Instant messaging: feature or product?

From VentureBeat: Instant messaging: feature or product?:

An interesting article about how instant messaging is increasingly being integrated into web applications. Just like web email largely replaced desktop email clients, a similar shift is starting to happen with instant messaging. Here's what the article has to say about Google Talk:

Gmail has already successfully integrated the company’s IM platform, GTalk, so that its users can chat while emailing. We’ve also heard rumors that GTalk will be integrated with applications such as Google Docs. AOL and Google also agreed to make their IMs interoperable, albeit in a roundabout way — and it looks like this will happen soon. Like [Microsoft software architect Ray] Ozzie, Google CEO Eric Schmidt has been stressing the importance of mobile — like Microsoft, Google is integrating apps across platforms. What’s more, 3rd party sites such as Joost are integrating GTalk into their offerings.

NES Nostalgia

A co-worker mentioned this little gem to me this week: 100 of the top NES games, playable in your browser with no download. It's implemented as a Java applet, and the games play pretty well, with only an occasional framerate stutter.

In addition to Super Mario, there's Zelda, 1942, Double Dragon, Tecmo Super Bowl, and 95 other ways to trigger a late 80's flashback.

If you find yourself addicted, many of these games are available from the Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console.

Windows Live Messenger Customer Study

From Inside Windows Live Messenger: "RESULTS: What is your favorite messenger feature?"

What is your one favorite Messenger Feature?
* IM
* Video Call
* Sharing Folders
* Voice clips
* Emoticons
* Games and Activities
* OIM - Offline IM
* Nudge
* Display Picture and Personal Status Message that follow you
* Ability to log into Messenger with any email address

At first, I was surprised by some of these features near the top of the list. Turns out though that they aren't in any particular order.

Where did April go?

When you're heads down and cranking, time sort of seems to disappear. All of us have been pretty busy lately working on some great new features and integrations, but we always enjoy the speculation on exactly what it is we might be working on. Google's recent purchase of videoconferencing technology from the startup Marratech definitely started the rumor mill cranking. Some opposing views on what's in store:

InformationWeek: "Could An Enhanced Google Talk Spell The End For Skype?"

IP Telephony, VoIP, Broadband: "Google Talk is headed to Google's corporate backwater..."