Just came accross these cool del.icio.us buttons which you can add in your opera browser.
This is how they will look like:

Get them here: Del.icio.us Bookmark plugin for opera

“Pack could grease entry into enterprises” – Phil Muncaster, IT Week

Google has launched a beta of a free collection of applications, including some from other vendors, to help users download, install and maintain software to use the internet more effectively.

The new Google Pack – available here – is primarily aimed at consumers, but experts said it could also raise the search giant’s profile within enterprises.

Google Pack was launched at the International Consumer Electronics Show and its tools include Google Earth satellite imaging software, the Google Talk instant messaging application, Google Toolbar for web browsers and Google’s desktop search software.

The pack also features Mozilla’s Firefox web browser, a version of Norton AntiVirus software from Symantec and Adobe Reader 7.

Google Updater, also included, is a new tool that will download, install and uninstall, and maintain all the software in the Google Pack, ensuring each program is up to date by alerting users when new updates become available, according to the company.

Mike Davis of analyst Butler Group said the announcement shows that Google is trying to challenge Microsoft’s dominance of the desktop, both at home and in the enterprise. “A few years ago people were taking technology home from work, but [more recently] this has reversed, with things like instant messaging starting in the home environment and then moving to the office,” Davis said. ” If X million people have a free packet of software that can be automated, updated and supported, and it is not in the corporate environment, there will be a push for change [so it can be used] at the enterprise level.”

Davis added that Google’s announcement would raise the profile of the company’s brand and alter perceptions that it is solely a provider of search functionality.
However, David Bradshaw of analyst firm Ovum said Google Pack does not offer any applications that cannot already be downloaded from the internet for free, except for the Norton software.

“Google is marking time [with this release],” Bradshaw commented. “It had to announce something in the software domain so it put together [this bundle]. Everyone expects it to launch something to challenge Microsoft but this isn’t it.”

I’ve been searching for one good desktop application with address book, notes saver, task reminder, bookmark manager and some more cool features. In the process I found this free software RICOlmer, which is really good. But the bad thing is that it is only a task reminder. But its worth a try.
Here is the link: RICOlmer

I have came to know about rebranding Macromedia to Adobe through Elliot Black’s blog.
You might want to have a look at Macromedia’s Website: Macromedia.com
Here is the Press Release.

I never came across Paint.NET before. It looks like an excellent tool.
Its from The Washington State University students and stafff i think and I am sure I am going to replace my microsoft paint with it.

This is the screenshot :

Link: Paint.NET Home Page
Download and Reviews: FileForum
(Scroll down to see the reviews in the fileforum page, you will be impressed.)

After Ebay bought skype in mid september this year, I think this is the first major new feature that skype is adding to its IM Software. The Video version is in Beta now,. with a known bug: Calls to SkypeOut numbers are reporting “call failed” rather than “busy” if the recipient’s phone is busy

Google Talk which was released in August being its main competitor now as far as the voip range tools, skype can feel the threat of loosing its users. I guess this Video chat version would give skype a good stand and also a potential increase in the number of users.

Two other intresting new features added in this version are
- Mood messages
- Contact Grouping
Not sure about how useful the mood message feature will be but the contact grouping was missing for this great voip tool and its nice that it is finally added.

You can send your comments and other things here:
http://www.skype.com/products/skype/windows/feedback.html

Download skype
Download Beta version with Video

Time for some video chatting

Skype’s biggest problem isn’t about being popular, it’s being popular with the wrong crowd. According to specialists, the VoIP software is used on a large scale by terrorists organizing their next hits.

Security agencies try to figure out terrorists’ communications and it seems that one of the most successful tools is Skype because it gives the users anonymity. Bear in mind Skype is the most popular VoIP tool around the world with over 100 million users.

Although experts have the knowledge to intercept conversations supported by VoIP, many areas around the globe which are considered dangerous and with high terrorism activity don’t have the technology necessary to intervene. Even the United States have a hard time tracking VoIP in real time even though they have the latest available technology. VoIP works very similar to the way email does, the information is broken into bits and transferred through the least busy route over the Internet.

Corporations aren’t too pleased with Skype either, considering approximately 17 million registered Skype users are using the service for business purposes. The fact that Skype can be used by hackers to penetrate the network is the main reason for business owners to put Skype on the black list of software, right next to peer-to-peer and instant messaging.

From $29 to $0.

Ajay, points to this news on his blog.
Opera was my favorite in the olden days. But after I got used to Firefox, I never turned back.

I am sure opera is going to grow better now.
Check it out: www.opera.com

$4.1 billion ?? :-O

Skype is the most popular VOIP tool available and its user database is really vast.
The current downlod count from Skype.com is 166,121,527 :-O
It has also got different versions for Windows, Mac, Linux & Pocket PC.

Finall after being most popular for all these years, it has got a competitior(Google).
Many people, including me were thinking Google will surely have a better voip tool. But now Ebay, the internet business giant acquiring Skype, can make a difference and may be developers at Google must be worried about putting more efforts to their own version of VOIP(Google Talk)
I was surprised when a collegue of mine pointed to this news.
But yes, I was always thinking of this news. But never expected Ebay in the buyers place.

You can read more about this news here:
eBay to Acquire Skype(at skype.com)
EBay Paying Up to $4 Bln for Web Phone Co. Skype(at nytimes.com)

Not really sure about what it is upto.
Found it on the spreadfirefox.com blogs.

I guess it will endup in some logo usage issue. Mozilla is defenitely strict about using its logos for other purpose, so is Microsoft!
Lets wait and see what happens now.