Camfrog Video Chat sounds innocent enough and generally it is, although its a bit disconcerting when it asks you for your marital status as mandatory during registration! The Camfrog Video Chat interface is similar to that of an IM client with contacts listed down the right hand and a messaging box along the bottom. When you log in, you're asked whether you want to join the main Camfrog Video Chat room or a specific room such as Latino, LearnEnglish, Single and a special room for those using sign language.

When you log into a Camfrog forum room, the rules are made clear - "No disturbing the room with repeated text or spamming" and "No nudity or asking others to get nude", for example. The main Camfrog Video Chat room is chaos though. Because there are several people all communicating at once, all you see is a flurry of random messages between users. Click on a contact, and you can usually see their webcam (unless they are categorized as a "lurker" which means their webcam is paused for a while).

You can also hear Camfrog Video Chat conversations intermittently like you're tuning in and out of a radio. In general, the whole thing is quite confusing. It would be fine to have a one-on-one chat on Camfrog Video Chat but interacting with several different users at once is like trying to catch rain water. If nothing else, it's amusing just looking at people on their webcams who look equally confused as they stare at the Camfrog Video Chat messages scrolling past and scratch their heads. You also get the sense of a voyeur at times. It's quite odd to accidentally tune into a conversation between a guy who's explaining to his girlfriend that she and Camfrog Video Chat are the best things that ever happened to him!

The Camfrog Video Chat video and sound quality are pretty good and it's amazing how many people are online. It's much nicer to meet people "face-to-face" in this way rather than just chatting to them anonymously. It would be nicer to expand the size of the video but this is only available in the pro version. The same goes for seeing multiple videos at once. The overall Camfrog Video Chat interface looks a bit retro however - like MSN Messenger a few years ago - and feels a little bit cheap.

There are plenty of people online and Camfrog Video Chat has a lot of potential as a group collaboration tool. If you just want to meet friends though, you shouldn't have any problems if you persevere.

Download Camfrog Video Chat 6.5.269 in Softonic

Miranda IM Portable brings all the functionality and features of the popular cross-network IM client Miranda right to your pocket.

Miranda IM Portable can easily be installed in any USB memory device so that you always have a tool to chat with your online buddies, no matter which network they connect to or which computer you're using. Pocket-sized Miranda IM Portable is light on resources, works fast and leaves no trace on the host system's Registry.

Miranda IM Portable supports multiple networks, which means you'll be able to talk to people on ICQ, AIM, MSN, Jabber, Yahoo! and even IRC. The program's interface and general design is honestly not the most brilliant I've seen, but the program is so handy and easy to use that it makes up for it.

Also, though Miranda IM Portable is quite a basic client, you can add loads of new features by means of plugins – just like the Firefox extensions, but for Miranda.

Save Miranda IM Portable in your USB memory stick and you'll be able to chat with your IM buddies anytime, anywhere.

Download Miranda IM Portable 0.10.11 in Softonic

This is where Nimbuzz comes in really handy as it's a multi-platform instant messaging client. This enables you to chat with your contacts and keep track of your friends' updates on more than a dozen different social networks and IM protocols, including Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, MSN, ICQ, Google Talk and Jabber, among others.

Nimbuzz is already quite popular among mobile platforms, where it has been around for a while. This port to PC has gone a bit unnoticed, I guess partly because Nimbuzz doesn't feature as many tools and options as other similar programs. The tool in itself is quite simple, very light on resources and does what it says on the tin. There are no custom backgrounds, animation effects or any other bells and whistles.

Besides basic text chat, Nimbuzz includes other interesting options such as the ability to organize contacts by groups and the possibility to share files with them, even if they're not online, thanks a to a temporary storage system. Being primarily a mobile IM app, Nimbuzz also allows you to keep contacts synced with your mobile phone.

Despite being simpler than other similar tools, Nimbuzz is still a great app to keep in touch with friends across many different social networks and IM platforms.

Download Nimbuzz 2.5.1 in Softonic

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

Apowersoft Free Screen Recorder is video capture software that will allow you to record your computer’s screen or audio. With only a few simple tools you can decide which parts of your computer are captured and converted. Apowersoft Free Screen Recorder is a great piece of software for screencasts, screenshots, and audio.

Features

With Apowersoft Free Screen Recorder you can record your desktop, take screenshots, or record audio. With the screen record option you can select from recording the entire screen, specific regions, focus around the mouse, or take web cam input. For audio you can pick to record desktop sounds, speak through your microphone, or combine both. Default formats for video is WMV, and for audio MP3, OGG, WMA, or WAV can be selected.

Apowersoft Free Screen Recorder can also set up tasks that automatically record for you. You may schedule a certain time of day, the duration of your recording or specific stop date, and if you are capturing video (including regions) or audio. You can also set if your computer shutdowns automatically after Apowersoft Free Screen Recorder finishes.

Usability

Apowersoft Free Screen Recorder has a very basic yet intuitive design. When the app is first opened and no files are in the output folder the file window will be hidden. After your first recording this window will expand, causing Apowersoft Free Screen Recorder to become larger in size. Each button has a simple drop down menu to adjust settings. There are rarely any detailed settings windows, except when scheduling tasks. One annoying aspect of Apowersoft Free Screen Recorder's UI are false buttons that you might expect to open new options and menus. Instead these are just fancy links to Apowersoft’s website placed in deceptive locations.

If you select region recording, an overlay will cover the screen, allowing you drag a desired rectangle sized space. If you’re unhappy with the rectangle size you can move it around, adjust pixel width and height, or select a preset from a drop down menu. Before recordings you can set up a countdown to prepare your screen, as well as audio beeps when a recording starts and stops.

Quality

Apowersoft Free Screen Recorder has a very minimal appearance, often times you may forget it is even open. When not recording it simply looks like a black and off-white bar. The miniature design works well as you rarely want a large abrasive UI while recording. You can also choose to hide most all of Apowersoft Free Screen Recorder’s toolbars to further increase its stealth.

Apowersoft Free Screen Recorder doesn’t cause any obvious slow down while it records, allowing you a smooth capture session as you open other programs and web pages. Quality of finished recordings is generally high and files are compressed to low sizes. There can be visual problems when using the area around mouse option, but only if you select a resolution under 640x480.

Conclusion

Apowersoft Free Screen Recorder is a great way to capture your screen for screencasts and audio. It only supports WMVs, but the quality of recordings is good with compact file sizes. Apowersoft Free Screen Recorder can set up captures at specific dates and automate shut downs, making handy for daily recording. Just remember that several buttons are links and not options.

Download Apowersoft Free Screen Recorder 1.1.3 in Softonic

FaceBook @Desktop is a light-weight client that sits in your system tray, like any other messenger software, and will alert you as soon as some new activity happens in your Facebook stream. The alerts are presented as unobtrusive pop-ups on the desktop that automatically fade after some time. You don't need to refresh your profile a hundred times to keep track of your Facebook! Facebook @Desktop allows you to receive notifications with new wall posts, messages and friend requests. Just cause you are not on the website doesn't mean you're not on Facebook! FaceBook @Desktop is a small Windows application that sits in your taskbar, providing balloon style alerts when you receive new messages, friend requests, event invites, group invites.

Facebook @Desktop is specific because it has a built in proxy that enables Facebook access even if the user is behind firewall. It is perfect for users that don't want to open browser and go online while they are at work or school, but want to stay up to date with everything that is happening in thei Facebook stream.

All users that have no time to open browser and go online. People who want to use Facebook at school, or at work.

Download Facebook@Desktop 1.1.6 in Softonic

Web SMS to Mobile GSM software easily advertise your product by forwarding item detail like price, feature, special offer, discount etc at new and existing customer through message.Economical Web SMS to Mobile GSM software simultaneously transmit thousands of messages to individual or group of contacts. SMS broadcasting program transmit emergency alert in company and organization and replace time consuming phone call. Interactive bulk SMS broadcasting utility provides facility to skip duplicati

Web SMS to Mobile GSM software easily advertise your product by forwarding item detail like price, feature, special offer, discount etc at new and existing customer through message.Economical Web SMS to Mobile GSM software simultaneously transmit th

Download Web SMS to Mobile GSM 8.2.1.0 in Softonic

ICQ used to be the most popular IM application... until Microsoft launched MSN Messenger and thousands of ICQ users switched to it. In the meantime ICQ continued to be upgraded until finally reaching version 7.

ICQ 7 has a quick, painless installation process that hardly takes a couple of minutes and enables you to import contacts from other online services such as Facebook, Gmail and Windows Live, among others. Once installed on your system, the program plays its characteristic siren and launches, displaying a colorful, customizable interface – with the omnipresent banner at the bottom, of course.

Text chats are still the main function in ICQ. You can spice them up with smileys and tzers (the equivalent to Live Messenger's winks), customize the text font and color, save the conversation to message history and play games with your friends. ICQ 7 also enables you to transfer files and send short text messages via phone.

Video chats have also been integrated in the latest version of ICQ. The program features an excellent video image quality, but the video chat is displayed on a separate window from the text chat and makes it a bit uncomfortable to use.

The most outstanding characteristic in this new ICQ is undoubtedly its integration with social networks. You'll find a tab devoted to notifications from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr, which enable you to track your friend's activities at all times. Oddly enough, you'll have to set these services up from the ICQ website.

ICQ keeps working on new versions to measure up to its main competitors but fails to really offer any new functions.

Download ICQ 8.0 in Softonic

Messenger Plus! is a plugin for Windows Live Messenger that adds more features to the instant messenger like skins, tabbed conversations, custom sounds and more.

Messenger Plus! is the most popular MSN plug-in, collecting together all the extras users could ask for into one program. It's certainly an excellent pack of tools which heavy Messenger users consider as essential and which certainly improves your IM experience. Over all these years it has been able to adapt to every new Messenger version, including the name change and the new interface design. In fact, Messenger Plus! is now seamlessly integrated into Windows Live Messenger 2011: the only way you can tell it's there is by the tiny button on the top right corner of the main interface.

The Messenger Plus! tools can be divided into several groups, depending on the aim they're made for: you get tools to improve your chats, format text, change Messenger's appearance with skins, customize fonts and manage chat logs, among others. Messenger Plus! also lets you password protect your Messenger and includes support for scripting, so that you can add your own features to the plug-in.

The list of improvements Messenger Plus! brings to Windows Live Messenger doesn't end here. Tabbed chat windows, custom status messages, quick texts for frequently used expressions are just some of the new features you’ll be able to enjoy with Messenger Plus!. It can take a while to tweak all these settings, but fortunately a useful after-install wizard makes the basic initial configuration a lot easier.

All in all, Messenger Plus! is probably the only plug-in you'll ever need, especially if you like customizing every single detail of your Messenger.

Download Messenger Plus! 6.00.0.773 in Softonic

Trillian supports multiple chat networks, such as Live Messenger, AOL Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk, ICQ, Facebook, MySpaceIM, Skype, Jabber, IRC, Twitter, e-mail accounts (POP3 and IMAP) and Bonjour, besides the Trillian proprietary network.

This means that the program's interface can get quite bloated with contacts from a dozen different IM platforms. Luckily, you decide which networks to load on Trillian startup, and also temporarily hide certain lists or merge contacts into one single entry per person, which may help organize things a bit.

The new version of Trillian has improved many aspects of the program. Initial setting is now much quicker and easier, and the interface has totally been redesigned not only for a better integration with Windows 7, but also to provide you with a more compact, easily manageable window.

In a way, Trillian is not just a multi-platform instant messaging tool anymore, but a complete social timeline where you can chat with your friends – either by text, voice or video - and also see what they’re up to on Facebook or Twitter.

Trillian is back with an even more powerful mult-platform IM client, featuring support for a dozen protocols and an attractive, intuitive design.

Download Trillian 5.3.0.7 in Softonic

Capturing sounds from your computer isn't as straightforward as it should be. Maybe there's an audio clip from a video you'd like to use or if you'd like to record part of a song to turn into a ringtone. Streaming Audio Recorder makes it easy and allows you to record any sound your computer produces.

The first thing most people will do with Streaming Audio Recorder is try to record streaming music from programs like Spotify and Pandora. While recording these songs "over the air" is illegal, Streaming Audio Recorder will work and captured streaming audio just fine. Streaming Audio Recorder limits users to 128 kbps recordings, which is on the low end of acceptable audio quality. Streaming Audio Recorder can also pick up sounds from your mic, if you have one connected.

There is a built in music search feature, which pulls up tracks and artists. This feature didn't work for us as we were repeatedly given "403 Forbidden" errors. While this feature is nice, it seems like an afterthought and it seems to pull tracks from all over the internet.

The trial version of Streaming Audio Recorder is pretty full featured but has a couple of limitations. There will be a five second nag screen you have to wait through before using the app and using some of its other features. Users will also be limited to recording a maximum of 3 minutes and can only download one track at a time.

Streaming Audio Recorder works well for recording system audio but its music search and downloading features are little more than an afterthought.

Download Streaming Audio Recorder 2.7.7 in Softonic

The new Windows Live Messenger 2012 comes as part of the Windows Live Essentials pack. It's an incremental development over Windows Live Messenger 2011, looking almost identical, while introducing a couple of changes.

When you install Windows Live Messenger, you have the option to install the rest of the Essentials pack, including Mail, Writer, Sync, Companion, Family Safety, Photo Gallery and Movie Maker.

You can choose to connect Windows Live Messenger 2012 to social networks Facebook and LinkedIn, making the app your social hub in Windows, if you want. Facebook is still much easier to use in your browser though, and integration into Windows Live Messenger 2012 is only really useful if your Messenger contacts are still really active and important to you.

The interface is almost unchanged; so if you were unhappy with the changes we saw in 2011, there is nothing here to make you happier! When you open a chat, there is a new Video call icon, and when you receive a video call, there is a new floating window, much like in Skype. A neat feature of this is the option to answer without showing your video feed - we're not always ready for a video call, after all!

Windows Live Messenger 2012 is no revolution, slightly improving on its predecessor. It's still a little bloated, and considering Hotmail's recent transformation to Outlook.com, which features a great messenger service right from your browser, it could be curtains for this venerable application.

Download Windows Live Messenger 2012 16.4.3503.0728 in Softonic

To bring Yahoo! Messenger up to date, Facebook chat has been integrated into the latest version, along with social games like Mafia Wars. You can now use video chat in full-screen mode, and the 'Always On' feature means you'll stay connected whether on mobile, at home or at work.

You can of course update your Facebook status from Yahoo! Messenger, and also on Yahoo! What hasn't changed from the previous version is the amount of bloat in the app. Some people may appreciate the shared videos, social games (as shown in the video here), radio stations, emoticons, search bar and so on. However, all this stuff adds a lot of weight to the Yahoo! Messenger, and it feels unsophisticated today. The video call quality in Yahoo! Messenger is pretty good, however, and in fact if it stuck to being a chat app, we would recommend it more highly!

The amplification of social aspects in Yahoo! Messenger isn't a revolution. If you love all the bells and whistles, you'll love this app, but many people will find it annoying and intrusive.

Download Yahoo! Messenger 11.5.0.228 in Softonic

aMSN is an alternative to the classic MSN Messenger, with more features yet a much weaker interface. The chat client looks very similar to Microsoft's product yet differs on a number of points. aMSN developers have delved into the preferences menu, adding extra little features like event alerts and sounds, conferencing support or autoaway messages. Like with MSN Messenger you'll be able to transfer files and organize all your contacts into groups.

Audio/Video support is the number one function that users look for in IM clients nowadays, yet an area which aMSN doesn't particularly focus on. Webcam support is fairly weak and unstable on aMSN, and instead of integrating into your chat window will open up in a new Quicktime window.

One of the biggest pet peeves of users with aMSN is the interface. It simply doesn't compare with more sleeker, more recent IM clients. To the developer's defense though you can download all sorts of skins from the program's website. Similarly it offers up a range of plugins, to customize your client to your liking. Chat addicts will also appreciate the animated emoticons on hand.

In terms of performance, you have to keep in mind that aMSN is still a Beta product, so still liable to some crashes and bugs. We did have some trouble when opening up new chat window and noticed that the client tended to use a lot of CPU.

In a few words, aMSN is a good alternative to MSN for users looking to add more plugins, skins and delve into the preferences menu.

Download aMSN 0.98.9 in Softonic

SmartButler enables you to listen to your incoming messages without reading them and to recognize your online friends by their voices! This is because SmartButler can read messages from users with DIFFERENT voices and languages, using different speed, volume and tone settings set up for each individual user!

SmartButler also understands slang and idioms, will let you know when you have new mail, and can read the clipboard automatically. As SmartButler can speak many languages at once, it also is a good way to study new languages!

Furthermore, if you are familiar with scripting programming (such as VBScript or JScript) you can change or add scripts that drive SmartButler, in order to tailor its behaviour exactly the way you want it.

Download SmartButler in Softonic

Download PMSN Paraiso 2.9.00 in Softonic

Download A-Patch 1.43.03 For Windows Live Messenger 8.5 in Softonic

Download Messenger Plus! Live 3.63.148 in Softonic

Download StuffPlug 3.5.590 in Softonic

Bandoo adds new animated emoticons, nudges, winks, and images, to your messenger client. They are bright, bold and brash with animations, TXT language and new pictures all at your fingertips.

Bandoo adds a bar on the conversation window, just above where you write. There are six menus to choose from, one to add emoticons, another one to add animated text, then Winks, Nudges, User pictures and special Bandoo features at the end. Each category contains dozens of new animations divided into categories, although, as you might guess the emoticons selection is far wider.

While earlier versions suffered from slow down, Bandoo now seems to works perfectly smoothly, and doesn't interrupt the flow of your conversation.

Bored with the standard messenger emoticons? Bring new life to your IM with hundreds of free cartoon style, brightly colored animations. They may not be to everyone's tastes, but Bandoo is sure to be a hit with chat lovers.

Download Bandoo 7 in Softonic