Google Messaging - hello.com comes bundled with Picasa

"If you’ve used an instant messenger program before, you’ve got the idea"

[BReflection]

I know people have been speculating about this. I did a Google search for Picasa and hello.com was the first site that came up.

After using the program, I must say that it is absolutely incredible. Not only is Picasa amazing for organizing your pictures, but Hello is a great IM client, and they work hand in hand. My favorite option is under tools > options > "Show Flying Smilies". Hello also features webcam/DV support, and built in blogger.

Really a smart buy for Google.

[Brett_Tabke]

hmmm Interesting.

"Hello is brought to you by Picasa. www.picasa.com"

http://www.hello.com/

[Mr Bo Jangles]

Stunning site - IMO.

[Chris_R]

I am begining to think in a couple of years that yahoo and msn are not going to be google's competitors - and not because they will go out of business.

[Matt1972]

I think you are wrong. google is moving too slow to catch big guys.

[digitalv]

They're not marketing it as an IM client, they're marketing it as picture sharing - mistake number one if they want to tap into the IM market. I'm guessing they are trying the picture sharing angle because it's unique.

On another note, could you imagine an actual Google instant messenger? AdWords would display based on our conversation subject. Hahaha.

[shri]

>> AdWords would display based on our conversation subject.

Spooky ... very spooky. Considering, gmail tends to use the word "conversations" a whole lot to describe email threads. :)

[bedlam]

They're not marketing it as an IM client, they're marketing it as picture sharing - mistake number one if they want to tap into the IM market. I'm guessing they are trying the picture sharing angle because it's unique.

I'm not sure if that's the angle; with these latest additions to their kit, it's beginning to seem like Google is trying to compete not with Hotmail and Yahoo, but with Apple...

-B

[balam]

> I'm guessing they are trying the picture sharing angle because it's unique.

It was unique - for what? - a week, maybe?

Yahoo Takes Photos from Camera Phones

The combination of the photo upload and download service, in effect, allows users of different wireless networks to send photos to each other. This facility was previously not possible, because, unlike cell phone text messaging, there are interoperability issues between different networks.

Yahoo is not setting a limit on the number of photos uploaded and is not charging extra for the service.

[zeus]

issen this old news, I think I have seen this a few month ago or maybe longer.

[Matt1972]

>>>>On another note, could you imagine an actual Google instant messenger? AdWords would display based on our conversation subject. Hahaha.

I laughed when I was reading your post. But the idea is very smart. Why not? I don't mind AdWords there when I already have banners in other messengers.

[wrgvt]

I had some adware on my computer a few months ago. Neither Spybot, AdAware, or Norton Antivirus could remove it. I finally reformatted my hard disk and re-installed the software. What was the adware doing? Popping up ads for picasa.com.

[Teknorat]

No offense guys but if you didn't know Picasa owned Hello (which was what they are using for Blog pictures) you're a bit slow on the game. *rolls eyes*

[258cib]

I think there is a lot of us who are slow to the "picture" game. Most of us are still word-based. Pictures, however, are big. (There was once this firm called Kodak...)

One of my closest friends was in my office Friday. Got a new cell phone. Takes pictures. He's 49 years old. A doctor. I don't think he owns a camera, doesn't do much web stuff (besides email) and he is enjoying his camera phone.

Google, and Yahoo and MS and lots and lots of others are all going to make lots and lots of money with this. Compete? Heck, they'll all be needed to meet demand.

No, I'm not "back," it's Sunday night and I'm visiting some old haunts. No, I don't miss the web biz. But, then, I'm in news, which isn't what the web is about.