It works on Windows and OSX and supports SOCKS5, HTTPS and HTTP proxies. You do have to manually add a proxy to each IM client and if your IM client is already using a proxy or behind a firewall then OTRProxy won’t work. Users are authenticated by generating private keys but if you ever lose them, none of your previous conversations would be compromised. OTR also has plugins created specifically for clients including Pidgin and Miranda.

Features:

• Encryptes conversations made through any IM client.
• Ensures authenticity through private keys.
• Works on Windows and OS X.
• Similar tools: CryptoCat,OneTimeSecret, Encipher.It, File-Encryptor and Encodor.
• Also read related article: Five Online Encryption Tools to Protect Your Privacy.

Download from @ www.cypherpunks.ca/otr

LiveGO is a free to use website that lets you merge your social networking, email, and instant messaging accounts. You control these accounts from a single interface – your browser – and easily save valuable time.

The first step in using LiveGO is to create an account on the website. Next you start adding accounts from other services; these services include MSN, Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, Yahoo, and AOL. With the accounts added, you will be able to view your email and networking updates on your LiveGO dashboard; the email will be located on top.

You can select the number of emails and updates shown using the buttons in the top right of both sections.

The email view lets you conveniently read emails and reply to them from within LiveGO. The default view for the updates is to provide updates from all services together, with the latest ones on top. In this view an icon at the end of every social update indicates its source.

You can also filter posts from each service by using buttons located in the leftmost pane.

The site also offers built-in chat capabilities that enable you to send and receive instant messages with people you are friends with on your connected accounts. The chat area is situated in the rightmost pane; here you can see a list of contacts that you can click and start chatting with.

In case you want to update your status message on Twitter or Facebook, you can use the textbox located on top.

Features:

• A user-friendly web service.
• Integrates social networking, email, and instant messaging.
• Supports MSN, Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, Yahoo, and AOL.
• Lets you simultaneously update status on Facebook and Twitter.
• You control the number of updates and email shown.

Check out LiveGO @ www.livego.com (by MOin from ThumbPress)

ChatPast is a web app that lets you get the most out of these two instant messaging clients by allowing you to synchronize your chat history online. In addition, with a business plan, you can even import these essential conversations into project management applications like Basecamp, Highrise, Campfire, and SalesForce.

To use ChatPast, create an account in the website and download the client on all the computers that you want to synchronize with it. Once you have entered your login details in the client, you will be now able to browse your chat logs on the ChatPast website.

ChatPast offers three available plans to choose from: the free plan, the consumer plan ($3 per month) and the business plan. The more expensive plan has better history duration, a larger storage space, and lets you share more chat conversation. Furthermore, only the business plan offer support for app integration.

ChatPast is a useful web app for keeping your chats all in one place, which is great for seamlessly tracking your work chats especially when you need to review vital information.

Features:

• Back up your chat history in Skype and Windows Live in an online storage.
• Retrieves chat logs from multiple computers.
• Access your chat logs from any computer.
• Offers three plans to choose from: free, consumer, and business.
• Import chat data on Basecamp, Salesforce, Campfire and Highrise.
• Easily find artifacts such as email addresses, telephone number, and links in your chat logs.
• Similar Tools: Dexrex, IM-History, Facebook Chat History Manager.

Check out ChatPast @ www.chatpast.com

BuddyFox is a browser addon for Mozilla Firefox. Once installed in your browser, it acts as an instant messaging client. On the addon’s installation page you have to sign up for an account and then click on the activation link which you are emailed. After activation, click on the addon’s icon in the bottom right of Firefox and login to your BuddyFox account.

A window at the bottom of your webpage will pull up. This is BuddyFox’s section. Here you can see other BuddyFox friends and communicate with them without having to move away from your then open webpage.

The addon does not offer extensive features; the addon only wants to serve the essential need of chatting alongside web surfing and it does that excellently.

Features:

• Mozilla Firefox browser based instant messaging client.
• Integrates chatting and web surfing.
• You will no longer have to waste time switching from window to window.
• It can leave offline messages.
• You can drag’n'drop text into message windows.
• You can create groups from your contacts ““ this helps group conferences.
• Also read related article: Firefox Addons to Make Meebo (Online Chat) Even Better.

Check out BuddyFox @ www.buddyfox.com (via GeekWithLaptop) (by MOin from ThumbPress)

To subscribe to RSS feeds using this service, just enter feed that you would like to follow or paste its URL in the RSS.IM website. Then input your IM username and select your client. RSS.IM currently supports XMPP/Jabber and Google Talk. The app will add you up and send you a verification code that you need to enter to confirm your feed subscription.

To manage your feed subscriptions, send “LIST” to view the status of your subscription, “STOP” to stop all the notifications, and “START” to activate all previously stopped notifications. Additionally , you can also stop and reactivate a particular domain by sending “STOP <domain>” and “START <domain>” respectively.

Features:

• Reads feed updates through a messaging client.
• Supports XMPP/Jabber and Google Talk.
• Manage your subscriptions.
• Similar Tools: IM Feeds, FeedCrier, and ReadTwit.

Check out RSS.im @ www.rss.im

Similar to tools like Meebo, Chatab connects you to various IM protocols so you can chat with your friends in one page while you surf. You can register for a Chatab account where you can chat with only your Chatab contacts. You can also connect directly using your preferred IM handles to talk with your friends. Users have access to a good number of portals such as Facebook, MSN, Yahoo, Gtalk, Gadu-Gadu, Myspace, AIM, LiveJournal, QQ, ICQ, and XMPP.

Chatab is also perfect for web office workers whose job requires them to chat with their clients while browsing the net to research their client’s queries. Needless to say, using Chatab is like hitting two birds with one stone – you chat and browse at the same time.

Features:

• Quick chat to friends while browsing the net.
• Tabbed browsing available.
• Access to instant messaging anytime, anywhere.
• Provides a vast number of chat portals such as Facebook, Yahoo, GTalk, MySpace, IRC and more.
• Select your IM service for instant login.
• More similar tools in our article “5 Online Instant Messaging Services to Chat with Friends“.

Check out Chatab @ www.chatab.com

You can now type anything to TwitOnMSN and when you press send/enter, it will update your Twitter account with that message.

Features:

• Use Twitter on your MSN messenger.
• Receive updates from people you are following.
• Use commands, such as @reply, D for direct message,follow/unfollow people… etc.
• Supports TwitPic, TwitterKeys, bit.ly, j.mp, and more.
• Works with IM clients like Digspy, Meebo … etc.
• Use Twitter even if your can not access Twitter service at your country or region.

Check out TwitOnMSN @ www.twitonmsn.com

No sign up or installation required. Invite friends by sharing the special URL for your chat via email, Twitter, or Facebook. All translations are powered by Google Translator.

Features :

• Real time chat translation service.
• Receive messages in any language you want.
• Removes language barrier. Talk to anyone who doesn’t know your language.
• No sign up or installation required.
• Invite friends by sharing your chat URL.
• Similar tool: MeGlobe.

Check out Babelwith.me @ www.babelwith.me (By Abhijeet from Jeet Blog)

All it takes is to signup, add your instant messaging ID, email, mobile number and Twitter details. Then Mail2.im provides you with a new email address that you can give out to others. When someone sends an email to that address Mail2.im first attempts to deliver it to your instant messaging program. If you’re not online, it forwards the message to your email, mobile phone and Twitter account.

One great way to benefit from this app would be to configure your primary email account (ex. Gmail) to auto-forward emails from important contacts to the email address you get from Mail2.im. This way you you can still give out your main email address to contacts and get their messages on your IM, Twitter and mobile phone.

Features:

• Forward incoming emails to your IM, Mobile Phone or Twitter.
• Supported IM services: AIM, Yahoo Messenger and MSN Messenger.
• Forwarding messages to mobile is free for US and few other countries.
• Easily add and remove accounts to where messages are forwarded.

Check out Mail2.im @ www.mail2.im

How does it work?

1. Login using your IM account details.

2. Customize  your online status and set automatic answer text and notifications.

3. Exit! Your account will stay online and automatically answer with your text.

Features:

• Keep your IM status online and set auto answering messages.
• Supports: MSN, ICQ, AIM, Yahoo, Google Talk.
• Customize your IM status.
• Free and easy to use.

Check out Answer.im @ www.answer.im