monline

Google's new video chat service requires you to install some stuff from the GoogleVoiceAndVideoSetup.dmg that is available from their website. Of course this not only installs the browser plugin(s), but an updater application too. The annoying thing is that they do not install the complete Google Updater, only some hidden daemon and agent application. But you've no control over this updater at all. It does not show up neither in Applications nor in System Preferences. What if somebody wanted to disable the automatic updates and run them manually once in a while? Unfortunately you've to tinker a little bit since you won't find any GUI allowing you to change anything.

I only knew of the Google Talk client application (that you can install on your PC) and the chat that is integrated into Gmail. But it seems Google has created a web UI for Google Talk and names it Google Talk Gadget. It provides now group chat functionality too, which I think is missing from the Gmail-integrated chat.

PS: there's a great Google blog on Google Talk related stuff. Thanks to airwin for the tip.

Google has an extensive set of help pages describing how to connect to Google Talk with various IM clients. Here's the page for connecting with Kopete, KDE's default instant messenger client.