Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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f Monday, Aug. 29,2005 ~ Page 5 - -* / . Search engine joins messaging mania Jeremy Turnage FOR THE GAMECOCK This week the popular Internet search engine > company Google unveiled a new instant messaging service called GoogleTalk. Google is one of many new companies to join in the instant message craze. Introduced in the mid-’90s by America Online, instant messaging has become one of the most popular ways to keep in touch with friends and family online. These services are especially popular on college campuses such as USC’s. In recent years, Microsoft and Yahoo have also released their own messaging services, expanding the market. What makes Google different from these competitors? First, users of the new service must have an account with Gmail, the e-mail service provided by Google. Two ways exist to get a Gmail account: A current Gmail user can invite new users, or new users can visit http://www. google.com/talk and fill out a form. GoogieTalk is still in the development stages, and features might be added ot removed by the time the service is completely ready for the everyday consumer. Once logged into GoogieTalk, users will immediately notice several features of this new service. Perhaps one of the key elements of GoogieTalk is simplicity — most features are easy to figure out right away. Another quality is the program’s compatibility with active Gmail accounts. If users receive e-mail while logged on to GoogieTalk, a notification box will appear in the right corner of the screen containing the e-mail’s subject line and the first few lines of text from the e mail. The program also contains an “Inbox” button that takes users directly to their Gmail account. The buddy list box is like other messaging services, except with GoogieTalk the user is not bombarded with video advertisements usually associated with AOLs AIM program. The service also lacks a friendly welcome screen, which some might find as a flaw. It includes a search bar, used to search through the user’s contacts list from Gmail. Users can invite friends to join the new service through the use of an invite button. A drop down box also exists to designate when you are “Away” or “Busy.” The messages are very similar to every other instant messaging client, except for two differences. At the top of the current message, users will notice two buttons that say “E mail” and “Call.” With the “E mail” option users can send an e-mail directly to the person they are talking with. The “Call” button is a neat feature that allows users to connect to their friends and talk directly through the use of a microphone plugged into their computer. Google is also talking with AOL and several other instant messaging companies to support operation between the services. GoogleTalk is one of many new applications Google has released in the past year. Months ago it released GoogleEarth, an application that lets the user view a fully three-dimensional model of the Earth and zoom into cities with microscopic details. Google also released its highly experimental curiosity application known as GoogleDesktop, which has a sidebar to help users locate items on their computer, search the Web, check the news and check their Gmail account. It is also rumored a Google Web browser is up next in development. Talk of a Google operating system has also surfaced in the last few months. All this corresponds with Googles stock, which has become one of the hottest technology stocks in recent memory. At last check, the stock was trading at an astounding $282.59. In comparison to IBM, which was last trading Friday at $81.10, and Microsoft, trading at $27.03, Google’s stock will fund the company enough to help get them started on some serious projects. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfeatures@gwm. sc. edu Google Talk _)[X inbox | Seffinas ta k^ • Joe Available.*._i....L Qs Searc • Anne Smile! • Eliie • Harper O Rachel y Tate 0 Jill 0 Leah Anne: Smile! Anne: I heard a rumor they’re building an IM/voice service Joe: I'll believe it when I see it Anne: You can hear it... Call me! Calling Anne at 4:07 PM on Wednesday I::] Special» THE GAMECOCK GoogleTalk offers voice-dial and e-mail features directly from the user’s buddy list. GoogleTalk is available with a Gmail account. Blatt hits popularity surge (licole Burns FOR THE GAMECOCK Students and faculty members who frequent the Blatt P.E. Center have gotten a fresh surprise at the start of the school year. Like the Strom Thurmond Wellness & Fitness Center, the Blatt P.E. Center received new equipment to welcome new students and a new school year. The Blatt’s third-floor weight room was expanded, and new equipment was ’hauled in to replace the old. The weight room now boasts 14,000 square feet of space. The Blatt holds 12 new machines, including ellipticals, rowers, stair climbers, treadmills and upright bikes. Free weights and other equipment are also available. To keep count of how many students frequent the weight room, staff members keep a count sheet and every hour record how many people are using the machines. Counts are taken during the gym’s busiest time, between 5 and 8 p.m. Ben Cauthen, a third-year broadcast journalism student, said there has been an increase in people at the gym. “The new machines here at Blatt keeps Strom from being so busy.” The Blatt’s student workers keep track of how many people are in the weight room every hour. Harrison Greenlaw, a staff member at the Orientation and Testing Facility, has been coming to the Blatt for more than 20 years. “Herbert Camp and his staff have done a great job with the expansion, and I absolutely love it”. s Greenlaw has also noticed more people at the Blatt. “Sinpe the equipment is more spread out, it’s harder to tell that the room is crowded.” Tim Brust, a third-year computer science student, and Brian Booth, a fourth-year sociology student, are transfer students who frequent the gym three to five times a week. They say the Blatt’s weight room is a lot bigger than that of their former schools. “I like this a lot better,” Brust said. “It beats having to wait in line to use the machine.” . Much like the Wellness and Fitness Center, Blatt P.E. Center has other things to offer those who wish to keep in shape outside the weight room. About 70 group fitness classes are offered a week, consisting of cardio and strength and mind/body sessions with 17 formats. Students must bring their student ID, complete a waiver and pay the $20 semester program fee to join a program. Students, faculty and staff can also join sports clubs. Most teams are sttfdent-formed and have about six to 10 games per season. The clubs include Carolina Crew, Fencing, Judo, SCUBA, Ultimate Frisbee and Womens Rugby. For a complete list of schedules, clubs and contacts, visit Campus Recreations Web site, http://campusrec.sc. edu/clubs.asp. The Blatt also has an indoor competition pool, running 25 yards and between 4 and 7 feet deep. The pool is open 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5:30-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m. 2 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 2:30-6:30 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 803-777-5261. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc. edu www. dailygamecock. com Alexis Arnone/ THE GAMECOCK New exercise machines have been added to the Blatt P.E. Center. t