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Trillian Launches Web Version Beta

I’ve been a user of Trillian now for quite a number of years. Today I was welcomed with the message that they have launched a new web version of their aggregated instant messaging chat client. They’ll be competing with the likes of Digsby, eBuddy and Meebo.

trillian-web

The Trillian web client incorporates a general desktop look and feel, minus all of your other windows. I can understand this metaphor as can most computer users, but I’m not sure it’s the best use of space. The more I use it though, I can see how taking advantage of the ALT+TAB function of switching windows tasks would allow you to quickly jump to all of your open chats very quickly.

As with the desktop client you can use just about every instant messaging platform you can think of and chat with video and audio. Organization of chat windows, grouping of all buddy lists and email notifications.

Visit the Trillian IM website for more details and how you can possibly participate in their beta.

Image: Snagit of Trillian IM website

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What If Death Is Just the Beginning – This Is It

Michael Jackson memorial service prepared in Los Angeles

An interesting conversation took place tonight. I know this is a far-fetched idea, but I’m just going to throw it out there. What if Michael Jackson’s death is all a marketing ploy for the launch of his new concert tour!

First you’ve got this totally unexpected death. Now you’ve got the broke state of California and Los Angeles paying for this giant, sold-out I might add, memorial service for him at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. I’m still not sure why the state is paying for it. Can someone please tell me? What’s the precedent for a state paying for a giant memorial service for a "celebrity".

Imagine, six days from now his "This Is It" concert tour in London was to start. Promotions of the new tour also included allegations that this would be his final tour ever, hence the "This Is It" naming.

How shocked would you be if at some point in the memorial service, Jacko arises from his death and starts the tour? The memorial service is expected to be seen by well over a million people. That would be a pretty good send off for the start of the tour right?

If you’re a fan, would you be disgusted by this ploy or absolutely thrilled he’s alive and kickin’?

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Send You a Fax? Are you serious?

The one bit of technology that’s still around that surprises me is the fax machine. I understand that there are some documents where you say you need a signature, but do you really? Why can’t we have a digital signature really mean something?

faxed

With services like eFax, receiving a fax sent to your virtual fax number into your Inbox is very easy. It’s a little hard to find now on eFax’s website, but it’s still there. The other challenge is when you really need to fax something to someone else. Most of the times I’ll end up printing a document (or even scanning something) into my computer as a PDF and just emailing the PDF. Sometimes that’s just not an option and you do need to use the old-school fax function.

Here are a couple of sites that provide you these options. The vast majority of them charge per fax or offer a few free ones then charge for more usage (isn’t that a drug-dealer’s strategy too? Guess there’s another confirmation of why computer workers are called computer "users").

Image: sxc.hu