The Meebo bar, the noted product from the social media publishing company founded in 2005, will be discontinued on Thursday as the team focuses its full attention on Google+ products. Meebo was acquired by Google in June 2012.
As part of its continued pursuit of “focus” Google is shutting down five more products. That includes Google Video, iGoogle, Google Mini, Google Talk Chatback and its Symbian Search App, the company announced in a blog post Tuesday afternoon.
As Skype gears up to list on the Nasdaq, the free Internet voice and video calling company is rolling out more services to generate revenue.…
You can “check in” to locations in the real world, and now Meebo is bringing the same idea to the web. The company is launching a new version of its website toolbar that allows users to check into different sites and follow other users.
A new open platform called XAuth is being released Monday by Meebo, with the support of Google, Microsoft, MySpace, Yahoo, JanRain, Disqus, and Gigya. XAuth detects whether or not a user is logged into web services elsewhere so a publisher can prominently display those preferred sites.
There are many apps available that try to bring together various communication protocols. I’m always interested in programs that manage multiple services, since for me, Adium on the Mac (s aapl) and its PC (s msft) relative, Pidgin, are indispensable for dealing with my eight (!) IM accounts.
After my recent post about the betas I use, I was introduced to Nimbuzz, an IM program that is now offering voice services in competition with Skype and Gizmo5 (which was recently purchased by Google).
The origins of Nimbuzz are in Europe. It claims a 20 percent market share in several European countries, and it’s popular in the Middle East. The company says that it has 12 million users, and is adding 40,000 users per day — not bad for a service that’s less than two years old. Nimbuzz is less well known in North America, but that may soon change. Read More about Nimbuzz: Voice, Social Networking and Instant Messaging in One
IM and content-sharing platform Meebo has signed an ad-sharing deal with Nielsen Business Media, that will place its Meebo Bar on sites like…
I spend a lot of time each day communicating with colleagues and clients, by phone, email, on social networks, and via the occasional fax. But when I need to have a short conversation and get an answer right away, instant messaging is hard to beat. Unfortunately, there are several IM protocols, and most of them don’t talk to each other. That’s why I use the multi-protocol IM software Adium on the Mac (s aapl) and Pidgin on the PC (s msft). I can also use a web-based alternative like Meebo or the new Imo.im.
VoxOx wants to take multi-system communication several steps further. In addition to the various IM protocols, it supports social networks (Facebook, MySpace and Twitter); SMS texting; faxing; private email; file sharing; video conversations; and voice connections. VoxOx also supports Skype messaging, although you have to have the Skype software running, which sort of defeats its purpose. Read More about VoxOx: Voice, Video, Texting and Instant Messaging In One Package
Social media ad forecasts mostly focus on networks like Facebook and MySpace, but brands are also running campaigns on IM-based services lik…
Magnify.net Raises $750K; Innovation Ventures led this Series A1 round for the video publishing company. (Silicon Alley Insider)
AT&T’s Viral Series Not So Viral; Lost in America stars iJustine, but is not attracting lots of eyeballs. (Advertising Age)
Open-Source Movie Lets Fans in on the Action; footage from Jathia’s Wager will be uploaded and fans can edit together their own version of the movie. (io9)
Universal Music Group Hooks Up With Meebo; agreement will deliver ad-supported videos from UMG acts like Kanye West and Ludacris to the online chat platform. (release)
Hulu Adds to HD Gallery; episodes of The Office, 30 Rock and Heroes now streaming in high-definition on the site. (Broadcasting & Cable)
Dori Media Group Taps Kaltura; open-source white-label video service to power Novebox.com, a new social network dedicated to telenovelas. (emailed release)
