I’ve been using Google Voice since it was GrandCentral, and have been quite impressed. But it’s still in beta, and while invitations to the beta are finally becoming available, I understand that they’re still hard to come by.
3jam is billing itself as an alternative to Google Voice, and it’s available today, so I’ve given it a quick spin. This is not a complete review, as there are some of 3jam’s features that I haven’t tried, such as SMS messaging, forwarding to Skype, an API that lets you write your own applications to interact with their service, and “group” numbers that allow multiple users to share voice mail and messaging. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: IM, Gmail, outlook, voip, skype, google talk, grandcentral, sms, voicemail, AIM, Google Voice, thunderbird, 3jam, porting, skypein, entourage, csv
When I am in my office I am connected to most everyone I need to work with through some sort of Instant Messaging service. I find it convenient to be able to stay connected and have quick discussions.
It is outside of the office where things can get a bit tricky. I’ve never really been a fan of text messaging on my mobile phone. While it can work well for an occasional status update or a quick message, using it as a conversational tool has never seemed all that efficient to me. And while IM on the mobile phone exists, the challenge is the same as on the desktop, maintaining multiple accounts and programs that work with the various services I need.
Enter Mundu IM – a cross platform messaging client that helps keeps me connected on my mobile device.
Read the rest of this entry »
It’s been a busy few weeks for the team at online meeting service Yuuguu, with the announcement of Linux and Flash clients as well as support for Google Talk users.
Earlier today the company rounded out its ‘Yuuguu Inside’ strategy by extending its integration of Google Talk buddies to users from AIM, ICQ, MSN and Yahoo’s instant messaging networks, bringing cross-platform and cross-network support to the company’s ‘Yuuniverse’.
With a reach extending into hundreds of millions now, its easier than ever for users of the service to invite participants to a Yuuguu session, though it remains to be seen if removing previous barriers actually makes a difference in adoption of screensharing over face-to-face meetings.
Regardless, Yuuguu remains a useful free tool for web workers and one that now extends a little further.
UPDATE: Yuuguu CEO Anish Kapoor assures me that a bug in the acceptance of .Mac-based AIM screennames will shortly be resolved.
Web Work 101: How To Escape The Cubicle
