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April 4, 2007

More Ways to Use Google Talk

Google offers more ways to use its instant messaging client. Here's a (supposedly complete) list:

Desktop applications

* Google Talk client - available only in Windows. Distinctive features: voice calls, voicemail, file transfers, Gmail notifications. You can also chat with people from other IM networks using Jabber transports.

* Jabber clients. Google Talk uses Jabber, so any Jabber client can be used to connect to Google's servers. Use this option if you have Linux, Mac or you want an all-in-one instant messenger that lets you talk to your friends from Yahoo Messenger, AIM etc. A nice all-in-one cross-platform instant messenger is Gaim.


Mobile applications

* MGTalk - third-party Java application that includes Gmail notifications.

* Talkonaut - another third-party Java application. Distinctive features: call your contacts (not free), easy way to add contacts from other IM networks.

* OctroTalk - Windows Mobile client for smartphones and Pocket PCs. It supports chatting and talking with other Google Talk users.

* Google Talk for BlackBerry. You can "add, delete and rename contacts, know when [your] friends are online and available, leave conversations and resume them later, copy conversation text into memory and even be notified when a message is being typed."


Web applications

* Google Talk is available in Gmail. This is particularly useful if you want to reply to a mail from someone who is online, but the email is not the most appropriate way (you need an immediate answer). Also Gmail is the place where you can search your chats (add label:chats in front of your query).

* Go to google.com/talk and click on "Launch Google Talk". A pop-up window will open and you'll be able to chat with your friends. Unlike the Gmail version, here you have tabs and a richer interface.

* Add a gadget to Google Personalized Homepage or to Netvibes. Use this option if you have your personalized homepage always open in the background.

* Add it to your browser's sidebar.

In Firefox, click on this link: Google Talk Sidebar to create a bookmark that opens in the sidebar. Now all you have to do is to click on the bookmark to load the gadget.

In Opera, create a new panel by clicking on this link: Google Talk Sidebar. To see the new panel, press F4 and select it from the list.

* There are also third-party sites like Meebo that let you chat with your friends from other IM networks as well.

32 comments:

  1. Thanks for pointing us to the MGTalk and Talkonaut, I have to try it out.

    ReplyDelete
  2. There is another new mobile client called Jagong.

    It supports jabber, så GTalk works just fine.

    ReplyDelete
  3. you might also want to check out MGTalk-http too. It is based on MGTalk but uses only HTTP (via Jabber HTTP-Binding) instead of plain sockets. This is useful if your mobile operator blocks non-HTTP traffic.

    -Pete

    ReplyDelete
  4. I miss having gtalk for linux, not for "writing" to my buddies(for that I use gaim), but for using the VoIP, files transfer, and earing that wonder sound on the voice mail: "meeeeeeeee"

    ReplyDelete
  5. yeah, but still no GROUP CHAT! What's up with that????

    ReplyDelete
  6. Has anyone else experienced problems using the Google Talk in your browser sidebar hack? I can't open links sent to me by my friends if the text is included in my chat in the sidebar.

    ReplyDelete
  7. As far as mobile GTalk clients, there's also one called Fring for Nokia phones. http://www.fring.com/

    ReplyDelete
  8. I would suggest also checking out a relatively new Windows Mobile client called Octro (octro.com) Supports *ALL* of the major IM protocols (yep, all 5 of them) and even the GTalk features like file sharing and VOIP!

    ReplyDelete
  9. That Firefox SideBar tip rocks hardcore!

    ReplyDelete
  10. An easier way to add a page to a sidebar in Opera or Firefox: add the rel attribute with value "sidebar", like this:

    a href=foo title=Foo rel=sidebar

    .. and then people can just left-click the link.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thank you, rijk. I edited the post and simplified the directions to add sidebars in Firefox and Opera.

    For Opera, you have to add rel="sidebar" and title="Title of the panel" to the a tag.

    In Firefox, add this JS code to the onclick event:
    window.sidebar.addPanel(title, url,"");

    ReplyDelete
  12. One can use Google Talk and Gmail as voicemail reminder. Add new "friend" with email address youraccountname+voicemail@gmail.com to Google Talk. Use it every time when you want so send voicemail to yourself. I give you more details how to do it at http://mylifeinbeta.blogspot.com/2006/11/google-talk-gmail-free-voicemail.html

    ReplyDelete
  13. you didn't mention JGmail, an addon of the (great, IMVHO) Miranda-IM messenger.

    ReplyDelete
  14. when people leave comment, they want to receive omething, I shoud then make my own learning ,







    but I rage

    ReplyDelete
  15. How to send the google message (google talk) from the web page.
    Like in some web page we have link to username say XYZ (with gmail id as xyz@gmail.com).
    On click of link how to send the google message.
    Yes i mean from the browser ?

    ReplyDelete
  16. In Google Talk, you can't send a message to someone unless you are in his/her contact list. So you have to add that person to your contact list and wait until he/she accepts your invitation.

    Google Talk's gadget is not that clever to be used for chatting with the owner of a site, but there other gadgets that let you do that: MeeboMe, Zoho Chat, Plugoo, Gabbly, Geesee.

    ReplyDelete
  17. "a href="http://edit.yahoo.com/config/send_webmesg?.target=YAHOO_ID&.src=pg" target="_blank">
    < img src="yahoo.gif" border="0" />
    "

    Can we have a similar link for
    MSN
    AIM
    Google Talk

    Yahoo is providing a good support for chat & messenger.
    I tried to do search for similar link for MSN ,AIM and google talk , but haven't found very useful stuf.

    Can some body please provide me the links for the same.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I use Chatopus on Treo 650 - it works well for my purposes. Unfortunately, it can't run in the background.

    ReplyDelete
  19. guys, one more s/w using which u can mobile chat is reporo. Get it here. http://www.reporo.com/register.jsp..
    It supports gtalk, yahoo, msn & AOL.
    Has a very neat interface , its free, tabbed chatting screen, java enabled so can work on most of the latest phones, Auto login etc..

    ReplyDelete
  20. @web:

    What you want is called online presence. Yahoo and AOL provide a way to add a status icon to a site, while Microsoft and Google don't have an official way to do that. You could also try onlinestatus.org (which should work for AOL, Yahoo, MSN and Jabber, but I don't know if it works for Google Talk).

    ReplyDelete
  21. A new killer app is Raketu ! Multiformat instant messenger including Gtalk, Sms and email sending, Voip from computer or mobile phone, Voip rates without computer as Jajah but 3 times cheaper ! And, last but not least, no supernodes as with Skype.

    Not to mentioned It works from every where in the world including my tiny island La Réunion. Jajajh does not !

    From now, on my computer, and on my HTC Tytn, the best place is for Raketu !

    ReplyDelete
  22. I do not know anyone who uses google talk so I really do not need it on my mobile.
    I use google talk to tell me what I have in gmail when I start my pc, thats about it.
    The people I know only use aim, yahoo and msn.

    ReplyDelete
  23. We have just released a free GTalk/Jabber Windows Mobile client, as part of the Sqij 'applet' platform (along with existing applets like weather, travel, push email, stock ticker, etc.)

    All the goodness at: http://www.sqij.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. Is there mo Google Talk Client with full source code which can be compiled for :
    -PocketPC 2003
    -Windows Mobile 5
    -Windows Mobile 6
    ???

    ReplyDelete
  25. Is there gtalk application for samsung corby tv (CDMA)f339 de12 handset ?
    please reply

    regards
    sashikumar2908@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  26. Palringo was the best

    ReplyDelete
  27. I want open gtalk and gmail,vzo chat

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  28. How do I use google talk to add a second number to my cell phone so my friend in prison can call me ? I opened a g mail account but cant figure out how to get it on my mobil phone.

    ReplyDelete
  29. how do I use g talk from my mobile phone to add a second number so my friend from prison can call me ?

    ReplyDelete
  30. hello please tell me how to install gtalk to nokia 6233 please i tried all can one 1 reply me please

    ReplyDelete
  31. What's up can y'all tell me how I can setup a 1800 number that will ring my existing phone and it show up on my regular call logs.

    ReplyDelete

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