Features

With Skype you can not only have voice chats on your computer – just like telephone, only for free – but also make real phone calls at much lower rates, using the SkypeOut service and paying with Skype credit. Besides voice chats, Skype also includes standard IM functionalities (written conversations, emoticons, user avatars and so on) and also lets you have group video conferences and share screens.

Usability

These video calls are precisely the main focus on Skype's latest version. The program's interface has been completely redesigned with video conferences on mind. This means it's been made wider so that video fits in perfectly with your written chat, your contact list and a toolbar to manage conversation.

The new interface is transformed when you make a call, getting rid of all the clutter, so you just see the video images, and controls. Group video is still being tested in this version, and it's pretty cool.

The other major development is Facebook integration. This is a pretty big thing, as not only does it give you your news feed in the app - anyone can do that - but adds call and sms buttons to any of your friends who share their contact numbers.

If you’ve paid for Skype minutes, you can call your Facebook friends, and if they’re also signed in to Skype you can call them for free. One of the best new features is the automatic call recovery - drop a call and it’s put in pause. Restarting it is now really easy.

Quality

The sound quality during our testing was perfect: loud and clear. Video sometimes appeared a bit pixelated, but nothing we couldn't really deal with. There was also one nice detail, and that's the ability to see your own video image built-in on your contact's video, and the option to take a snapshot of your own image.

Conclusion

Skype 6 features a complete interface overhaul that now focuses more on video chats, and also adds some handy improvements to the way you communicate online.

What's new

Log in with your Microsoft account
Select and pin your favorite contacts
Facebook and Skype contacts combined into one Contacts list
Easier to understand premium subscription notices
Possibility to control Skype video rendering technology for backward compatibility for people who have trouble with video calls

Download Skype 6.3.60.105 in Softonic

It's not unusual nowadays for people to have multiple Gmail accounts for different aspects of your life. Maybe you have one where you pay bills, another for a job search, and yet one more for friends and family. You can add on other secondary accounts to Gmail, but your preferences aren't always saved, nor are you notified when you get a new email in an account you're not currently viewing.

That's where Social for Gmail comes in. Part of the Social Pro series of desktop apps, Social for Gmail focuses specifically on allowing users to manage multiple Gmail accounts.

Social for Gmail works just how accessing Gmail would in an actual browser. In fact, Google Chat is even supported so you can talk away on multiple accounts at once with ease. You switch between accounts on an easy to use tabbed interface. Updates in your system tray ensure you know whenever you get a new email.

It'd have been nice if the email notifications let you know the subject of the email so you could see if you want to read it or not, but other than that Social for Gmail is a really comprehensive program that many people will find useful for managing their multiple email accounts.

Social for Gmail is a great way to organize and manage multiple Gmail accounts with little hassle and lots of usability.

Download Social for Gmail 2.0.9 in Softonic

Let's face it: most of us have more online accounts than we can control. Email addresses, instant messaging clients, social networking sites… do you really have time to catch up with all of them?

If you don't, then you need Digsby, a revolutionary all-in-one IM client with which you can handle all your online contacts under the same interface, even if they belong to different networks. OK, this is probably not that revolutionary, but the real surprise comes when you realize you can also add your email accounts, no matter if they're online or POP3 based, and also your personal profiles in Facebook and MySpace. The result is that Digsby enables you to control pretty much every aspect of your online social life in a very easy way.

After installing the program, you can start adding as many accounts as you want in order to handle them from Digsby. This includes AIM, MSN, Yahoo!, Google Talk, ICQ, Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, Hotmail, Facebook, MySpace and more. Despite the amount of supported services, they're presented in a very clear, uncluttered interface and organized in tabs. You'll be able to chat with your buddies via IM and also check and organize your email without even having to open your browser. Everything worked fine except for Facebook, which kept on showing a "Connecting…" message though the widget was up and working on my Facebook profile. My ICQ account didn't seem to respond either, but I guess it's got something to do with the fact that Digsby is still in beta stage.

Digsby saves chat history, supports file transfer and features an extended settings menu from which you can tweak the program's appearance and performance. The only drawback I found, besides the Facebook connectivity issue, was the lack of speed when starting the program and logging in. But then again, it's well worth it.

With Digsby you'll be able to manage all your online accounts for email, IM and social networks under a single interface, making it much easier and faster for you to stay in touch with your friends.

Download Digsby Beta Build 90 in Softonic

Google Talk Password Recovery is incredibly simple to use, you just hit 'Start recovery', and any accounts that have been accessed on your system will have their passwords revealed. It also features an Asterisk Password Recovery, which reveals any passwords hidden behind asterisks.

While this application can be useful, and functions well, having it installed on your PC mean anyone can easily grab your passwords, so it much be used with caution.

Google Talk Password Recovery does exactly what it says, and works with Google Talk, Gmail Notifier, Google Desktop and Picasa.

Download Google Talk Password Recovery 1.3 in Softonic

Windows Live Messenger previously known as MSN Messenger, was renamed as part of Microsoft's move away from Hotmail, towards the Live online community. Now the most popular IM app in the world has finally reached version 2009.

Features

Windows Live Messenger offers plenty of emoticons and winks to cheer up your conversations. You can expand both collections easily by adding new sets which you'll find by the hundred on the Internet. Customization possibilities include changing the chat window background or even adding a personal message to your nickname, but not creating custom status messages. Also, Windows Live Messenger status messages have now been reduced to "online", "away" or "busy" – so no more "on the phone" or "out to lunch", for example.

Chat conversations are not the only thing you can do with Windows Live Messenger. There is also the possibility of having video chats using your webcam, and also make VoIP calls. Another great feature in Windows Live Messenger is the possibility to view and share pictures within the chat window, without having to send files over to your contact.

Regarding contact lists, the new Windows Live Messenger lets you create specific groups of users, different from the ones previously known as "groups" and which have now been renamed to Categories. These groups allow you to have multiple simultaneous chats with several contacts. Another new feature in the contact management system in Windows Live Messenger is Favorites, a special category that enables you to have the people you talk to most always to hand.

Usability

Windows Live Messenger 2009 includes many interesting new features, all conveniently built into a nice interface. I'm not sure that this handful of new functions is the reason why the program weighs in at almost 70 MB.

Quality

The most striking feature in the new Windows Live Messenger is an all-new interface with a colorful design, far from the traditional Windows application structure. You can customize it by choosing your own theme and color scheme.

In order to maintain the neatness of this design, the menu bar in Windows Live Messenger has been hidden under a few buttons on the top-right corner – though you can temporarily make the standard menu bar visible by pressing the Alt key. While I understand the reason why they did this, it makes menu options a bit uncomfortable to browse.

Conclusion

Windows Live Messenger reaches version 2009 with a renewed interface, loads of new features and a bit of extra weight.

Context

Windows Live Messenger will be discontinued on April 8. 2013.

Users will have to use Skype with imported contacts to continue messaging Windows Live Messenger contacts.

Download Windows Live Messenger 2009 Build 14.0.8117.416 in Softonic

In case you don't know, Gtalk is Google's IM tool which you can use with your Google account as login. Gtalk was conveniently embedded in Gmail a while ago, so that you can chat with your friends while checking the email.

What's more, you can easily jump between different chat windows thanks to tab support. The program also includes a nice set of emoticons.

Also, another weird behaviour in gTalk Sidebar is the fact that it opens a new browser window for you to log into your Google account, instead of letting you log from the sidebar itself.

Download gTalk Sidebar 0.4 in Softonic

Let's face it: most of us have more online accounts than we can control. Email addresses, instant messaging clients, social networking sites... do you really have time to catch up with all of them?

If you don't, then you need Digsby, a revolutionary all-in-one IM client with which you can handle all your online contacts under the same interface, even if they belong to different networks. And it doesn't even require installation! OK, this is probably not that revolutionary, but the real surprise comes when you realize you can also add your email accounts, no matter if they're online or POP3 based. You can also import your personal profiles from Facebook and MySpace. The result is that Digsby enables you to control pretty much every aspect of your online social life in a very easy way - even though some of them require authorization.

Digsby lets you add as many accounts as you want. This includes AIM, MSN, Yahoo!, Google Talk, ICQ, Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, Hotmail, Facebook, MySpace, and more. Despite the amount of supported services, they're presented in a very clear, uncluttered interface and organized in tabs. You'll be able to chat with your buddies via IM and also check and organize your email without even having to open your browser.

Digsby saves chat history, supports file transfer and features an extended settings menu from which you can tweak the program's appearance and performance.

With Digsby you'll be able to manage all your online accounts for email, IM and social networks under a single interface, making it much easier and faster for you to stay in touch with your friends.

Download Digsby Portable 20700 in Softonic

Available everywhere

Not only does Google Talk support Google accounts, it also supports a variety of other protocols and apps. In other words, you can log in with accounts from Jabber, Pidgin, Miranda, Psiand Trillian.

As well as supporting lots of protocols, Google Talk is also available for lots of devices, so even if you are chatting on your desktop, you'll be able to keep in touch with your friends on Android, iPhone and Blackberry. Even though not explicitly supported, you'll also be able to use Google Talk on Mac and Linux, as long as you use the browser version.

Simple but effective

Google Talk is an attractive app and very easy to use, although its bright, almost childlike appearance is looking a bit old-fashioned these days. There are various themes available from the Settings options, although they have more impact on the window layout and are not strictly "skins". You'll also be able to choose your status, picking from Available, Busy, and Idle, as well as custom messages and the option to show your current music track. Google Talk also notifies you when you receive new emails.

Adding and chatting with contacts with Google Talk couldn't be easier. Double click a name to start a conversation, and a new chat window will appear. If you see a little telephone or video camera icon beside the contact's name, they are also available for phone or video chats, but you'll need the Video and voice plug-in to do this.

Works, but it's neglected

Google Talk has many of the features that you'd expect from an IM client. You can add, block, rename and remove contacts, send smileys, and customize the way you see your friends online. If you look under the more technical settings, you'll also be able modify notifications and connect to the service using a proxy. It's not overrun with options, but most people seem to appreciate the resulting simplicity and light resource use.

Even though Google Talk is the go-to IM app for thousands of people, long term users can't help feeling that Google Talk is pretty low on Google's list of priorities. It works perfectly and is a great app, but that's because it was well made and ahead of its time when it first came out.

Overall

Google Talk hasn't been updated in what seems like years and, with the exception of the VoiP features added in recent times, the program feels a little bit forgotten. This has no impact on usability for Gmail users, but it does feel like Google Talk could do with a little more loving care.

If you're a Google User who wants to IM, you'd be mad to use anything but Google Talk.

Download Google Talk 1.0.0.104 in Softonic

FoxGLove is a special version version of Firefox Portable, tailored by a Firefox user with an insane yet fun addiction to all Google apps.

Besides the ability to run it from a USB device, FoxGLove includes many other interesting characteristics, most of them focused on using Firefox as a standalone word processor thanks to the help of all the online tools developed by Google.

This special version of Firefox features a triple homepage (Gmail, Google Reader and Google Docs) as well as direct accesses to Google Talk, Google Calendar and Google Notebook. FoxGLove also includes a dozen extensions, mostly aimed at improving the performance and features of those Google apps and also enhancing your productivity. Last but not least, FoxGLove also features Google Gears, with which you can keep on working on certain websites while offline and sync your work once you're online again.

What design should FoxGLove have? A Google Chrome-style one, of course. The browser uses the Chromifox theme to obtain a clear, elegant Chrome-like appearance that makes it easy and comfortable to use.

Though it's a bit excessive if you're not a real Google fan, FoxGLove is still a perfectly customized version of Firefox Portable you may find especially useful to work on the move or when you're offline.

Download FoxGLove 1.0 in Softonic

How it works

Google Voice and Video Chat enables you to hold video-conferences with family and friends right on Gmail's interface, just like regular text chats. Google Voice and Video Chat's video window appears on the right side and although you can't move it, there's always the option to pop it out and place it anywhere you like.

Sound and image quality

Google Voice and Video Chat has an astounding quality both in image and sound. Video streaming runs very smoothly and sound is just crisp and clear. Besides there are no complicated configuration settings required, so you'll probably be able to have it set up and running in two minutes.

Requirements

Being a Google Talk plug-in, you obviously need a Gmail account in order to use Google Voice and Video Chat. Also, your contacts need the plug-in in order to be able to use video chats with them. Besides those two basic requirements, we can't honestly think of any other con about it! Also bear in mind that if you want to start a Google + hangout, this is the plug-in you'll need.

Google Talk has finally added the one featured it lacked: high-quality, responsive video chats!

Download Google Voice and Video Chat 1.0.2.0 in Softonic