Google Talk

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Google Talk
Google Talk
Google Talk Beta
Maintainer: Google
Stable release: 1.0.0.104  (January 1, 2007) [+/-]
Preview release: [+/-]
OS: Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003, Vista
Use: VoIP/Instant messaging client
License: Proprietary freeware
Website: google.com/talk

Google Talk is a computer application for Voice over IP and instant messaging, offered by Google. The first beta version of the program was released on August 24, 2005.

Instant messaging in Google Talk uses an open protocol, XMPP, so that users of various clients with XMPP can communicate. VoIP in Google Talk is based around the Jingle protocol.

Contents

[edit] Features

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[edit] Interoperability

Google has announced that a major goal of the Google Talk service is interoperability. Google Talk uses XMPP, like other Jabber servers do, to provide real-time extensible messaging and presence events, including offline messaging and voice mailing. On January 17, 2006, Google enabled server-to-server communications, federating itself with any Jabber server that supports the dialback protocol.[1]

[edit] Product integration

Chat with Google Talk in Gmail.
Chat with Google Talk in Gmail.

On February 7, 2006, Gmail received chat functionality, and was integrated with Google Talk. Users can send instant messages to other Gmail users. Because both Gmail and Google Talk use the Jabber network, Google Talk does not have to be downloaded to send instant messages to Gmail users.

Conversation logs are automatically saved to a Chats area in the user's Gmail account. This allows users to search within their chat logs easily, and to have them centrally stored on the Internet.

Whilst the chat featured was being distributed, users signing into Gmail were greeted with a message stating that the Instant Messaging features of Google Talk would be available within the Gmail page at some point in the next few weeks.[citation needed] As of April 2006, all Gmail users are able to turn on and turn off the instant messaging capabilities of the Gmail interface.

Since November 8, 2006, Google has also integrated Google Talk with Orkut. This enables Google Talk users to interact with registered Orkut users, by sending and receiving 'scraps' within Orkut.

It is also possible to display the song currently playing on the computer. This music data is collected, if the user agrees to this, and displayed on the Google Music Trends page.

Google has incorporated some entertaining quirks into Google Talk. For example, if one types the emoticon :-) it will animate in the message and turn into a right-side up smiley face.

[edit] Encryption

Only the connection between the Google Talk client and the Google Talk server is encrypted. No end-to-end message is encrypted.[2] Google plans to add support for chat and call encryption in a future release. [3] It is also possible to use third-party products that natively support encryption with Google Talk's servers.

[edit] Voicemail and file sharing

On July 28, 2006, Google added voicemail and file sending capabilities to the Google Talk client. Voicemail messages can be 10 minutes long, and they're delivered to the contact's Gmail mailbox as an attached MP3 file (11 kHz mono 24kbit/s). Gmail recognizes that it is a voicemail message, and users can choose to stream the file using the integrated MP3-playing applet, or to download the MP3 file.

[edit] Offline messaging

On October 31, 2006, Google introduced offline messaging to Google Talk. This allows users to send messages to their contacts, even if they are not signed in. They will receive the messages when they next go online.

[edit] Mobile device compatibility

On June 30, 2006, Nokia released new software for their Nokia 770 Internet Tablet, that included Google Talk as one of the compatible VoIP clients, due to the Jabber-based software.[4]Another Google Talk-compatible device is Sony's mylo, released on September 15, 2006. A Google Talk client is also available for BlackBerry devices from the Blackberry site.[5]

[edit] History

The idea of a Jabber-based Google IM service was proposed by Eoban Binder on the website Applexnet.com on August 23, 2004.[6]

Exactly one year later, after the rumor of a Google-branded "communications tool" service had been reported by the New York Times[7] and detailed by the Los Angeles Times on August 22, 2005, the subdomain talk.google.com was found to have an active Jabber server.[8] Two methods of logging into the server were discovered soon after and the ensuing response by eager bloggers revealed to numerous others how to login before the official release by Google.

On the evening of August 23, many logged-in users using port 5222 to connect were disconnected and unable to log back in. Users using port 5223 to connect were still able to log in, and at 04:12:52 UTC those users received a broadcast instant message from gmail.com, an apparently official username used by Google to communicate with their user base, that stated "The broken link has been fixed. Thanks for being our first users!" Port 5222-connectivity was found to have been re-enabled.

On December 15, 2005, Google released libjingle, a C++ library to implement Jingle, "a set of extensions to the IETF's Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) for use in voice over IP (VoIP), video, and other peer-to-peer multimedia sessions."[9] Libjingle is a library of the code that Google uses for peer-to-peer communication, and was made available under a BSD license.[10]

[edit] Criticisms and bugs

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[edit] Operating system support

Google Talk client is currently only available for Windows (2000, XP, Server 2003, and Vista). Other Jabber clients do however support other operating systems. Check the list of Jabber client software for compatible software.

[edit] Bugs

When incorporating "Google Apps for your Domain" Service (http://www.google.com/a) and Google Talk together, the "Check Inbox" function within Google Talk Program is not working properly. When "Check Inbox" function is clicked within Google Talk, normally it's supposed to take you to your Gmail Inbox. However, when using "Google Apps for your Domain" account with Google Talk Program, it takes you to regular Gmail's sign-in page instead of "Google Apps for your Domain" Gmail account email inbox.

There have also been several bugs reported in the Windows client for Google Talk, including e-mail message-notification unreliability, taskbar notification problems during conversations with more than one contact, and tab-sizing problems.[citation needed] Also it appeared that using the escape key to close chat windows does not work if the window has been open for a moderate amount of time. Similarly, the buddy list window, if left un-minimized for a length of time, would automatically "maximize" (to the same size), and would have to be "restored" with Windows in order to minimize once again. Another bug that had been noticed was a buddy list malfunction. All users will intermittently appear offline in the Google Talk client regardless of their actual status. Google stated that as of version 1.0.0.96, all of these bugs have been corrected.[11]

However, some users are reporting that the offline contact bug in Google Talk still continues.

Another problem with the Google Talk client reported by numerous users is its tendency to freeze occasionally for one to two minutes, using 100% CPU power. This is most common during a long conversation.

A bug that has appeared in 1.0.0.100 is that in the menu, "Check for mail" item randomly disappears, leaving you without the ability to check for new e-mail in your Gmail. Restarting the program restores it.

[edit] Future releases

Google reports that they are working on adding new features such as supporting SIP in a future release, which would broaden the userbase for the program.[12]

As part of Google's 5% acquisition of AOL on December 20, 2005, it was announced that Google Talk users will be able to communicate with AOL's market-leading AIM instant messaging service in future updates.[13]

Additionally as part of Google's and eBay's Multi-Year Agreement on August 28, 2006, it was announced that Google Talk users will be able to communicate with Skype: "The companies will also explore interoperability between Skype and Google Talk via open standards to enable text chat and online presence.".[14]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Burd, Gary (2006). XMPP Federation. Google Talkabout. Retrieved on April 3, 2006.
  2. ^ "Can My GTalk Discussion Be Tracked?". (Google Groups). Retrieved on 2007-02-11.
  3. ^ http://www.google.com/talk/about.html#privacy
  4. ^ http://europe.nokia.com/A4144790
  5. ^ http://www.blackberry.com
  6. ^ Binder, Eoban (2004). How Google Could De-Throne AIM. AppleXnet. Retrieved on Jan 2, 2007.
  7. ^ Markoff, John (2005). Where Does Google Plan to Spend $4 Billion?. The New York Times. Retrieved on February 1, 2006.
  8. ^ admin (2005). Google IM on XMPP for real?. Tom Servo's Blogogogogog. Retrieved on February 1, 2006.
  9. ^ Jabber Software Foundation Publishes Open VoIP and Multimedia Protocols. Jabber Software Foundation (2005). Retrieved on February 1, 2006.
  10. ^ Beda, Joe (2005). libjingle. EightyPercent.net. Retrieved on February 1, 2006.
  11. ^ DeWitt, Jeanne (2006-08-21). You talk, We listen. Google Talkabout. Retrieved on 2006-08-25.
  12. ^ Google Talk and Open Communications — 4. Do you plan to support other real-time communication protocols?. Retrieved on July 8, 2006.
  13. ^ Time Warner's AOL and Google to Expand Strategic Alliance. Google Press Center. Retrieved on February 1, 2006.
  14. ^ Google and eBay Sign Multi-Year Agreement to Connect Users, Merchants, and Advertisers Around the Globe. Google Press Center. Retrieved on 2006-12-25.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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