Postbox

It's basically Thunderbird but it finds and indexes all the attachments in your email account, groups together conversations with similar subject chains with the "Gather" command (like Gmail's conversations), offers tabbed inbox and message views, and lets you organize emails under your own chosen "Topics." It's also got built-in easy setup steps for Gmail and other webmail systems in other words, everything we're waiting to see Thunderbird implement.

Like a Web browser, Postbox lets you view your message content in tabs - enabling you to create efficient workspaces for everything you’re working on.
Open almost anything in a tab – messages, folders, searches, or content such as attachments and images. You can quickly switch between tabs, or even reorder tabs to customize your view.

Postbox Website

A-Patch

Remove the components that you don't want from your Live Messenger

A-Patch was designed to make patching Messenger easier than ever before. Not only are there tonnes of options to choose from, but now there's a Preview which lets you see the changes as you select them!

A-Patch Website

Email for Free

Gmail www.gmail.com The heavyweight champ of free email is clearly Gmail, and not just because it gives you as much storage space as you’ll ever need. Though Gmail may not have the prettiest interface of the bunch, it’s speedy, it does away with frills, and it has all kinds of features if you’re willing to do a bit of digging. For example, Gmail doesn’t handle just web-based email; unlike other free services, it can work with your existing email software. You can also use it to forward mail to other accounts. (Click Settings•Forwarding and POP to configure both of these options.) Gmail allows you to create rules to handle incoming mail automatically, and you can easily search through your messages via Google.

Yahoo Mail mail.yahoo.com The interface, which works more like desktop email software than traditional webmail does.

Microsoft Windows Live Mail http://get.live.com/wlmail/overview The email service formerly known as Hotmail has received a significant makeover, becoming appealingly slick and Outlook-like.

Spamato www.spamato.net Tired of wading through the spam clogging your inbox? This add-on for Outlook, Thunderbird and Mozilla Mail does everything it can to eradicate the junk.

Thunderbird www.mozilla.com/en-US/thunderbird This downloadable email client has a nice, simple interface, spam filtering, antiphishing features, RSS news-feed functions, quick search, and a spelling checker. It’s also from the folks who brought you the Firefox web browser.

Eudora www.eudora.com This freebie email favourite has been around for a long time, and with good reason: Eudora includes features like Mood Watch (which rates messages on a mood meter) that no other tool has. People who suffer from email overload (and that’s everyone, isn’t it?) will treasure the program’s unique folders-based approach to message organisation. An open-source version of Eudora is being developed by Mozilla for release later this year.

Google Talk

Though Google Talk doesn’t have the big installed base of other instant messaging systems, its clean, simple interface and voice features make it a good choice.


Google Talk Website

Meebo

How can you be in two or more places at once – that is, use multiple instant messaging services simultaneously?
Use Meebo. It lets you log in simultaneously to seven instant messaging services, namely AIM, Google Talk, ICQ, Jabber, MSN Live Messenger, Yahoo Instant Messenger and Meebo’s own network. You see all your contacts in a single list, and you can correspond with them all from a single interface. It’s perfect for instant messaging on the road, since you don’t need to download a client; everything is available on Meebo’s website.


Meebo Website

How can I tell if a recipient has opened my email message?

When sending an e-mail, you can request a return receipt. This is a message that will let you know that your e-mail was delivered. You can either set this option on individual e-mail messages, or as a global option to apply to all e-mail sent.
Just keep in mind a 'Return Receipt' is a request and only works works if the person who receives your email clicks "OK" to acknowledge opening your. The problem is if they answer "No" to your return receipt request, you'll have no way of knowing if they've opened your email.


Return Receipt Settings in Thunderbird (Email Accounts Settings)

To access Thunderbird's email account(s) settings, go to Tools > Account Settings. In the Account Settings dialog, select the email account whose settings you'd like to modify.

Return Receipt Settings in ThunderbirdThunderbird's Return Receipts settings can be set for all your email accounts under the Compositions Options.

Thunderbird, however, lets you customize return receipts policy at the email account level. This means that whatever is defined under an email account's Return Receipts settings will supercede the global options set under Tools > Options > Composition.


Return Receipt Settings in Microsoft Outlook

You have two different options.
1. If you check the Request a delivery receipt for this message box, you will receive a confirmation when the e-mail is successfully delivered.
2. If you check the Request a read receipt for this message box, you will receive a confirmation when the e-mail is opened by the user. When finished, click Close.

To set this option globally, click on Tools, Options and then on the Preferences tab and the E-mail Options button. Now click the Tracking Options button. You should see the screen below. You have the same two options here. Set them to your preference and click OK.

Microsoft LifeCam Disabling The Windows Live™ Call Button

To do this do these steps:

1. C:\Program Files\Microsoft LifeCam
2. Rename IcePick.exe to IcePick.ex_.

all done now when you bump the live call button on your webcam it won't annoy you.

Default Router Passwords Database

Default Router Passwords Database allows you to search for router as well as other devices default passwords. This tool comes in very handy when you have to reset a device but can’t find the manual to look up the default password.


Default Router Passwords Database

Emesene

One of the best alternative MSN client with clean tabbed chat interface is Emesene!
For Windows and Linux.
Emesene Homepage

How Secure is Skype

A Skype spokesman wouldn't say whether Skype keeps keys to decrypt calls. "Sorry, Skype does not comment on media speculation," says Skype vice president Chiam Haas.

It's virtually impossible to figure out for sure from independent research whether Skype keeps encryption keys or not, says David Endler, chairman of Voice Over IP Security Alliance and senior director of security research at Tipping Point.

Not exactly reassuring... just think if they do keep keys to decrypt call most likely well if they ever leaked.......

Full article

Miranda

Miranda IM is an open-source multi protocol instant messenger client for Windows. Miranda IM uses very little memory and is extremely fast. It requires no installation and can be fitted on a single floppy disc. Its powerful plugin system makes Miranda IM very flexible. Only the most basic features are built in, but there are currently more than 350 free plugins available for download that allows users to extend the functionality of Miranda IM.

Available Protocols

• ICQ
• AIM
• MSN
• Jabber
• Yahoo
• IRC
• Gadu-Gadu
• Tlen
• Netsend

Homepage

meebo

A web portal for instant messaging, meebo lets you have the same online chats, but without the download. Access Google talk, msn, Yahoo!, jabber, ICQ and AIM from any computer.
http://www.meebo.com/

Skype

I use Skype a lot, Skype to Skype is free and fees are low to call landlines and mobiles, the voice quality is very good also.

With Skype you can make free calls over the internet to other people on Skype for as long as you like, to wherever you like. It is free to download.
Skype allows users to make telephone calls over the Internet to other Skype users free of charge and to landlines and cell phones for a fee. Additional features include instant messaging, file transfer, short message service, video conferencing and its ability to circumvent firewalls.

www.skype.com

Chat software

Pidgin is a very useful multi-protocol Instant Messaging client that allows you to use all of your IM accounts at once.

Pidgin can work with:

• AIM
• Bonjour
• Gadu-Gadu
• Google Talk
• Groupwise
• ICQ

• IRC
• MSN
• MySpaceIM
• QQ
• SILC

• SIMPLE
• Sametime
• XMPP
• Yahoo!
• Zephyr

Pidgin is free software. It is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2. This means you are free to use it and to modify it, but if you distribute your modifications you must distribute the modified source code as well.

http://www.pidgin.im/