Iconix eMail ID 3.93.2

Iconix eMail ID lets you see what's real before you even open the message. Iconix eMail ID works with your current email service such as AOL mail, AIM mail, Yahoo mail, Windows Live Hotmail, Gmail, Earthlink, and Outlook Express. Iconix eMail ID double checks the source of a message to make sure it's not a spoof. It then uses a simple visual indicator in your inbox, a gold lock with a checkmark to show that a message is real. E-mail from over 300 major senders is currently identified, companies such as eBay, PayPal, Citibank, Amazon.com, Expedia, MySpace, and the New York Times represent the top online sites for retail, travel, auctions, banking, e-cards, news, entertainment, and dating.

Send using Gmail 1.11.5

Some pages include clickable email addresses. By default they open in a mail application like Outlook Express. This extension makes sure they open in Gmail instead, without adding any extra buttons.

Trillian Astra 4.2

If it isn't enough to chat with friends from Google, MySpace IM, Skype, and Facebook, as well as AIM, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo, and IRC on Trillian't multinetwork IM app, you can comfortably count the app's deep hooks into Twitter and Facebook alerts and checking e-mail (both POP3 and IMAP varieties) as reasons for switching from your current messenger.

Among its best social networking traits, Trillian will automatically shorten URLs in your tweets, and handle direct messages, re-tweets, and replies. Twitter Trends can show up in your contact list, and you can get tweets to appear in tooltip form. Facebook features include news feed integration, Facebook in-box checking, and synchronized message updating in addition to Facebook IM. Just on these features alone, Trillian Astra offers a bit more than its IM competitors.

In addition, there's support for drag-and-drop file transferring, skins, notifications, and all sorts of tweaking in the preference menu. Trillian earns a thumbs-up for previewing a Web site when you hover the cursor over a URL in the conversation window, but the same feature is less effective and less accurate when applied to looking up definitions of terms found within the chat window (luckily, you can turn the helpers off.)

Legacy users will be pleased to know that Trillian Astra (code for version 4.0 and up) runs lighter than previous versions, and you're less likely to notice system slowdowns because of memory leaks. Video chat gets basic support. The paid upgrade gives you browser-based IM from Trillian.im, full-screen video and filters, many more visual customizations, multiple simultaneous file transfer, and themes, as well as tech support. These features are available for the first 30 days you use the free version, then they deactivate. The biggest changes, besides the reskinned interface, are the long-needed performance improvements and support for a broad range of IM protocols. Longtime fans won't be disappointed with the changes, though those using the free version clearly won't get the full effect of Trillian's more-advanced features.

Skype 4.2.0.169

A popular and preeminent VoIP communication client, Skype has been steadily adding the features it had stripped out of a major 4.0 update--like call transferring, Skype Access for Wi-Fi hotspots, accessibility provisions, birthday alerts, and the ability to send a contact to other Skype users. Version 4.2 also claims back-end tweaks to ready the popular VoIP app for high-definition video calls, in conjunction with the user's HD Webcam.

Public chats are still absent in version 4.2; IM still isn't terribly interactive; and the Skypecast party line throwback has gotten the kibosh. Anyone who doesn't like the larger block of interface that consolidates the classic two-pane look into a single window can also split them in two.

In addition to placing audio and video calls to other Skype users, mobile phones, and landlines, Skype is also experimenting with screen sharing. Screen sharing initiates a video call, and uses that technology to broadcast a recording of your screen--either a portion or the full screen--to one other viewer. Screen sharing has some limitations: you can't simultaneously see a video of your buddy and their desktop, and since only one viewer at a time can peep your screen, you can't use it as a free replacement for collaborative Web conferencing. It doesn't help that the picture quality is still choppy and fuzzy, in both partial-screen and full-screen view modes. Make no mistake, though: it's a great feature that we're happy to see added, but we'll be even happier to watch it improve.

Skype's central theme remains cheap calling from the desktop. Anyone who's interested in talking for free from Skype-to-Skype, or cheaper by purchasing Skype credit to call landlines and mobile phones, should give Skype a try. For international callers, this program is a no-brainer solution for slashing long-distance bills.

IncrediMail Xe 5.8.6.4332

With its straightforward interface and whimsical attitude, IncrediMail appeals to the casual e-mailer, but actually offers enough features--like Exchange server support--to be functional for more serious endeavors. You can personalize your messages with background stationery from a variety of categories, including animals, art, technology, and moods. The program installs with about 50 backgrounds, most with a cartoony feel, and you can download more online or create your own with Letter Creator (a 10-use trial comes with this download). It supports recorded voice attachments, and the premium version supports skins.

There are a few drawbacks. The overall interface lacks pizazz and looks like it was last overhauled back when emoticons were new. There's a questionnaire that must be filled out when installing the program, annoying even at three questions long. More significantly, IncrediMail turns into quite the resource pig when playing around with graphics-heavy backgrounds.

The features are solid, though. The program offers basic e-mail client functions, including sending, receiving, and organizing messages; managing your address book; and creating rules for how to handle certain messages. Among its other included features are an integrated JunkFilter that lets you assign permission for senders or domains, IMAP support via a POP3 emulator, and Message Rules functions that work in concert with JunkFilter. IncrediMail makes standard e-mail a bit more fun for home users, especially for kids and kids at heart.

mIRC 6.35

Internet Relay Chat is not as well-known as ICQ, even though it successfully combines chat and messaging without annoying ads. The IRC network is a virtual meeting place where people from all over the world can meet and talk. With mIRC, you can choose from an unlimited number of existing chat rooms based on personal interests, or you can create your own channels with family and friends. IRC is more advanced than simple messenging, so it may take a while to get started. With a bit of browsing, though, you'll find that the mIRC interface allows easy access to IRC features. It guides you through the initial stages, including selecting from a wide list of servers. You can connect to more than one IRC server at once and chat through proxy. By creating your own channel, you can even set up a virtual meeting with colleagues. This program suits advanced users keen to expand their chat-client functionalities. For first-time users, mIRC offers the most functionality of any chat program available, which can be overwhelming at first--but if you read the help files you'll be on your way to using all the features mIRC has to offer.

Yahoo Messenger

Get social over the long-established, well-rounded chat and VoIP client Yahoo Messenger and you'll find drag-and-drop capabilities and contact importing from friends other IM, e-mail, and social-networking accounts who are also on Yahoo chat. Another favorite trick is the ability to see images and videos displayed inside the chat window when you or a pal drops in a public URL.

Yahoo Messenger 10 adds some visual enhancements that call out VoIP and video chats on the conversation window. Tweaks in the buddy list showcase an updates tab that operates as a newsfeed for friends' status messages. Other visual refreshes to version 10 spruce up select icons.

Users should note that the download stub will finish installing the program online, and that the download bundles the Yahoo Toolbar. In the preinstallation window, click over to Custom Install to deselect add-ons you don't want. We could also live without the heavy-handed Yahoo branding, and it would be nice to see a link to hidden smileys in the emoticon drop-down, but these are minor niggles when weighed against the benefits of an easy-to-use, feature-rich chat client that only continues to improve.