Google just launched an iPhone-friendly interface for its web-based Google Talk client—point your mobile Safari to google.com/talk to see it in action. Firefox users, this also means, as the Digital Inspiration blog points out, you've got a friendly little GChat client you can keep loaded in your sidebar (create a bookmark, check "Load in sidebar"), but any browser can access the interface through talkgadget.google.com/talkgadget/m.

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If you rock Google Talk in your Firefox sidebar, you'll be happy to know that it's finally integrated the Invisible status a good three months after Gmail's chat. Still no update on the desktop client, though there are still ways to manipulate your idle status.

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If you use Twitter in Australia, you know that you need to SMS a UK-based number to update (or tweet). That could work out to be expensive! I'm going to go through a few options which might work out cheaper for you. Today let's look at using Google Talk.
To update Twitter via IM from your Gtalk account, you'll need to add Twitter as a contact.

Here's how - just add twitter@twitter.com as your contact in GTalk and then go to the Twitter home page to add IM as a method of updating. On the left hand side of the page you'll see a link to "add device" - hit that, then put in your IM account details. It will give you a password to send to twitter via IM to confirm. You can also send an IM saying "Help" if you want further information.

Now whenever you IM this new friend called Twitter, the message will automatically publish on your Twitter account. It seems to appear pretty quickly too.

Windows only: For some time now, Google Talk has been more appealing as a web app than in its rarely updated desktop version. That changes, somewhat, with the release of Google Talk Labs Edition for Windows. The desktop client, which looks a lot like its web counterpart, includes the same group chat, emoticons and tabbed talking as the web, and puts pop-up notifications for Google Calendar, Gmail and Orkut events in the corner of your screen—which is a nice, consolidated way of getting that Outlook-like functionality. The big trade-off, however, is the lack of voice calling or file transfer through the Labs Edition, so if those are regular features, you'll likely want to stick with whatever version you're using now. Google Talk Labs Edition is a free download for Windows systems only.

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Windows only: Freeware instant messaging application Digsby, which boasts integration not only across chat networks but also with your email and social networking web sites, has come out of private beta and added a few more spicy features. Among them, Digsby has added Twitter support, inline spell checking, and audio/video chat with TokBox, the same service Meebo is using to add A/V chat to their service. Aside from the perks that come with most cross-service chat apps (i.e., seamless connections to different IM services from one place), Digsby goes the extra mile by updating real-time newsfeeds from Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. The app is still freeware, Windows only, though they're still promising Mac and Linux versions.

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Google Talk has released a new chatback feature allowing people visiting your blog, online profile, or personal web page to chat directly with you via Google Talk. To use chatback on your web site or supported personal profile page, all you need is a Google Talk account and some web space where you can embed the chatback badge code. Any user who wants to chat with you through the chatback badge doesn't need a Google Talk account at all, so it's a great way to let friends, family, or readers of your blog, for example, contact you quickly and easily without needing to register for anything.

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Gmail Chat has finally added the ability to mask your presence - the one feature which to my IM-phobic mind makes instant messaging bearable. The Google Operating System has written up the new feature, which allows you to set your status to "Invisible". This has obvious productivity benefits - you can check and see if your contacts are online, but won't be bothered by anyone trying to contact you.

Note, however, that if you use other flavours of Google Talk (ie the gadget or desktop app) you won't be able to change your status to invisible because they don't support the new feature yet - it's been applied to Gmail Chat first. It's also only available for the new version of GMail (supported in IE7 and Firefox 2).

Earlier today we showed you how to set your Google Talk status to "idle", but if you don't to be pinged with "Are you there?" enquiries, the "Invisible" setting may be the way to go.

Invisible Mode in Gmail Chat [Google Operating System]

Windows only: Google Talk is, as weblog Digital Inspiration puts it, an extremely honest application, inasmuch as it will only display your status as idle when you truly are idle. But if you aren't keen on your IM buddies being aware of what you're doing, Google Talk's fidelity to the truth can be irritating. Freeware application gAlwaysIdle allows you to set your idle status on Google Talk, either to always idle or never idle. If you don't want to sign out of IM but you want to discourage random IMs, gAlwaysIdle may be a good solution. gAlwaysIdle (which we've mentioned once before in passing) is freeware, Windows only.

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Windows only: Newly released chat application Digsby consolidates instant messaging, email, text messaging, and social networking into one very slick chat application. As far as IM, Digsby covers all the major players, from AIM to Google Talk; it handles Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Hotmail, or virtually any POP or IMAP account for email; and it supports updates of all the latest happenings on your Facebook or MySpace profile. As far as full-on consolidation of hot social web tools right now, the only thing really missing is Twitter integration. Currently Digsby is Windows only in private beta (use code lifehacker to sign up), but Mac and Linux versions are purportedly on the way. It's not open source like Pidgin or Adium (which it looks very much like), but the all-inclusive integration is probably enough to lure a lot of IM users to its warm embrace. Flip through the gallery (hit the jump for more) to get a closer look at everything Digsby's got to offer.

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Windows/Mac/Linux: Coccinella, a free Jabber chat client, is robust enough on its own instant messaging terms, with tabbed chat windows, foreign language support, and an easily theme-able interface. But what really sets it apart is its integration of a great whiteboard tool that's easily shared and forwarded between you and your chat partners. The whiteboard has the basic features of Microsoft Paint, but that's a step up from many black-and-white board tools we've seen. I couldn't get Coccinella working with my Google Talk/Gmail account during a quick setup test, but the features are likely there for integration. Coccinella is a free download for Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. For more whiteboard tools, check out the no-registration-required Scriblink or GE's instant online whiteboard.