IM Smarter

IM Smarter is a program that does several tiny jobs so seamlessly that it should be in everyone’s software arsenal.

Edit: the service has now shut down. Bummer

One application that I rarely use, but still couldn’t live without, is IM Smarter. IM Smarter is not an actual application that you download, but a combination of a <acronym title="AOL Instant Messenger”>AIM proxy and a web app. After a simple (free) signup, you point whatever IM application you use (I use iChat) to connect through the IM Smarter proxy (they have simple instructions) and then go on about your normal business.

However, when you are trying to remember some conversation that you had with someone and can’t turn to your logs (maybe you don’t keep them, or they are on a different computer, or you just reinstalled everything and forgot to back them up… whatever) just to to http://www.imsmarter.com and login. There is the full text of all your logs, with a search engine to help find whatever you were looking for!

Need to jot down a quick note or reminder that seems like too small a job for a full word-processor or calendar program? Just send a message to the IM Smarter bot. Your notes are available from the website or your AIM application; reminders will pop up a IM from the bot when the time is right.

Blog? You can post to LiveJournal and Xanga through your IM window. If you don’t have a blog yet, IM Smarter provides you one.

I am sure that there are even more features than I know about, but just off these couple your IM app will become the most versatile piece of software you own shy of your browser, and since it’s free, why not give it a try?