Friday reading-ICQ, AIM, MSN, Yahoo or Google? - briefly
(hx) 10:27 PM CEST - Aug,26 2005
- Post a comment
So,
Google Talk has been
released. The layout is really simplistic (very.. cough..Google) and it uses
very little resources -
the download is just 900kb (!). Google Talk can remove the need for your
Gmail notifier, since it does that and lets you click through to check new
emails. It saves your chat history. It plays sounds when you are in a different
window, and has a notification box for when somebody IMs you while you're doing
something else. Besides, the client is totally ad-free, and Google plan to make
it stay that way.
The interface is nice and clean, but so far Google Talk has nothing special
to offer to make me replace my old ICQ client yet. The only reason I use the ICQ
protocol at all is because it's so entrenched and popular (just try convincing
everyone of your contacts to switch to something else...).
FYI,
Google Talk uses the Jabber/XMPP protocol, and that means you can contact
people on any client that supports the service. And that Jabber does pretty much
everything any other IM protocol does, and a whole lot more (gateways to
different IMs and SMS, open and closed conference rooms, whiteboard, message
encryption, file transfer, user directories, email notification)....If all the
IM companies would switch to the Jabber protocol, the internet would be such a
better place.
Google Talk is still in beta, so hopefully SOME NEW THINGS will be added...As
far as I know the future additions to Google Talk will include support for the
SIP protocol used in VoIP communications, which would allow the client to
directly contact phones based on the technology. What's your opinion on Google
Talk?
Here's some stuff:
- Xbox 360 Backwards Compatibility Illuminated - One of the rumors
floating around is that backwards compatibility will only work with a hard
drive, which would have left Core systems out in the cold. However,
1UP have
learned that Microsoft is inviting some developers to make their current Xbox
titles backwards compatible for both 360 SKUs -- that the games themselves
will contain the Xbox 360 emulation code on them. In fact, certain Xbox titles
already contain the code to boot up under emulation on the Xbox 360. Teams
from Microsoft are helping developers with the project.
- PS3 pricing strategy: is Sony bluffing? -
Chris Morris at CNN/Money has an interesting theory on Sony's insistence
that the Playstation 3 will "be expensive" - are they bluffing? The advantage
would be twofold: first, set consumer expectation high, then surprise them
with something much lower, driving a potentially much larger buying rush.
- Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) starts today in Bellevue, WA - If you
aren't familiar with
Penny Arcade
already, it's one of the best known and most popular game-related webcomics
out there, supporting the income of its two game-playing creators with web ads
and merchandise alone. PAX is their way of playing games on an even grander
scale, er… it's their way of paying their fans back.
So if
you want some serious tournament and freeplay time on PCs, consoles, or
even the vaunted tabletop, get thee to Bellevue, Washington, posthaste
- Microsoft to Release Antiphishing tool Before IE 7 -
Microsoft plans to release an add-on to MSN Search Toolbar aimed at
protecting Web users from phishing scams. The technology is similar to an
antiphishing tool the company has previously said will be available in
Internet Explorer 7, which is not yet in public release.
- Microsoft Debuts New Features for MSN TV 2 Internet & Media Player -
The MSN TV division of Microsoft Corp.has launched its latest software
update for the MSN TV 2 Internet & Media Player. This update will be
automatically downloaded to users' MSN TV 2 players and will include enhanced
capabilities for managing digital photos, music and e-mail. The MSN TV 2
Internet & Media Player allows consumers to access the Internet and
e-mail and to view Web-based video content on their television screens.
- Microsoft Laser Mouse - German website Gamezone.de has
22
pictures up of Microsoft's new laser mice along with a new keyboard.
- Laptop Fuel Cell battery -
Battery maker Ultracell has announced they've developed a fuel cell that
has twice the density of a lithium battery and that it will get a hell of a
lot more juice than other standard cells.
- Turk, Moroccan nabbed in huge worm case - A 21-year old resident
of Turkey and an 18-year-old Moroccan national have been
arrested for creating and spreading computer worms that disrupted services
on computer networks of major U.S news organizations and other institutions
earlier this month, the FBI announced Friday.
- Earth's core runs ahead of crust - US scientists claim to have
confirmed that the Earth's core is spinning faster than its outer layers.
- Erik Jendresen on Star Trek: The Beginning -
TrekWeb reports that writer Erik Jendresen (Band of Brothers) gave an
update to Dreamwatch magazine about the prequel Star Trek: The Beginning.
- The Sex Toys Quiz - Simply answer a few questions, and they will
tell you
which
sex toy is best suited to you or most representative of your personality
- Can You Be Hypnotized? (Take the Test) -Most people think they
can't. But- in fact 95% of people are hypnotizable.
How do you stack up?
- Star Trek Business Cards -
check it out!
- Alien fish -
This is either the ugliest fish you'll ever see or an alien from a world
away...:P
Reviews:
Army Ranger: Mogadishu (2.5/5) /
Codename: Panzers Phase Two (79%) /
Crown
of Glory /
Darwinia
(8/10) /
Darwinia (8.5/10) /
Darwinia (9/10) /
Dungeon Siege II (83/100) /
Enigma:
Rising Tide Gold Edition (78/100) /
FlatOut /
Guild Wars (9.1/10) /
Madden NFL 06 (9/10) /
Sacred
Gold (7.4/10) /
Second Life (84%) /
Space Rangers 2: Dominators (7/10)
Previews:
Age of Empires III /
Battlestations Midway /
Desperados 2: Cooper's Revenge /
Evil
Dead: Regeneration /
Ghost
Wars /
Indigo Prophecy /
Land of
the Dead- Road To Fiddler's Green /
Myst V-
End of Ages /
Pac-Man
World 3 /
Prince of Persia: Kindred Blades /
Scarface /
Shattered
Union /
Stubbs
the Zombie /
Total Overdose /
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06 /
Titan Quest /
Vietcong
2 /
WH 40k: Dawn of War Winter Assault Designer Diary #3
Media:
Auto Assault shots /
Barrow Hill shots /
Gene
Troopers /
Ghost Recon: Advance Warfighter GDC movie /
Hellforces movie /
Need for
Speed: Most Wanted shots /
NHL 06
videos /
Pirates of the
Burning Sea /
Settlers V Expansion Shots /
Sparta - Ancient Wars shots /
Vivisector: Beast Inside /
X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse shots +
trailer /
The Witcher shots & movie /
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War: Winter Assault movie /
Worms 4: Mayhem movies
Other gaming news:
- Bet on Soldier on Sep.23rd -
Digital Jesters' Bet on Soldier Page has an updated release date for the
English version of Bet on Soldier -the old release date of "Sep 05" has been
replaced by the more specific "23rd Sep 05." (thanks
BluesNews)
- Dreamfall delayed until 2006 -
The Funcom website offers news of a delay to
Dreamfall: The Longest
Journey, saying both the PC and Xbox editions of their upcoming adventure
game are now due in spring 2006.
- Battleground Europe Stress Test -
Want to try out Battleground Europe? Just follow the signup link below to
create an account and try out Battlegroud Europe. Your account will be active
between Thursday, August 25th and Monday, August 29th.
- NCsoft's Lineage II featured on MTV2 - NCSoft sent us a press
release: "Tune in to MTV2 on Friday, August 26, at 10:30 PM Eastern time to
see a music video starring characters from Lineage II! MTV2's innovative
show Video Mods
combines video games and popular songs from great artists to create a killer
music video. Don't miss it! Also, be sure to catch the Stratics Video Mods
contest running in conjunction with the appearance of
the
Lineage II video on MTV2. Pay close attention to the music video and you
could win the Lineage II Collector's DVD Edition, T-shirts, and more."
- SiN Episodes website update -Ritual
has updated the SiN Episodes website with new game media, the first of
what will be a regular series of entries in the developer blog, a fan site kit
and a multiplayer survey, which will allow the community to help shape the SiN
Episodes multiplayer experience. There is also
a
multiplayer survey.
- Game Design in Eastern Europe - Titled "Game Design in Eastern
Europe: Pale Colours of the Deadly Zone",
German online news portal SPIEGEL Online reports about the current situation
on the Eastern games market. Among other aspects, the article especially
focuses on problems that he games studios face, misunderstandings between
Eastern developers and Western publishers and the growing Eastern market in
general.
- Galacticards announced - Killer Bee Software, maker of Empire
Deluxe and The Perfect General, announced the title for it's new Card-Based
Space Strategy Computer Game,
Galacticards.
- 10 PC Games for Free -
CNET has posted a round-up of a bunch of freely available full-version
games. Including titles like Americas Army, Grand Theft Auto 2, Enemy
Territory and Tribes...
Buy goodies: The Incredibles (Widescreen 2-Disc Collector's Edition)
/
Nintendo DS
($129)
Pre-order:
F.E.A.R. with Bonus!
|
Updated:12:47 AM CEST Jun,04
(new)
