- Looks like we’re in the middle of IM update week with Microsoft pushing the download of its Windows Live Messenger service (the artist formerly known as MSN Messenger). Also Yahoo v8.0 beta is out and sporting some shiny API possibilities.

Me? I still prefer using multi-IM clients like Trillian. I’ve even backed off using Skype (still haven’t renewed SkypeIN phone number).

- Host your own ‘Talkshoe‘ and make money. Is this podcasting by phone with integrated affiliate program? If that’s what it is (more investigation required) I’ll be curious how it does.
- Bill Gates in Hell joke [thanks dzone]
- Google Analytics blog added, still dogfooding blogspot of course [via search engine watch]
- Snakes on a Plane has an unofficial fan blog titled what else? Snakes on a Blog. Blogging his way to the premiere, or so he hopes.
- Google interested in buying web presentation service Thumbstacks? [via informationweek]
- Listmixer acts as a temporary bookmark culling service, self-described as “throwaway bookmarks.” If you want to make the bookmark more permanent you can easily add to a number of different bookmark services.
- Technology which could thwart pirates and digital “industrial espionage” by beaming white light to render recording devices useless [BBC]. This sounds like a great idea to make a bloggable event non-bloggable. Sorry flash mobs.
- Hide/Unhide sidenotes on your site/blog with this javascript [thanks Lifehacker]. Worth checking out further, especially the source code. On the list.
- Forser, my friend from Sweden, wondered why I hadn’t written anything about the new Opera 9 launch. Because I’d already posted about it last week (the Opera 9 beta 2 version, anyway) I didn’t really have anything new to add. This morning I caught this article about how Opera targeted Microsoft’s backyard here in Seattle for their new launch. Curious strategy. They should be targeting Firefox, not Microsoft.

• Out of the Ether
• MSN Web messenger now testing
• Visual Studio and SQL Server 2005 Ready to Launch event in Seattle today
• Singing a little Opera 9 beta 2 with widgets and Flock beta 1
• STARZ download plan includes PDAs, excludes Opera
• Microsoft not singing at the Opera