Chat and e-mail

Beginning next month, Facebook will take steps to close Beluga, the group messaging software it acquired this year and proceeded to replace within the span of a few months.

Starting November 11, users of the service will no longer be able to use the software to send messages to others, however they'll still be able to access them. The company is offering users a way to grab an archive of all their chats for posterity's sake, through that tool is not yet functional. On December 15 the service goes dark for good.

The shutdown news comes in conjunction … Read more

When it comes to sharing ideas and communicating stories, sometimes it's just easier to present your thoughts by drawing them out. Not just for Pictionary, online whiteboards are great collaborative tools to help you visualize your thoughts and brainstorm ideas. These Web apps not only throw out the smelly dry-erase markers, but also add a few tricks to make sharing your works faster and easier than ever.

A Web Whiteboard (AWW), developed by Senko Rasic, was designed to be minimalistic and simple to use like a real whiteboard. Coded in HTML5, AWW not only performs smoothly, but leaves little … Read more

Microsoft has completed its $8.5 billion acquisition of Skype Global, giving the software company a major foothold in the growing market for Internet telephony services.

"Skype is a phenomenal product and brand that is loved by hundreds of millions of people around the world," Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said in a statement late last night. "We look forward to working with the Skype team to create new ways for people to stay connected to family, friends, clients and colleagues--anytime, anywhere."

Microsoft announced in May the deal to acquire Skype. A final hurdle was cleared last … Read more

Who uses those receipts for e-mails read? Most people either block sending receipts altogether or ask to be notified before sending a read receipt (a default setting in Microsoft Outlook and other mail clients). So read receipts either don't work at all, or they require acceptance by the recipient--no sure thing.

That doesn't mean that we aren't curious about when the messages we send are opened, and when the links they include are followed. For most organizations, this information can be a valuable asset. The Zendio add-on for Microsoft Outlook tracks the messages you select and records … Read more

For years, I wanted a button on Gmail messages that said "import all this contact info into your address book." When Kwaga's WriteThat.Name service added just that ability--only without my even having to click a button--I eagerly signed up for a year's worth of service.

Now the French company is taking care of another item that should have been standard with Gmail and its paid-service equivalent in Google Apps: consolidating account data from up to three different Gmail accounts.

The company plans to announce and launch the service Wednesday, but it gave CNET News an … Read more

Skype users on a Mac can now dive into their Facebook accounts courtesy of the same updates that the Windows version has offered for awhile.

The latest beta for the Mac--Skype 5.4 for Mac--integrates Facebook directly into the Skype software. This means that Mac users can IM their Facebook friends without leaving Skype. They can also access their Facebook pages to update their status and read and comment on their friends' posts.

A huge update for the iOS Facebook app (Free) released today adds some features users have been waiting for, along with other fixes and tweaks to the interface.

Among the major new features, the updated iOS Facebook app is supposed to improve sharing options, add tagging of friends and places in posts, tweak the design of both Profile and Group walls, and provide added privacy controls on posts that match your settings on the Web site.

Smaller refinements and bug fixes include faster notification speeds, bug fixes for Facebook chat, changes to filter selection in the News Feed, tweaks to … Read more

The team at Skype recently published an infographic that shows the vast usage numbers associated with its free calling services.

According to the infographic, based on daily stats gathered in July, Skype usage represents more than 255 billion minutes (or 4.25 billion hours) of calls annually, which is roughly four times more than the service saw in 2008.

Despite the tremendous growth in usage, Skype may have as many detractors as it does proponents. Its services have suffered from a number of hiccups over the last few years, including a serious bout of downtime in December 2010.

For many … Read more

Skype has launched its own app store, offering third-party apps that can integrate with the company's online calling and messaging service.

Third-party apps have been available through Skype in the past, but its App Directory is the company's first effort to host a more official place where people can search for, browse, and download the software they want. The store officially opened Wednesday.

Skype users can browse a list of all apps; the store offers … Read more