September 28th, 2006
Google Talk without a Gmail account
You like the idea of Google Talk, but you do not want a Gmail account — well, you were out of luck until tonight when they released version 1.0.0.98. Now anyone can sign up for the service by getting a Google account.
Simply download Google Talk and log in with your new account. There are some features that you will only get if you have a Gmail account still — like chat history and mail notifications. It would be nice to see a built-in chat history feature in Google Talk — and I'm sure enough people will complain about this to make it a worthwhile addition.
The product has come such a long way since its launch, and so I am looking forward to see how it improves over the next few years. Maybe we're getting close to video conferencing, skins, or even IM to landline functionality — keep your eyes peeled.
Garett Rogers 
is employed as a programmer for iQmetrix, which specializes in retail management software for the wireless industry.
See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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