Paltalk
Encyclopedia
Paltalk Messenger, or simply referred to as Paltalk, is an Internet chat service that allows users to communicate via instant messaging
Instant messaging
Instant Messaging is a form of real-time direct text-based chatting communication in push mode between two or more people using personal computers or other devices, along with shared clients. The user's text is conveyed over a network, such as the Internet...

, voice and video chat. It offers thousands of chat rooms and the ability for users to create their own virtual chat room on any topic and category. Paltalk Messenger is a downloadable software application that is currently available only for Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...

. Paltalk Messenger is available in two formats: Paltalk Messenger and PaltalkExpress.

Paltalk, including all of its programs, is owned by AVM Software, which is a privately held company founded in 1998 and based in New York City, NY. It also owns and operates HearMe, a video and voice-enabled web conferencing service that allows users to conduct group meetings. Paltalk became popular after Firetalk, an earlier voice/music chat program, became unable to maintain operation due to a lack of adequate funding.

Paltalk Express

PaltalkExpress is a free web based flash application
Application software
Application software, also known as an application or an "app", is computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks. Examples include enterprise software, accounting software, office suites, graphics software and media players. Many application programs deal principally with...

 which can be accessed within any Internet browser.. It has also been featured as one of the most popular communication apps in the Google Chrome Web Store.

Shows

Paltalk produces a number of original programs for its PaltalkScene platform including Stevedtrm's 911 Truthers commentary in Mainstream Politics, News Talk Online, Hollywood Now with Joanne Colan
Joanne Colan
Joanne Colan is the former MTV Europe VJ and former anchor of the vlog Rocketboom. She currently is on Discovery's show "Dean of Invention" alongside Dean Kamen as a correspondent.-Television:...

 and MusicScene. The hosted shows feature celebrities, politicians, musicians and entertainers who are able to interact live with the viewers through video chat.

Paltalk Video Chat Widget

Paltalk has a widget called Paltalk Video Chat Widget that was released May 12, 2009. It allows a website visitor a view into Paltalk rooms, view text and video. Users can now text-chat directly from the widget.

HearMe

HearMe, acquired by Paltalk in 2001, and re-launched as a product in 2007, provides desktop voice and video conferencing in a scalable manner, allowing up to 2,000 simultaneous participants in each meeting "room".

Its capabilities include built-in VoIP, Desktop Sharing
Desktop sharing
Desktop sharing is a common name for technologies and products that allow remote access and remote collaboration on a person's computer desktop through a graphical Terminal emulator.The most common two scenarios for desktop sharing are:* Remote log-in...

 and Video
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...


Patent lawsuits

Paltalk have recently taken up a series of patent lawsuits against MMO developers claiming they were infringing US patents 5,822,523 and 6,226,686 "Server-group messaging system for interactive applications."

After being encouraged by an out of court settlement Microsoft for an undisclosed sum in 2009, Paltalk moved on to smaller companies such as SOE, Blizzard Entertainment, NCsoft and Turbine.

However in late 2010, Jagex
Jagex
Jagex Games Studio, based in Cambridge, is the UK’s largest independent developer and publisher of online games. Jagex is best known for RuneScape, the world's largest free-to-play MMORPG....

 successfully defended against such a lawsuit. Jagex's CEO made the following statement "It is exceedingly unfortunate that the U.S. legal system can force a company with a sole presence in Cambridge, UK to incur a seven-digit expense and waste over a year of management time on a case with absolutely no merit," he went on to say that Jagex "will not hesitate to vigorously defend our position against any patent trolls who bring lawsuits against us in the future.".

The judge's ruling resolved only Jagex's case.

See also

  • Instant messaging
    Instant messaging
    Instant Messaging is a form of real-time direct text-based chatting communication in push mode between two or more people using personal computers or other devices, along with shared clients. The user's text is conveyed over a network, such as the Internet...

  • Comparison of instant messaging clients
    Comparison of instant messaging clients
    The following tables compare general and technical information for a number of instant messaging clients. Please see the individual products' articles for further information. This article is not all-inclusive or necessarily up-to-date...

  • InSpeak Communicator
    InSpeak Communicator
    InSpeak Communicator is an internet chat program offering text, audio and video interaction.InSpeak is based and operated in Sunrise, FL, USA.-Usage:inSpeak is currently formatted for Microsoft Windows and currently does not support any other platform....

  • Patent troll
    Patent troll
    Patent troll is a pejorative but questioned term used for a person or company who is a non-practicing inventor, and buys and enforces patents against one or more alleged infringers in a manner considered by the target or observers as unduly aggressive or opportunistic, often with no intention to...

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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