StickiWidgets

We had the opportunity to try out Wablet web chat IM. Wablet is currently in private alpha so our preview will be limited and a high level look at the service. The service allows you to consolidate your various IM accounts (currently supports Yahoo, MSN, ICQ, and AOL) and create a Wablet IM account. While this is nothing new and has been done with various desktop and online services (Meebo, Koolim), they do have some other interesting features.

The Wablet flash chat client is relatively simple and functions well. There’s really not much to say at this time. Since it is still in alpha, there are features that are missing or only partially implemented at this point. It does have the basic functionality though. Compared to our favorite desktop client (Gaim) it does lack in features and plugins. We will see if they are able to provide the feature set that matured desktop clients offer. It’s hard for us to see that happen, but we don’t believe that will matter for most users. The ability to have access to your IM accounts from just about anywhere is the big draw. No more worrying about what client, if any, is installed. As long as the computer has a modern browser and Flash, you will be able to chat. No desktop client will give you this.

Site chat widgets are also nothing new. Again, Wablet provides a simple way for you to customize and add widgets to your web sites/pages. These widgets allow you to chat with your web site visitors. It also gives people an easy way to contact you without knowing or remembering your IM account info and having a compatible IM client installed. So, if you want to chat with a friend of yours while on vacation, you just need to go to their blog and use the widget. No need to worry about what network their on, what software you need or their account info to contact.

Lastly, well not really, but last of the major points is the ability to create different online personas. This feature is what really makes Wablet stand out from the other. We don’t believe we have seen this feature on any of the other services. You can use the same account but display a different persona to your visitors. Have one for your personal blog, one for your social network like MySpace, one for your web email and/or a different one for your professional chat.

There are of course other features like contact lists, message logs, etc. Again, since this is still in private alpha we have only provided an overview. While we probably will not replace Gaim with Wablet as it stands, it definitely is something we will continue to monitor and run along side Gaim. For users who don’t need specific plugins/features that desktop clients offer, then Wablet would be a great choice once they go public. The ability to access your account from just about anywhere is great. And, for users who want to provide different identities/personas through web widgets then Wablet is the only choice (as far as we know).

Mashable reports that the NHL will be announcing a YouTube channel. The channel will provide videos and game highlights officially sponsored and approved by the NHL. Google Video already has a deal with the NHL and you can check out the NHL on Google Video page for the currently available videos. Refer to the post on Mashable for the details of both deals.

What this means for the average fan is that they will now have access to more NHL content. This is a good thing… Did you miss a game last week? Can’t remember that game back in 1995? No problem, just check out Google Video or YouTube for the game.

For the hard core fan that has the technical knowledge to customize their blogs or run their own sites, there is even better news. While the exact usage details still need to be seen, these videos (using the Google Search API) and the NHL Scoreboard widget (previous coverage) will give your blog/site more features and content for your readers.

In the sidebar are 2 examples of tools and widgets that can greatly enhance your hockey blog or site.

For additional coverage, check out Ars Technica.

We hate to play the conspiracy theorist, but there’s definitely more to it than it seems. MySpace is being very selective in who they choose to blacklist. As far as we can see, there is no unbiased uniform criterion that they are using to determine who should be blocked. Google Video and YouTube have just as much inappropriate or copyright content as the other sites on their hit list, yet they are not blocked.

If we were MySpace, we wouldn’t block Google, YouTube or the other big name sites either. But, until MySpace comes out and says how and why they choose certain sites to block, it’s just going to look like a strong arm tactic to quash the smaller players in this space.

The latest victim from the hit list is VideoCodeZone. Mashable has a summary of the block and comparison with the recent block placed on Stickam.

Additionally, as far we know, MySpace is not working with or notifying others why they are blocked or how to get unblocked. If it were just “objectionable” content, they could as least prepare a form letter to respond to companies that have been blocked with the specifics of their policy and how to remove the block. There are no reports from anyone that MySpace responds adequately when these companies inquire about the block. However, that leads us back to why isn’t Google or YouTube on this list. Your conspiracy theory is as good as anyone else’s, at least until MySpace speaks out officially.