Google Talk
It was a rumor – now it is fact: Google Talk is Google‘s new IM/VOIP service. It uses your Gmail account and utilizes Jabber protocols. Because of this, you can use any Jabber client to connect to the IM server. If you want to use the voice chatting however, you will have to use their (Windows only 
) client.
The voice chatting is crystal clear from what I have seen, and takes up very little bandwidth. It is still lacking in features such as conference chatting, conference calling, contact grouping, etc., but I am still rather happy with it.
If you don’t have a Gmail account, let me know and I can easily hook you up with one. If you would like to add me as a contact my username is my first initial then last name at gmail.com. Happy chatting 
September 3rd, 2005 at 12:49 am
do you have to have a microphone to google talk?
i was between apts when you sent me the invite. i haven’t heard of google talk so i’m gonna look at it.
September 6th, 2005 at 1:35 pm
You don’t have to have one, no. You can IM on it like usual – but if you do have a mic you can do voice chatting as well. Pretty clear voice chat at that.