AM is extremely easy to set up and has lots of options so you can choose which contacts you see. It supports Gtalk and AIM protocols in addition to ICQ, MSN, Yahoo and Jabber. AM even logs your IM sessions so you can refer back to old conversations. But best of all, it keeps your IM conversations going, even when you are on a call or out of the program, and sends Mail style notifications alerting you to how many IMs came your way while you were gone. All in all, an extremely good experience for IMing on the go, so jailbreak if you haven't yet, and install this puppy. [Google via Lifehacker]

The other interesting thing we found was the illustration detailing what future modules the iPhone will have. Not only is there a GPS module (which may or may not be the current cellphone triangulation scheme that was added a few months back), but there's sample Search, Video Conferencing and Widget Creator modules. Widget Creator could just be the shortcut to Safari that Apple introduced in the last update, but Video Conferencing? Does that mean a front-mounted camera in the next iPhone? Who knows. Apple's thrown features into its patents that haven't materialized before.

Thanks Tino B!

First, we already know that apps running in the background as a process is possible on the iPhone. The iPod app, SMS app, and various other apps all run in the background now and continue running no matter where you go in the phone. Also, user-made Installer.app apps like Apollo (an IM client) already run in the background just fine. So why did Apple make this limitation that all apps have to quit whenever the user switches out? Memory management. From Apple's Human Interface Guidelines for the iPhone:

Apple has no idea what combination of applications you could possibly install on your phone, and they can't control it. If you were to install two apps that took up loads of the iPhone's memory (we're talking RAM), and they both ran in the background, it would slow down the phone's other, more important tasks such as calling or iPodding. If this were the case, Apple would be blamed for making a slow or non-responsive phone even when it's not actually Apple's fault. This is exactly the thing that goes on in Windows Mobile devices. It's fine when you're just running normal, natively-installed apps, but when you get to multi-tasking with your own installed programs, the phone becomes sluggish and everyone curses Microsoft. Apple wants none of this.

So the implication to you, the end-user, is that you can't have apps running in the background, constantly checking the internet. This means no RSS reader that's always up-to-date and no IM apps that always sit in the background, listening for messages. If you're wondering Exchange's push email and calendars are going to work in this scheme, it'll be integrated into Apple's first-party Mail system, which can be allowed to run in the background.

But in the end, it's only a small portion of apps that are really affected by this rule. Games or utilities can save their app status to disk often so that you can resume where you left off when you start it back up. But until the iPhone allows SDK-applications to run in the background, you're probably better off using a web-based chat application in Safari (which already has permission to). [Tech Crunch]

And that's its failing point. Sure, you can prevent your children from talking to strangers online while they're inside the house using the IM-Me, but what about when they're not home? And what kind of kid would agree to use this device when they can just hop onto a computer when mommy and daddy aren't home? Seems to me that the best way to prevent your kids from getting into trouble online is to talk to them rather than clamping down on them. It's $65 cheaper than the IM-Me and you don't have to wait until the summer to start. – Nicholas Deleon

It's Like a Walkie-Talkie, Only You Type Into It [Wired Gadget Lab]

Social networkers on services such as MySpace, Friendster, Tagworld, Hi5, Xanga and Multiply will dig this latest version, too, where now they can exchange web-to-phone, phone-to-web and phone-to-phone text and picture messages, with click-to-call (mobile VoIP) and click-to-IM features.

EQO for Skype was already cool, introduced earlier this year, which lets you make Skype calls from your cellphone. But now this new cellphone instant messaging feature is a huge step forward. Those greedy cellphone service providers are going to hate this. – Charlie White

Product Download Page
Press Release [EQO Communications]

Now you'll be able to send files with a button click while talking to another user of Google Talk, leave voicemails up to 10 minutes long that will be e-mailed to the person who didn't pick up the phone, and for some reason you'll be able to reveal the music you're listening to, which changes as the tune does. Why you'd want to do this, we're still scratching our heads. Anyway, maybe these new features will help Google Talk pick up a few dozen more users. – Charlie White

Google Talk Swings Back [TechCrunch]