Are you tired of running a dozen programs to stay in touch with the people you care about? Are you looking for a way to call back home, without spending an arm and a leg? Then you need to read Google Talking! Discover the Google way to instant message your friends, with the power of voice and text! Make calls from your computer to any phone in the world! When you pick up your phone and make a call, you can reach that person, regardless of what phone company they use. Why should instant messaging be any different? Instant Messaging has become the favorite way of internet users to stay in touch. But to keep in contact with friends across several IM networks, you had to run a dozen different programs? Until now! Google Talk is Google's foray into the Instant Messaging universe. In tradition with Google's embrace of the Open Source community, Google Talk breaks free of proprietary messaging, allowing you to connect to the chat service of your choice, without the need to install several different programs. You can also connect to Google's own instant messaging networks with the Voice and Jabber-enabled client of your choice.

The authors discuss the "Google way" to instant message friends and make calls from a computer to any phone in the world by using Google Talk, Google's foray into the Instant Messaging universe.

Google Talking takes communication to the next level, combining the awesome power of Text and Voice! This book teaches readers how to blow the lid off of Instant Messaging and Phone calls over the Internet.

Nationwide and around the world, instant messaging use is growing, with more than 7 billion instant messages being sent every day worldwide, according to IDC. comScore Media Metrix reports that there are 250 million people across the globe--and nearly 80 million Americans--who regularly use instant messaging as a quick and convenient communications tool.

Google Talking takes communication to the next level, combining the awesome power of Text and Voice! This book teaches readers how to blow the lid off of Instant Messaging and Phone calls over the Internet.

This book will cover the program 'Google Talk' in its entirety. From detailed information about each of its features, to a deep-down analysis of how it works. Also, we will cover real techniques from the computer programmers and hackers to bend and tweak the program to do exciting and unexpected things.

* Google has 41% of the search engine market making it by far the most commonly used search engine

* The Instant Messaging market has 250 million users world wide

* Google Talking will be the first book to hit the streets about Google Talk

Johnny Long is a professional hacker and security researcher for Computer Sciences Corporation. Johnny has written or contributed to several books, including Google Hacking for Penetration Tester from Syngress Publishing, which has secured rave reviews.

PART ONE: Introductions

1. A Brief Look at IMs History

2. A Brief look at VoIP

3. Open Standards are our friends! '" A look a XMPP, jabber, and interoperability

PART TWO: Bells and Whistles

4. IM hacks '" Tweak your Google Talk chat sessions

5. Easter Eggs '" Hidden surprises lurking about

6. Come Here, Watson, I need you! '" Google Talk VoIP and peering

PART THREE: Development

7. Google Talk: Under the Hood '" A look at what makes it tick

8. Hand me that wrench! '" APIs, code snippets, Google Talk 'hacks'

9. The Future? '" The future of Google Talk

PART FOUR: Thats All, Folks! '" Appendix, etc.