Users outside of Canada (and those using Android) can receive the Wi-Fi call attempts calls as a push-to-talk messages, and it’s unclear if or when Facebook plans to offer Android users similar Wi-Fi calling functionality. I am not a big Facebook user, but I love VoIP on my handset, and use a variety of apps to communicate via my phone over Wi-Fi. As Wi-Fi networks become more prevalent, these options are easier than ever to use.

Unfortunately, many are likely to view this as yet another closed platform method of communications like Apple’s FaceTime. Luckily no one is demanding that I use Facebook as the sole means to communicate with them. The cool, but also annoying truth, about this service and the myriad other VoIP services out there, is that voice used to be the domain of the telcos and now it’s available to everyone. We’re in the initial flush of figuring out what that means, so we’re still dealing with conversations via IM or text that go something like this:

Me: wait, you have to explain that to me in a call. How did he say it?

Friend: Okay once sec, you want phone, Skype, Gtalk or FaceTime?

Me: Skype

But that will work itself out. What’s important now, is that voice is moving outside of the narrow confines and experiences of the telco network and that’s going to make things much more interesting. Even if Facebook calling doesn’t take off.

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Just as users can now pay to promote their newsfeed stories, a user could pay to have his or her message arrive in another person’s primary inbox, as opposed to the “other” inbox, where messages deemed less relevant by Facebook’s social and algorhithim indicators would go instead. The company explained the test, which is rolling out to a small percentage of users, in a blog post Thursday:

“Today we’re starting a small experiment to test the usefulness of economic signals to determine relevance. This test will give a small number of people the option to pay to have a message routed to the Inbox rather than the Other folder of a recipient that they are not connected with.

Several commentators and researchers have noted that imposing a financial cost on the sender may be the most effective way to discourage unwanted messages and facilitate delivery of messages that are relevant and useful.”

For instance, while users will mostly only see messages from friends and friends of friends in their primary inbox, if someone wanted to contact them for business purposes but had no friends in common, that person could pay to have the message delivered to the primary inbox rather than the “other” inbox. AllThingsD reports that the messages could cost only a dollar.

The company also announced new filtering that lets users pick which messages will land in their primary and “other” inboxes. With “basic filtering,” users will see messages from friends and friends of friends in their primary inbox, and people who turn on “strict filtering” will see “mostly” messages from friends, the company wrote.

The update comes as Facebook works to improve and expand Messenger and the integration of a user’s contacts and @facebook.com email address further into daily communication, while also figuring out how to monetize for the service. It’s an interesting question that the company will test out: Would you pay to improve the chances that your email gets read?

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Apps that will no longer be supported include winners like Yahoo! Meme and Yahoo Mim (say what?), as well as some more general mobile apps like Yahoo Answers for Android and Yahoo Deals for iPhone. Unfortunately, Yahoo! Sketch-a-search, which I didn’t even know was a thing before today, is also getting the axe. (You can see the full list on the official announcement.)

Somewhat paradoxically, Yahoo is pitching its non-support of these apps as part of its “mobile first” mindset. But for anyone paying attention, this could be part of a big step forward for Yahoo as it transitions under new CEO Scott Thompson.

Over at Google, CEO Larry Page calls this strategy putting more wood behind fewer arrows. For a company like Yahoo, which has been somewhat stymied by a lack of innovation, it makes sense to kill off products that consumers aren’t using and double down on those linked to its core properties, like Yahoo Mail, Messenger and Flickr, as well as applications like IntoNow where it can introduce disruptive new technology.

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Here’s a quick summary of what’s new:

• Typing indicators let you know when someone’s replying. This is something a lot of similar apps and services have, including iMessage which is built in to iOS 5. It can come in handy by preventing you from saying more than you need to.
• Users that are online are now listed, as well as those who are reachable via mobile app. That should help you know if you should be expecting an immediate reply or not. People you talk to most frequently are also now displayed at the top of your contact list, just like they are in the web interface.

The update is small, but does make changes where it matters most, making Messenger more useful for actually communicating with your Facebook contacts. There’s also now a version available for BlackBerry, which means all the major smartphone platforms can now join the conversation. The update is available now in the App Store.

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You don’t necessarily have to choose one above the others, but here’s a comparison of their function and features in case you were curious about how they stack up (click to enlarge).

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The search engine that had a strong claim on the web long before upstart Google came along may be down, but they aren’t out. They’re planning a massive undertaking, a cross-platform release of a mobile suite of applications that, at least according to them, could revolutionize the way you use the web from your mobile device.

Yahoo Mobile (not Go. Forget Go ever existed.) will drop simultaneously for mobile web browsers, as a dedicated iPhone app, and as a dedicated app for other smartphones as well (which will be far easier now that everyone is launching an App Store clone). They aren’t being too clear about the specifics, but it’s basically shaping up to be a mobile web portal, which sort of is, and sort of isn’t like Google Mobile. Yahoo Mobile will integrate Mail, Messenger, News and Calendar, although it’s not made explicitly clear whether those will just be available as links to web-based content or integrated into an iPhone app. They also talk about Opera mobile being integrated into the package, but whether or not that particular piece of the puzzle makes its way onto the iPhone is another story.

This will be Yahoo!’s first major foray into the arena of the iPhone (if you don’t count the curious oneConnect social network application), and it will pit them head-to-head against their dominant rival Google. If I’m at all an accurate judge, I’d say Google is reserving fear for when something actually materializes, and even then, I don’t think Yahoo! can offer up anything to seriously challenge their dominance of the iPhone platform. Somehow getting Opera onto Apple devices would be a coup, but if it happened, it would just pave the way for Chrome Mobile, which would probably end up as another “W” in the Google column. Is it just me, or does anyone else sort of feel like Yahoo! should just throw in the towel at this point?

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MeGlobe: Communication Multiplied

MeGlobe is an online multiclient messenger service that allows you to talk to contacts all over the world, regardless of language barriers. It translates your IM and sends it along to the recipient in near real-time, but don’t expect this service to be as good as the Babelfish from Hitchiker’s Guide. The client is still in “beta,” and features a reporting tool so you can point out errors in the translation engine, which then leads to improvements in said engine.

This is a great service if you have to work directly with technical staff in a geographically remote location and don’t want to have to go through a translator for every little communication. While the translations may not be perfect, they should give you enough context to get the job done.

TinEye: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

This is one of those services which seems to have come in answer to one of my many “I wish there was thing that…” thoughts. TinEye is a reverse image search, meaning that it can use any picture you might have lying around to find out more about said picture, including its original source, whether any larger resolutions exist, and where it has been used, modified, etc.

I find the higher resolution finder to be most useful, but if you’re a photographer or graphic designer, you may be interested more in seeing how your work is being used. Illuminating, to say the least.

snitch.name: Find Everyone, Everywhere

If you do a Google search for someone, what usually won’t appear are their social network profiles and pages. Hence the need for snitch.name, a search engine specifically designed to comb social networks for your target. Just type in someone’s name, hit enter, and see their Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, etc. profiles pop up, so long as they’re available and publicly viewable.

This is a great app to use if you want to find your friends on other networks you belong to, or if you’re looking to try to make a new contact for networking purposes. Note that even though it might be able to find someone, it’s still up to you to convince them that you’re a worthwhile contact for them to make.

Are My Sites Up?: Remain Vigilant Without Refresh

If you have a number of domains under your watchful eye, like myself, then you’re probably at least somewhat paranoid about those sites going down. Especially if you use them to do business. This web tool allows you to register your sites so that you receive email alerts when they go down, for whatever reason.

Won’t necessarily help the site come back online quicker, but it will let you open up that issue ticket/fire off that angry email to tech support in a more timely manner than you might otherwise be able to.

That’s four very different, but very useful web apps that could benefit many different kinds of web workers in many different ways. Two essential truths that bind these tools, and web workers together: We all need the web, and we all need other people.

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Today’s smartphones can become complete messaging systems that keep the worker up to date and in touch with clients and coworkers.  The Blackberry has long been considered one of the most complete messaging tools available and they have recently made great inroads into the marketplace as a result.

The newest Blackberry to come along is the Storm and a unique smartphone it is without even a keyboard to get in the way.  Will the Blackberry Storm fill the needs of the average web worker or is it just fluff?

Let’s take a look at what it offers and kick the tires.

The Storm is a phone with a big screen that is all touchy-feely like the iPhone and foregoes a keyboard.

At the heart of the phone is the core Blackberry feature set which is probably the best messaging platform on the market. It’s important to not overlook that the Storm is a Blackberry at its core even though it is a nice bright shiny gadget like the iPhone.  The messaging system works flawlessly as you would expect from a Blackberry and the web worker will soon fall in love with that system.  The messaging encompasses email and there is a full IM offering on board that makes it a joy to keep in touch with team members.

It doesn’t matter if you use Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk, AIM, Blackberry Messenger or Windows Live Messenger, the Storm has you covered.  The notification system is ingrained into the Blackberry platform so if you get a message from a contact on any of these IM platforms the Storm will show an indication just like email.  This makes sure you are never out of touch when you need to be there.

How does messaging work without a keyboard?

RIM has incorporated technology they call SurePress that provides an on-screen keyboard that provides tactile feedback.  It’s not quite the same as typing on a phsyical phone keyboard but it’s pretty darn close and that’s where the magic comes into play.  It feels so natural to type an email out on this tactile keyboard that you quickly forget you’re not pressing real keys because they feel real.  In our evaluation we find that we create far more detailed email messages because the typing experience is so good.

When you use the Storm in horizontal orientation you get a full QWERTY keyboard with all the keys where you expect them.  Type a message while holding the Storm vertically and you are presented with the Blackberry SureType keyboard which puts two letters on each key.  This works surprisingly well as the Blackberry uses a predictive system that is uncanny in producing the correct word.  We found we could quickly use this keyboard one-handed like any other phone.

The Blackberry Storm comes equipped with software from Dataviz which makes it possible to work with Office documents right on the phone. We all know how common an occurrence it is to get an email with a Word document attachment for example and with this software you can not only review Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents but you can edit them right on the phone.  This makes the Storm a full work platform right out of the box.

Many web workers do a fair bit of traveling and the Blackberry Storm being released by Verizon is a full global communications device.  Verizon includes a SIM in the box that provides voice and data capability while traveling abroad.  You will never be out of touch with the Storm in your pocket.

The one area that Storm falls short for some is the lack of WiFi. RIM made a decision to not include the ability to work in WiFi hotspots and that may be a factor for some.  The phone uses the excellent Verizon 3G network to forego the lack of WiFi but for those who work out of the coverage area it might not be enough.  In our evaluation of the Storm in urban areas with 3G coverage the lack of WiFi has not been an issue but it’s something that each of us will have to consider.

We would have to say that the Blackberry Storm will certainly be a good communications solution for most web workers, based on our hands-on evaluation.  It provides a full web browsing experience that almost rivals that of the iPhone and we find that pretty darn good.  When you couple that with the Blackberry messaging capability we find the Storm to be a great solution for the professional.

The phone will run $199 with a two-year contract with Verizon when it’s released in the next day or so.

For a more thorough look at the Storm check out our review complete with video coverage of the phone over on jkOnTheRun.

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It is outside of the office where things can get a bit tricky. I’ve never really been a fan of text messaging on my mobile phone. While it can work well for an occasional status update or a quick message, using it as a conversational tool has never seemed all that efficient to me. And while IM on the mobile phone exists, the challenge is the same as on the desktop, maintaining multiple accounts and programs that work with the various services I need.

Enter Mundu IM – a cross platform messaging client that helps keeps me connected on my mobile device.

Mundu IM works with MSN, Yahoo, AIM, ICQ, Google Talk and Jabber which pretty much covers all the bases for me. The devices that it works with is also extensive. I had no issue downloading and installing on my Windows Smartphone and versions also exist for Pocket PC, Palm, Blackberry and Sony Ericsson. A beta release for iPhone is also available and Symbian is coming soon. I tested the Windows Smartphone version but features can vary by device so be sure to read the specifics about yours.

I find the Mundu interface to be clean and easy to navigate. There was a bit of setup time to get all the accounts entered and things set up how I wanted them, but after just a few minutes I was able to get familiar with how to accomplish most tasks. It really does a great job of giving me access to most if not all of the features I would have in each of these desktop clients.

I particularly love the Quick text feature (right) which lets me quickly add full sentence responses with just a few keystrokes. The keyboard on my device is good but for frequently used items this is a great time saver.

On my Smartphone, I can stay connected even while on the phone or in another application which is great. I get notified when new messages come in or when folks log in or out. The cross conferencing feature lets me invite users from different IM services to conference in a single chat window. I can also send files and photos to any user I am connected to, as well as maintain an archive of conversations so I can review or act on them later.

The proliferation of devices with a keyboard is really pushing the adoption of mobile instant messaging, and with so many folks already used to the IM interface, getting others on board is easy. Obviously, you’ll want to either have an unlimited data plan or closely monitor your bandwidth to use this extensively. You just might be able to lower or lose your SMS plan though.

You can download a fully featured 5 day free trial of Mundu IM to see how well it works for you. If you like it, Mundu IM is a very affordable $11.00 – They call it a LifeTime use license but that price doesn’t include full version upgrades which may incur an additional upgrade charge.

Do you IM on your mobile? What do you use to stay connected?

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Version 6 brought the Aqua look and feel to Microsoft’s client amongst other features, so what’s new in 7?

• A redesigned buddy list with a search-as-you-type box for locating contacts in large buddy lists.
• Aping iChat with integration of Bonjour contacts drawn from the user’s local network.
• Users can apply nicknames to their buddies, particularly useful for contacts who frequently (and irritatingly) change their screennames!

Notably for users connecting via a corporate Office Communication Server, Bonjour and searchable buddy-lists also extend to enterprise IM networks.

Strangely, Messenger for Mac 7 promises audio and video chat support, but only to corporate users – essentially those running Microsoft’s Office Communication Server, though the company has indicated it plans to extend this to all users in time. Providing enterprise support before consumer seems an odd choice, given that the bulk of usage will be with consumers.

As well as the new features, there are a number of minor aesthetic improvements, from more spacious chat windows, to cleaner notification windows and (ahem) a white outline around the application icon! Sadly, file transfer is as slow as ever (a 67k PDF took a minute!) though conversations with Y! Messenger users seem to be much more stable and less error-prone than before. So Steve Ballmer will be able to talk to Jerry Yang, but they better hope any contracts are teeny-tiny text files or better still emoticons!

Each release of MSN Messenger (and indeed other official clients) on either Windows or OSX seems like a missed opportunity. I don’t think we’ve seen any real innovation for close to a decade in IM clients.

Personally, I’d like to see…

• more sophisticated presence management – for example, taggable buddies rather than fixed categories so I can make myself invisible to colleagues and friends but remain available to family.
• a plug-in architecture enabling Microsoft to quickly add support for emerging messaging services such as GTalk, Twitter and Facebook.
• an extendable mail architecture – maybe I’d like the new mail indicator to show my Gmail inbox, not Hotmail.
• a hub of social networks buddy lists from Address Book, Flickr, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Dopplr etc

Messenger for Mac 7 is an improvement, it works and it’s pretty, but the largest software company in the world can be bolder and can certainly do better.

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