Windows/Mac OS X only: Free application VoxOx is a combination of popular multi-protocol chat and social networking application Digsby and voice chat service Skype—or at least that's the idea. VoxOx claims to combine all of "today's main forms of communication into one snazzy interface." To its credit, VoxOx does offer a lot of worthwhile functionality. Like Digsby, it works with most popular IM networks, integrates with Facebook (though not MySpace or LinkedIn, which Digsby supports), and offers email integration. Like Skype, VoxOx gives you a phone number and allows you to make outgoing calls to any other phone and receive calls from your computer (you'll get a free phone number and 120 free minutes when you sign up). VoxOx even does video conferencing, call forwarding, file sharing, and integrated text messaging. Sounds pretty good, right?

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Windows only: Up-and-coming instant messaging application Digsby has released a new update with significant performance improvements and added support for business-oriented social networking site LinkedIn. Performance improvements include optimised RAM usage (the fruits of the last test release), a snappier interface, better connectivity with IM networks, and bug fixes galore. Beyond that, the IM application that made its name by integrating with social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter continues to improve by adding social network LinkedIn to the fold. Digsby has quickly established itself as a killer tool for managing and staying up to date with IM, email, and social networking, and right now the biggest question is: When will we see the promised Mac and Linux flavours? Digsby is a free download, Windows only.

Windows only: Free multi-network instant messaging application Digsby is testing a new release with significant improvements. The very young IM client quickly found a place among the five best instant messengers with good looks and integration with social networks like Facebook, but its major drawback was a rather unwieldy memory footprint (over 150MB on some systems). The new release promises RAM usage more commensurate with other IM apps, sitting around a much more reasonable 30MB on my computer (according to their blog, it shouldn't get any higher than 50MB). In addition to memory improvements, this release also boasts performance enhancements, firewall and proxy fixes, and more. If the oversized memory footprint had held you back from using Digsby, the new release may be worth another try. Thanks Carl!

While we've covered how instant messaging can make you more productive, but all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Freshly-launched beta Digbsy Themes lets users of the multi-platform instant messaging client Digsby customise their client to their hearts' content. The MakeUseOf blog offers a handy tutorial on replacing both the themes and the emoticon packs for a fresh new interface.

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