Pidgin is in Windows, Linux, BSD and Unixes run multi-protocol instant messaging client, allows you to use all your instant messaging accounts in one log. pidgin support communication: AIM, Bonjour, Gadu-Gadu, Google Talk, Groupwise, ICQ, IRC, MSN, MySpaceIM, QQ, SILC, SIMPLE, Sametime, XMPP, Zephyr. pidgin is free software. It uses the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2. This means that you can freely use it and modify it, but if changes need to source the modified source code.

Getting Started

Make sure you have both Pidgin and Dropbox installed on any computers you want to sync.  To sync Pidgin, you need to:

Delete the default pidgin profile on your other computer, and create a symbolic link from your Dropbox Pidgin profile to the default Pidgin profile location
Create a symbolic link from the new folder in Dropbox to your old profile location
Move your Pidgin profile folder on your first computer to Dropbox

Tips:  Please make sure Pidgin isn’t running on your computer while you are making the changes!

This sounds difficult, but it’s actually easy if you follow these steps.  Here we already had all of our accounts setup in Pidgin in Windows 7, and then synced this profile with an Ubuntu and a XP computer with fresh Pidgin installs.  Our instructions for each OS are based on this, but just swap the sync order if your main Pidgin install is in XP or Ubuntu.

Add your Pidgin Profile to Ubuntu

Our Ubuntu computer had a clean install of Pidgin, so we didn’t need any of the information in its settings.  If you’ve run Pidgin, even without creating an account, you will need to first remove its settings folder.  Open your home folder, and click View, and then “Show Hidden Files” to see your settings folders.

Select the .purple folder, and delete it.

Now, to create the symbolic link, open Terminal and enter the following, substituting username for your username:

ln –s /home/username/Dropbox/.purple /home/username/

Open Pidgin, and you will see all of your accounts that were on your other computer. No usernames or passwords needed, everything is setup and ready to go. Even your status is synced, we had our status set to Away in Windows 7, and it automatically came up the same in Ubuntu.

Please Note: If your primary Pidgin account is in Ubuntu, then cut your .purple folder and paste it into your Dropbox folder instead.  Then, when creating the symbolic link, reverse the order of the folder paths.

Add your Pidgin Profile to Windows XP

In XP we also had a clean install of Pidgin. If you’ve run Pidgin, even without creating an account, you will need to first remove its settings folder. Click Start, the Run, and enter %appdata%.

Delete your .purple folder.

XP does not include a way to create a symbolic link, so we will use the free Junction tool from Sysinternals.  Download Junction (link below) and unzip the folder.

Open Command Prompt (click Start, select All Programs, then Accessories, and select Command Prompt), and enter cd followed by the path of the folder where you saved Junction.

Now, to create the symbolic link, enter the following in Command Prompt, substituting username with your username.

junction “C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\.purple” “C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Dropbox\.purple”

Open Pidgin, and you will see all of your settings just as they were on your other computer.  Everything’s ready to go.

Please Note: If your primary Pidgin account is in Windows XP, then cut your .purple folder and paste it into your Dropbox folder instead.  Then, when creating the symbolic link, reverse the order of the folder paths.

Sync Your Pidgin Profile from Windows 7

Here is Pidgin with our accounts already setup.  Our Pidgin profile has a Gtalk, MSN Messenger, and Facebook Chat account, and lots of log files.

Let’s move this profile to Dropbox to keep it synced.  Exit Pidgin, and then enter %appdata% in the address bar in Explorer or press Win+R and enter %appdata%.  Select the .purple folder, which is your Pidgin profiles and settings folder, and press Ctrl+X to cut it.

Browse to your Dropbox folder, and press Ctrl+V to paste the .purple folder there.

Now we need to create the symbolic link.  Enter  “command” in your Start menu search, right-click on the Command Prompt shortcut, and select “Run as administrator”.

We can now use the mklink command to create a symbolic link to the .purple folder.  In Command Prompt, enter the following and substitute username for your own username.

mklink /D “C:\Users\username\Documents\My Dropbox\.purple” “C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\.purple”

And that’s it!  You can open Pidgin now to make sure it still works as before, with your files being synced with Dropbox.

Please Note:  These instructions work the same for Windows Vista.  Also, if you are syncing settings from another computer to Windows 7, then delete the .purple folder instead of cutting and pasting it, and reverse the order of the file paths when creating the symbolic link.

Conclusion

Recently, Pidgin developers began to separate the core code, will be responsible for communication with the graphical user interface, some of which are separate. When complete separation, the developer will likely be its own graphics library to write your own client interface. After separation of the core library will be called libpurple (formerly known as libgaim), this is still under development but rather a stable library has been Adium and Proteus these clients to use.

You can visit http://www.newton360.com/Detail/How-to-Sync-Pidgin-Profile-Across-PCs-with-Dropbox.html to read the original article.

Welcome to Newton360 to get more information.

Google Talk Creates Universally Available VOiP Service

With the past record of Google’s ability to enter into and quickly dominate entirely new fields, an incursion by Google into new territory is definitely something worth taking seriously. Voice over Internet Protocol technology is no different, and right now Google appears to be making a play for a greater share of the VoIP market. There are several ways in which Google could come become a bigger player in the VoIP market. One of them is through its messenger service. Right now Google Talk is an instant messenger service that is capable of voice transmission, as well as its standard text transmission. It’s still limited to contacting other people using Google Talk and several other Instant Messenger services like GAIM, Trillian, iChat, Psi, and Adium.

That said though, Google supposedly has plans to make changes to Google Talk that would make it compatible with more traditional telephone systems. If that happens, it would obviously be much easier to get access to what would resemble a fully functional VoIP service simply by downloading a free program from Google.

This would, of course, have a major impact on established telephone service providers. Right now, one of the major impediments that VoIP technology has to becoming a major threat to conventional telecommunications companies is the fact that the VoIP services are either obscure and not as user friendly, or require the purchase of an actual monthly subscription. With Google Talk, neither of those factors would be an impediment. Google is well enough known to attract attention, the version of Google Talk that would interface with normal telecommunication systems would probably be relatively easy to use, and it would in all likelihood be free to download and not be subject to a monthly fee. This could make it a major threat to the conventional telecommunications system and the industry that relies on it being the means of choice for providing people with voice communication.

One thing that would get in the way of Google Talk becoming serious competition to commercial VoIP services would come from the fact that because of its nature the upcoming version of Google Talk would probably not have the kind if comprehensive features that you’d get with the big name VoIP services like Vonage, Skype, and Sun Rocket. Most of the larger VoIP providers include lots of extra features at no extra charge that make phone extremely convenient, and those extra features would be difficult to implement in the form of a small free ware program from Google.

Since the larger VoIP providers typically have things like voice mail, call waiting, call forwarding, conference calling, call blocking, caller ID, and call waiting to name only a few; Google Talk really wouldn’t be much of a threat to them. Some of the bigger VoIP services also even offer on the fly language translation which makes it easier to communicate with people in other parts of the world.

For these reasons it’s really unlikely that Google Talk would be a threat to other VoIP service providers. But Google also has a lot of unused bandwidth at its disposal and some of the most innovative minds in Silicon Valley. Therefore, if Google decided to launch a full blown VoIP service, the existing services would then be seriously threatened.

Introducing desainesia! This desainesia’s logo animation was inspired from bouncing icon on Mac OS X dock. Sound effect was taken from tokyotrainstation sound set for Adium Messenger.

This messenger features the most popular messengers that you hear or use so that you can have all in one messenger. It also includes updates of your socializing too. LINK: www.digsby.com I have used it and still do and its great.

You’ve done everything you could to your computer box over the years, including keeping it clean, upgrading everything possible (some RAM here, a new DVD drive there, maybe another hard drive and so on) and there’s basically nothing more you can do.

You may have entertained the idea of replacing your computer with a new one because everything is getting so slow it’s intolerable.

However you may not have to do that if you switch over to some apps that are nice and speedy.

Basic maintenance

Before tackling the task of using alternative software, it’s a good idea to “clean up” your computer first. You can do this by using free software called CCleaner, available at www.ccleaner.com. Install it, close all your open apps (except CCleaner), run this and reboot. Most people notice a notable improvement in overall operation after running this registry cleaner application. I suggest running it at least once a week.

Web browsing

Internet Explorer 7 is one of the “heaviest” (if not the heaviest) web browsers out there. Yes, it’s free but it’s also slow. Consider using free alternatives such as Mozilla Firefox (www.mozilla.com/firefox) or Opera (www.opera.com). Both of these browsers are well known to run circles around IE, performance-wise.

Instant messaging

The worst as far as bloated instant messaging applications go is the Yahoo! Messenger. This application is extremely “heavy” and packed full of things you probably never use. Other from-service IM clients such as Windows Live Messenger and AIM are also in desperate need of losing weight.

You can use alternative IM clients or just your web browser to accomplish the same chat capability.

Try these out:

* Trillian @ www.trillian.cc (the basic version is free)
* Pidgin @ www.pidgin.im
* Miranda @ www.miranda-im.org (one of the lightest you’ll ever use – it even works on Windows 95!)
* Digsby @ www.digsby.com
* Meebo @ www.meebo.com (web-based in-browser only)
* aMSN @ www.amsn-project.net (for Windows Live/MSN connectivity only)
* AIM Lite @ http://x.aim.com/laim (AIM only – produced by AOL but without ads and lightning quick!)

Office Applications

Ever since version “2002″ of Microsoft Office the software has become extremely bloated and slow. However you do have alternatives.

Microsoft Office 2000 – It is the luck of the draw whether you can find this software or not as it is difficult to locate (you can’t purchase it any longer). I was lucky enough to still have a copy from years ago with my valid product key and I use this suite it regularly. Remember, this is a year-2000 version so it was programmed for computers of the time. On present-day PCs this version of Office runs lightning quick and I absolutely love it. In addition, you can also achieve even greater speed if you have Microsoft Office 97. And yes, documents created by MS Office 97 are still considered “standard”, so even if you use software that old, everybody you trade documents with will be able to read them without issue.

OpenOffice @ www.openoffice.org – This is a free suite of office apps that have proven to be stable and work great. While not as speedy as MS Office 2000 it does get the job done, and you can’t beat the price tag.

AbiWord @ www.abiword.com – This is a free word processing application. It’s one of the smallest and fastest out there and works great.

ThinkFree @ www.thinkfree.com – This is a 100% web-based office suite. It looks and performs almost exactly like an installed application. You will be amazed at how good ThinkFree works.

Digital photo editing

The bundled software that came with your digital camera is usually always “heavy” on use and has a tendency to crash more often than not. Here are a few free alternatives:

Picasa @ http://picasa.google.com – Whether or not you choose to use the Picasa web service is entirely up to you, but bear in mind the editing capabilities of the free Picasa application are powerful and moreover easy.

Windows Live Photo Gallery @ http://photogallery.live.com – While not as good as Picasa, this particular app is also free and has the ability to publish photos directly to the Flickr web service that many people use (including myself).

Remember…

Before you toss that old PC out – clean it up and try some alternative lighter software. You might find that your older computer box still has a few years of life left in it after all.

Own a Mac? Here are eight essential free applications that you should know about.

Newsfire (http://www.newsfirerss.com/) – Newsfire is a free RSS reader for Mac users that like to be on top of every news item, podcast, or video that hits the web. There are numerous features that make Newsfire stand out from the rest of the competition including search, grouping, and del.icio.us integration. And if podcasts are your thing, Newsfire has a built in audio plugin that allows for easy export to iTunes.

Adium (http://www.adiumx.com/) – Access all of your instant messenger accounts from one sleek program with the help of Adium. For recent adopters of Apple PC’s that may have used Trillian on their Windows PC will make great use of this app. Gtalk, AIM, MSN, and more can all be accessed from one account. No more logging in and out of a program for each IM client.

Temperature Monitor (http://www.freemacware.com/temperature-monitor/) – At the very least, this application is straight up cool. This application makes use of the built in temperature sensors found in most Mac’s these days. Find out which parts are overheating from Temperature Monitors clean interface, making it easier to identify performance problems.

TinkerTool (http://www.bresink.com/osx/TinkerTool.html) – TinkerTool opens up preference settings that were once hidden in OS X. Nearly anything you’ve wanted to customize, but couldn’t find the preference settings, are now available to mess around with. If you ever decide you want to go back to factory settings, you’re only a few clicks away.

Smultron (http://smultron.sourceforge.net/) – Smultron is essential for code monkeys. Smultron is a text editor with great features such as text coloring that makes coding far easier to write and even easier to decipher once written. If you find yourself lost in line after line of code, Smultron is for you.

ClamXav (http://www.clamxav.com/) – Viruses are far and few between for Mac users, but they do happen! Keep your system protected from those viruses that you haven’t had to put up with since you were running Windows.

Perian (http://perian.org/) – I think we can all agree that Quicktime does have its downfalls. The most annoying being codec support. If you are tired of having to hunt down a new codec every time a video fails to play, than Perian is for you. Perian will keep your system updated with all the popular codecs available on the web.

NeoOffice (http://www.neooffice.org/neojava/en/index.php) – OpenOffice, an open source application that rivals the functionality of Windows Office is an amazing program. There’s only one problem. OpenOffice can’t run on Mac OS X without the help of X11. This is where NeoOffice comes in. NeoOffice is a direct port of OpenOffice, but Mac OSX compatible. Until OpenOffice 3.0 (currently in beta) is released with Mac compatibility, NeoOffice is your best bet.

Quick review of Digsby Messenger Software. blog.techgurushow.com http www.jon4lakers.com http Download Digsby at: www.digsby.com

As so many other people have done this I thought I should. So here are my applications, probably will change soon! 1: Finder 2: abiword – Just like Microsoft Word which I tried using but it never loaded up! 3: Camino – Just like firefox but looks good on mac! 4: Safari – My choice of internet browser for mac! 5: itunes – You need itunes if you have an ipod ;] 6: Windows Live Messenger 7: Mac Messenger 8: Windows Media Player 9: Microsoft thing (Forgotten!) 10: Limewire – Dont use it anymore! 11: Stickies 12: Quicksilver 13: Skype! – Voip Thing 14: Microsoft powerpoint – Can't live without this! 15: isync 16: macam? – Webcam App 17: Adium – Messenger chat (Looks cool on mac!) 18: Microsoft Excel 19: iphoto 20: imovie – Made this video with it! 21: archcalc 1.9 – Caculator 22: System Pref.

Was it ever possible to talk to your friend on the latest fashion trend in Yahoo! Messenger, then your clients wanting inquire about a company product in MSN Messenger? How about a family member trying to contact from miles away to announce that she’s getting married using IRC? So what do you do now? Why not download Pidgin? Pidgin is a multi-protocol instant messaging client for Windows and BSD. It is well-suited with AIM, Yahoo, Jabber, IRC, MSN Messenger, ICQ, Gadu-Gadu and Zephyr. Using Pidgin means you can log on to multiple internet messaging accounts and chat concurrently with family and friends.

You will dig Digsby because it is multi-protocol internet messaging client, has a email notifier tool and social system gizmo that let’s you chat away with your family and friends. Even if they are using different kinds if chatting softwares like Yahoo! Messenger, AIM, Google Talk, MSN Messenger, Jabber and ICQ. Digsby let you manage your buddy list, lets you deal with your email (read, delete, etc.) without any difficulty. Digsby also has state-of-the-art technology that keeps you updated and keeps you connected with your family and friends. Though it a user using Windows XP or Vista is more recommended for Digsby.

No, Miranda is no chick and this is not an online-dating chat room, but she could have sounded pretty good right? Miranda internet messaging is small and swift. It is easy to use because of its support of multiple protocols. It is created from ground-up to be resource competent. Concurrently, it is providing a rich quality set. Miranda comprises support for Yahoo, MSN, IRC, Jabber, Gadu-Gadu and ICQ. In addition to that, Miranda can be personalized, adapted and broaden functionality for your liking. Miranda also has perks like hundred of icons, plug-ins, sounds and the like, you can choose from.

ManyCam Virtual Webcam is a lot of fun! This software can be utilized with multiple programs all together. Transmit your webcam video all at the same time with Yahoo! Messenger, MSN, Camfrog, Skype, AIM and PalTalk. This software can help you in adding special effects and graphics, it will make you feel like you are working on a big time movie. You can make any of your body part go on fire, or as if you are underwater or it is snowing inside your house. Grapchics, text and your national flag can be placed to your video window. It is compatible with Windows Vista, XP, 2000, 2003 server.

Do you want to have more fun when it comes to online video chatting? Would you want to record videos with live effects? CyberLink YouCam 2 can provide you that. This internet messaging software has 12 new avatars that will grant you the chance to pass as a historical figure or their much loved pet. The illusion of this software is truly outstanding. It will imitate your eye, head movements and your head. Online file sharing is also possible in CyberLink YouCam 2. You can receive and send PowerPoint Presentations and photos to your friends who also has CyberLink YouCam 2.

heres a little tut for those who searching for an app that does the job on instan messaging (MAC USERS)