Have a voice conference while co-browsing any web site and whiteboarding with your team. Better yet: connect to all major instant messaging networks from one new service, share Flickr pictures in real-time while you are chatting, and send any type of file or document without using email. All in this week collaboration tools focused Sharewood Picnic and more.

Photo credit: Dodoman

Here my selected web-based collaboration gems for this week:

1. Twiddla: Free web-based whiteboarding tool for co-browsing and audio conferencing
2. Loudtalks: Walkie talkie-like application lets you talk with your friends online
3. Photophlow: Share your Flickr photos in real-time while chatting with people
4. YouFig: Online collaboration software allows you to create groups to chat and share files with your friends
5. Lunarr: Web-based service enables you to create and share documents with anyone
6. Wikisend: Share any file up to 100MB and let it stay online for up to 90 days
7. Gizmo Mobile: Mobile instant messenger allows you to connect to Gizmo's and all major IM networks
8. The Awesome Highlighter: Highlight any part of a page and share it with other people

Online Collaboration Technologies - New Tools And Web Services

1. Twiddla
   
   Twiddla is a free web-based whiteboarding tool, that you can use to collaborate with other people. With a free registration, you can create an online whiteboarding session in seconds, where you can co-browse, annotate, draw, share pictures, type, and also have voice conferences with everyone. To invite people, you can whether type their email in the invitation box, or share the room's URL. Free to use.
   http://www.twiddla.com/





2. Loudtalks
   
   Loudtalks is a little application which allows you to talk to your friends or collegues instantly with a single touch of a button(F7). It's just like a walkie talkie: faster than text chat and more convenient than calls. Just add your friends, and press F7 to talk with them. Loudtalks work on Windows platforms only, but other versions are being developed, including a mobile phone one. Free to download and use.
   http://loudtalks.com/






3. Photophlow
   
   Photophlow is a free service that anyone can use to share Flickr photos in real-time. After you have been accepted in the beta program, you can create a room where you can invite people to chat with you, as well as sharing Flickr photos: you can search in your library or in the entire archive by entering tags or username and, when you click on a picture, a bigger version will show show for other room's participants to see. Free to use.
   http://www.photophlow.com/






4. YouFig
   
   YouFig is an online collaboration software that allows you to create groups. In a matter of seconds, you can create a collaboration group with friend or colleagues, in which you can write and share documents, chat, watch videos, share files and more. Currently the service is in private beta, but it'll be available as a free beta soon. 100% web-based.
   http://www.youfig.com/






5. Lunarr
   
   Lunarr is a web-based service that allows people to create and share documents with anyone. As a member, once you login, you can create or access a document, and then revise or simply share the document with whoever you like. Right now you will need an invitation to join the service, but it'll be open to the public in the future. Free.
   https://lunarr.com/






6. Wikisend
   
   Wikisend is a free file sharing website that requires no registration. You just have to browse for your file, up to 100MB, give it a name and a description, set a lifetime (up to 90 days) and click upload. You will be given the file ID, that can be used to download a file from the site interface, and the sharing link that people can use without getting onto the site before. You can also set a password to protect your files. Free.
   http://wikisend.com/






7. Gizmo Mobile
   
   Gizmo Mobile is a new client of the popular instant messaging network that works on most mobile phones (compatibility list on top right of the home page). With Gizmo Mobile, you can connect from anywhere in the world to Gizmo, MSN, AIM, Yahoo, and Jabber networks: you can chat, share files and also call contacts' phones at ultra-low rates. Free to download and use.
   http://www.gizmo5.com/pc






8. The Awesome Highlighter
   
   The Awesome Highlighter is a free tool that you can use to highlight text on a page. From the main window, after you paste the URL you want to highlight text on, you will be brought to a page where you can highlight text by simply selecting it with your mouse. When done, you just have to click a button and you will be given a URL to share with people, so that they can see what you highlighted. Free to use.
   http://www.awesomehighlighter.com/

Originally written by Nico Canali De Rossi for Master New Media and first published on March 24th 2008 as "Online Collaboration Technologies - New Tools And Web Services - Sharewood Picnic Mar03 24"