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Posted 05/07/09 at 03:30:00 PM by Alex Castle

As any PC power-user knows, getting files from one place to another is one of the oldest tasks in the book. Since way back when people have used floppies, ZIP disks, CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs,  thumb drives, email and more to get the files you need from point A to point B. But now there’s DropBox, which has—in the half year or so since it came out of beta—become our very favorite way of making sure that we always have our most important files at hand.

If you’re not familiar with how DropBox works, it’s simple: You create a free account with DropBox, and install a small app on your computer. This app creates a folder on your computer (wherever you choose) and monitors that folder at all times. Whenever you change the contents of this folder, by adding, modifying or deleting files, DropBox automatically syncs these changes to your account’s folder on their servers. Additionally, any other computer logged into that same account will have their DropBox folder synced as well. There’s nothing earthshaking about this capability,  but the whole process is amazingly simple and makes collaboration an absolute breeze.

Still, with a little creativity, DropBox can be a lot more than just a way to move files from one computer to another. We’ve compiled a list of five of the coolest DropBox tricks we’ve heard of so far, so read on to find out how you can use DropBox and other free software to recover a stolen laptop, organize your Torrents, keep your passwords safe, and more.

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Posted 07/19/08 at 05:57:57 PM by Justin Kerr

Instant messaging is a great way to stay in touch, but anybody who uses it extensively knows the pain of having friends spread out over different services. Ever install a bulky and bloated IM client for just one friend? Or wished you could instant message all your groupies without running 5 different chat clients in the system tray? Well IM providers and a handful of crafty open source programmers have listened to our cries. Free browser-based alternatives exist for all the major platforms, and all in one desktop clients are finally able to bring the competing services together.

Click the jump to review our roundup.

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Posted 06/30/07 at 12:24:27 AM by Will Smith

Will takes a late night test spin with the latest alpha version of the newest entry to the multi-format instant messaging race

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