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Yahoo Messenger 10 beta--screenshots

It seems as if it were just yesterday that Yahoo's Messenger team rolled out version 9 (it was a little less than a year ago, in fact.) The upgrade was so dramatic and overdue that it's a little surprising Yahoo has already tweaked its chat client, now parading Yahoo Messenger 10 beta to testers and curious chatters. We're glad they did. Even though the changes may not please everyone uniformly, nor should they incite ire. The features build off Yahoo Messenger 9, emphasize social networking, and improved video calling.

You'll be able to learn more about the social networking aspects from the photo gallery. This blog will focus on the video features.

VoIP and PC-to-landline calls aren't new to Yahoo Messenger, but the icon that calls out video chats is. Most of the major IM clients support voice-over-Internet calls with Webcams. It is Yahoo's attention to video quality makes this build a closer competitor to Skype for Windows, which is a VoIP client first, enriched by chatting, file sharing, emoticons, and games. Yahoo Messenger (and Windows Live Messenger, and so on, for that matter,) are chat apps at the core that have layered on other P2P features.

Skype is still ahead in terms of total features, like screen sharing, its most recent contribution to the VoIP community. However, the Web chatting experience was good enough on Yahoo Messenger 10 beta in our tests that we might prefer to use it to start a casual video call if the app is already running, rather than fire up Skype. Admittedly, our tests were limited by the callers' proximity to each other, fast data connections, and strong computing configurations. We'll need to keep up the calling with a cross-section of international users to get a more accurate litmus. Since the improved video calling only works with other Yahoo Messenger 10 beta users, we may have to wait for further adoption to test these theories.

(Credit: Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

Proximity notwithstanding, there were some performance issues. The call quality was clear and the videos were as crisp as our hardware allowed. Chatting and file sharing, however, slowed to a crawl as the call progressed. This seems to be the reverse of Skype, in which chatting has, in the past, often transmitted faster than the voice packets. Again, being in the same city, let alone the same country, could at least partly explain the reversal.

In addition to both parties needing Yahoo Messenger 10 beta on their Windows computers, there are some basic system requirements. You'll need Windows XP or better with a 1GHz CPU processor and 512MB of RAM. Your broadband internet will require a minimum of 300Kbps download speed and a minimum of 128Kbps upload (test both here). Then there's the video card. You'll need at least 96MB memory. A Webcam is mandatory to output video calls, but not to see a buddy's video. However, you will receive an alert if you don't have a Webcam. The final ingredient we'll mention is that the latest version of Microsoft DirectX must be installed. Yahoo provides a full list of specs and tips in its help topics. Yahoo's Messenger team provides some common FAQs and video tips here

Briefly, some of the other video features include toggling the sound on and off and shifting the position of the Webcam windows on your screen. These convenience tools worked well and gave the application some depth; we also liked being able to transfer files in full screen mode, even though photo transfers were slow.

This bug reminders us that beta software is often a work-in-progress.

(Credit: Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

One more complaint: The new Yahoo Messenger 10 beta doesn't appear to play nicely with all third-party IM clients. We noticed when chatting with a buddy who uses Digsby, that each line we type was replicated in the chat window. Odd, yes, and also irritating over time. But not all users chatting between Yahoo Messenger 10 beta and a different chat client will encounter problems, but if you do, let us know.

Want to see more screenshots and feature details? We have plenty in the Yahoo Messenger 10 beta gallery. .

The Sony PlayStation is finally getting a price drop, but some dummy retailers in Europe are actually increasing the price of the Xbox Arcade console set. In other news, a Twitter user is offering his followers a line to God, Starbucks says OK to freeloaders, and we also debate the most prolific technology of our time! You'll never guess what Wilson has up his sleeve...

It's a washing machine.

(Credit: First-Act)

In case you haven't heard, our economy is in a little bit of hot water right now, and while most companies like Sony are slashing prices to keep up with the competition, the geniuses at Microsoft EU are actually increasing the price of the Xbox Arcade from £129.99 to £159.99. Furthermore, the five Xbox Live Arcade games will no longer be included in the bundle. The company's excuse is that it is to "counteract the poor pound-to-euro currency exchange rate." Who allowed this to happen at Microsoft? At least fix the failure rate before you increase the price!

In other news, Starbucks is opening its doors to Wi-Fi freeloaders. We reported in the past that several cafes in New York are banning cell phones and laptops, cutting off Wi-Fi access to discourage freeloaders from just hanging out and surfing the Web for free. Starbucks has always been an easy place to gain paid access to the Internet, and it will continue to provide a welcoming environment for customers to enjoy their $68 cups of flavored coffee.

Many more stories to get to today, including a Twitter account that gives followers a direct line to God and a hilarious poem from our buddy CHRISTOPHER WALKEN!

(Credit: Chrome Bags)

Chrome started with a couple of guys in Boulder, Colo., who set out to built a bag that could stand a lifetime of daily abuse. Eight years later, the operation is now based out to San Francisco, where Chrome bags have become the staple of bike messengers, students, and packrats alike. Today, Chrome also announced its sojourn into the techie commuter market with the release of two stripped-down, laptop-friendly bags: the Vega and Corsair.

Chrome Vega

(Credit: Chrome Bags)

The Vega draws inspiration from the classic "musette" bags used to feed cyclists in the middle of a big race. Since weight is everything to these pros, the bags have to be minimalist and utilitarian, and the Vega is no different. It's light, tough, and can easily fit up to a 15-inch laptop.

It's important to stress the tough material used in the build: 1,000 denier Cordura material, a heavyweight nylon with a urethane coating to protect from water, abrasian, and grime. Make no mistake about it: these are some of the toughest bags you can get.

Yahoo Messenger for iPhone--photos

You can sign in as invisible to Yahoo Messenger for iPhone, but it won't store your credentials.

(Credit: CNET)

On Monday we noted in a First Look video that the Yahoo Messenger feature in the new Yahoo Mobile chat application for iPhone wasn't as strong as we'd like. On Tuesday, Yahoo released a distinct Yahoo Messenger for iPhone application that's free through the iTunes App Store, and tailor-made for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Yahoo Messenger for iPhone has many of the same core chatting features you'll find on Yahoo Messenger for the desktop: sending IM and SMS messages, support for emoticons, status updates, adding new contacts, and photo sharing (either an image from the camera roll or a new picture taken from within the application itself).

Yahoo Messenger for iPhone looks clean and crisp, and has a similar feel to the desktop chat experience. It delivers notifications of new incoming chats while you're in a different conversation window, as well as alerting you on a dedicated messaging screen. We like that when a new message arrives, you hear the familiar Yahoo ping, and that the app buzzes to get your attention when the screen goes dark; however, we don't see a way to turn that off in the Settings menu.

Unlike the Yahoo Messenger built into Yahoo Mobile, this standalone version incorporates the iPhone's spell check. While mostly good for fat-fingered typos, the spell check feature is less convenient when you realize the words "hee hee" have been translated as "her her." We had some explaining to do.

While the application won't be able to run in the background on the iPhone, it will keep you signed in, but idle, for 10 minutes while you're off playing with other apps. After 10 minutes is up, you'll need to log in anew to continue chatting. As a side note, Yahoo Messenger on the iPhone will log you off your desktop Messenger.

Hien Nguyen and her trusted love communicator: the Sony Ericson S500i.

(Credit: Dong Ngo/CBS Interactive)

Editor's note: CNET editor and Crave contributor Dong Ngo is spending the month of December in his homeland of Vietnam and plans to file occasional dispatches chronicling his impressions of how technology has permeated the culture there. Click here for more of Dong's stories from abroad.

HANOI, Vietnam--Love, or the lack thereof, is an ongoing global issue. I offer no solution, but if you want to look for the one here in Vietnam, a word of advice: learn to text and know your emoticons.

While online dating services are rampant in the States (personally, I believe many young Americans aren't really sure what to look for in a partner and being impatient as usual, think spending money somehow helps solve this), things are a little different in Vietnam--in the big cities that is.

Here, there are no dating services (at least none that my friends and I can spot), and young people still mostly meet the traditional way--through friends, school, family, work, and so on. Those who do meet online most often become friends through blogging, forums, or online social activities.

(In small villages like the one in Ha Nam where I was born, dating hasn't changed much in the past 50 years. Kids are sort of matched up at an early age, oftentimes jokingly, by relatives or friends. When they grow up, if neither goes away to find a job elsewhere, chances are they will marry each other.)

But it doesn't matter how a relationship here starts; it seems all of them go through something I'd call the "@ phase of love," in which the courtship continues via cell phone texts and Yahoo instant messaging. Unlike in the States, where couples tend to move in together, people in Vietnam generally only live together once married. In between, they rely on cell phones and the Internet to stay close.

HP iPaq Data Messenger

(Credit: HP )

On Tuesday, HP added two new iPaq smartphones to its portfolio. But before you go getting too attached, you should know that for the time being, they'll only be available in Europe. Partnering with Vodafone, the HP iPaq Data Messenger and the HP iPaq Voice Messenger will first be offered in the United Kingdom and then eventually make their way to the rest of Europe.

Will they ever reach the United States and join the HP iPaq 910c Business Messenger? Well, we asked our HP contact, who said she hasn't heard anything about a stateside release but would let us know as soon as she did. (Oh, if I had a nickel for every time I heard that phrase.)

For the curious, both the iPaq Data Messenger and the iPaq Voice Messenger offer a new five-away optical navigation button that provides a "gliding" sensation when scrolling through menus. The devices also have predictive text capabilities so they will learn a user's vocabulary and style when composing messages. Both smartphones run Windows Mobile 6.1 (Professional Edition on the Data Messenger and Standard on the Voice Messenger) and offer integrated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and a 3-megapixel camera.

While the two models share a lot of shared features, they have different focuses--if you couldn't tell by their names. The HP iPaq Voice Messenger is more of a phone-centric device and has a 2.4-inch QVGA non-touch display and 20-button keypad. Meanwhile, power business users might be more attracted to the HP iPaq Data Messenger and its slide-out QWERTY keyboard and touch screen. The Data Messenger will go for around 499 euros ($652), while the Voice Messenger is priced at 399 euros ($521).

Favorites, groups of contacts, and background themes are new to Windows Live Messenger beta.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

If you're an avid Windows Live Messenger user, now's the time to convince your friends to make the switch to the new Windows Live Messenger beta. If they don't, you'll be wondering what the hubbub is about.

Unveiled on Wednesday, the new beta offers a bundle of fun, fresh features, the best of which can be taken advantage of only when you're chatting with another beta user. As a beta, there are a few known bugs, and probably more to discover, but the adventurous early adopters who aren't afraid of leaving Windows' Messenger 8 behind will be rewarded with functionality that improves on basic tasks and new baubles to color the chatting experience. We've got a few complaints, too.

A field to drag-and-drop favorite contacts and the ability to create chat groups of up to 20 participants are available in the newly-designed interface, which has a much lighter look that some may see as more cramped and less defined. Changing the color and background theme (or "scene," as it's called here) helps--if you know where to look. A paintbrush image appears when you scroll over its hidden position in the top right corner.

The chat window repositions pictures and gets some manners you may or may not like.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

The chat window has also gotten a new coat of paint, but it may look off-kilter if your buddy is using an older version of Messenger. Contact images have been scooted over to the left, but when I first began chatting, they were hidden from view (if this happens to you, hover your cursor near the left edge of the window). The contact who initiates the chat defines the scene, so don't become confused if your interface and windows appear mismatched. Microsoft has done this in a bid to let you dictate the way you appear to your pals.

In chat behavior, you'll notice that conversations no longer snap you to the incoming message when you've scrolled up to review the chat, and that each new line is defined by bullet points. I see the logic in both changes, but am not won over by either and hope they're soon made optional, or that you'll at least be able to choose between marks. That incoming dynamic emoticons were often cut in half is an issue known to Microsoft's Messenger team.

The new, more dramatic look is just one of the new beta's customizing features. You can also set up a signature chime that plays for other friends on the beta client when you sign in, and even more lasting, you can create dynamic pictures or short videos with the Webcam that map your recorded moods with certain emoticons.

If you've got a Webcam, you can get moody.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

The feature, called mood tiling, changes your profile picture to one of you smiling, winking, or looking sad or cool whenever you enter that emoticon. It's a fun and engaging trinket for socialites using the beta app, but the images are only stored locally. If you open Windows Live Messenger beta on another computer--simultaneous sign-in is yet another new capability--you'll need to reset your profile image, nevermind your dynamic one.

Less engaging, but certainly more practical, is the ability to drag-and-drop multimedia from a desktop folder into the chat window.

This beta upgrade would have been an excellent opportunity for the Windows Live Messenger team to overhaul the emoticons, which appear all the more coarse compared with the chat window's juicy new looks. It's also lamentable that the new beta doesn't switch the chat window to your theme when it detects you're talking to someone on a different version--instead you'll see the app's default blue.

If you give the program a try, let us know what you think. Love it, hate it? Leave your views in the comments, or rate Windows Live Messenger beta here.

Samsung Messenger

(Credit: Samsung)

MetroPCS is the first stop for Samsung's answer to the LG Rumor. The Samsung Messenger, also called the SCH-R450, offers a candy bar design with a 262,000-color display and a slide out keyboard to warm your text-loving heart. Though the phone's overall styling is rather bland, the feature set is respectable. Inside you'll find a 1.3-megapixel camera, an MP3 player, e-mail and instant messaging, stereo Bluetooth, USB mass storage, organizer features, a speakerphone, voice recognition, 20MB of internal storage, and an microSD card slot.

The Messenger costs $199, which may seem a tad expensive, but it's not so bad when you consider that MetroPCS does not make you sign your life away with a two-year contract.

After months of incubation as a mere preview download, Yahoo Messenger for Vista is now a full-fledged...beta. No matter, let the feedback loop continue with this dark and gleaming desktop chat application that elevates certain aspects of the instant messaging experience while falling a step behind in others. The new look and feel is certainly impressive, and beloved avatar and emoticons take center stage alongside the tinted display. But the multiprotocol IM client Digsby is snapping up a loyal following, and its adoption of Facebook chat adds strength to strength. Is Yahoo's effort strong enough to win back Vista defectors?