Online collaborations tools keep offering new and improved features to work, share and present with other people at a distance. I am picking up this time not only the latest but also a few of those cool tools that while launched a while ago, may not have yet reached your radar screen.

Photo credit: Ilin Sergey

In this issue: Create your own video conferencing room, instant message and share files with your friends. Discover new tools also to whiteboard and edit text in real-time with other people. All of the above and more in this week collaboration tools Picnic

Here's my online collaboration tools selection for this week:

1. Spreed: Web-based tool allows you to set up video conferences and share Power-Point presentations
2. PersonalGrid: Free 2GB of storage space where you can upload and share files
3. Barablu: Mobile VoIP client lets you make free calls to PCs to multiple networks
4. Mindquarry: Open-Source software offers file sharing, wiki, task management and chat to collaborate with your team
5. DabbleBoard: Invite as many people as you want to whiteboard online
6. Writewith: Collaborative writing tool allows you to edit documents with other people
7. Evermotion Communicator: Free multi-protocol instant messenger for Windows
8. Trillian Astra: Multi-protocol instant messenger allows you to connect to multiple IM services either with client and web-based version

1. Spreed
   
   Spreed is a web-based tool that allows you set up video conferences. Spreed integrates whiteboard, chat, video conferencing, screen sharing, file transfer and Power-Point presentation sharing. It can be used on PC and Mac and it is free to use up to three participants.
   http://spreed.com/






2. PersonalGrid
   
   PersonalGrid is a file hosting service that gives you up to 2GB of storage space, and where you can upload and share files. You can create folders, and select the people you want to share a file with, or simply get a public URL for anyone to access and download that particular file. The service is free to use, registration is needed.
   http://personalgrid.com/






3. Barablu
   
   Barablu is a VoIP application that works on any PocketPC, or on any PC running Windows or Mac. It allows you to have free voice calls with anyone on MSN, Yahoo, Google Talk, Skype, and Barablu networks, while you'll have to pay a small fee for any mobile or landline calls. The software is free to download and use.
   http://www.barablu.com/






4. Mindquarry
   
   Mindquarry is an open-source software that combines file sharing, wiki, task management and communication software into a powerful team infrastructure that allows teams to collaborate more effectively. You can share documents, ideas, thoughts and definitions and edit them with people at the same time while its file manager stores snapshots of documents edited by your team and makes them searchable. In the future it ill also have a chat area.
   http://www.mindquarry.com/






5. DabbleBoard
   
   DabbleBoard is a free tool that you can use to whiteboard online. You can create a new whiteboard at anytime and, after a simple log-in, you can invite as many people as you want to join you and start drawing with you. When you are done, you can download you creation on your machine in PNG format. Free to use.
   http://www.dabbleboard.com/






6. Writewith
   
   Writewith is a collaborative writing tool for editing documents together. You can upload a document to the site (.doc, .txt, .rtf, Open Office) and invite other people to see, edit and chat in real-time. If they don't have an account, they can edit the document by email without their needing to create an account. The service is completely free and also comes with a message board, and task assignment facility.
   http://writewith.com/






7. Evermotion Communicator
   
   Evermotion Communicator is a free multi-protocol instant messenger that works with Yahoo, ICQ, AIM, MSN, Skype, Tlen, Google Talk and and also local LAN networks. It supports multilingual interface, file and image transfer (with basic image editing), and group chats. It work on Windows platforms only, and it is free to download and use.
   http://ec.evermotion.org/






8. Trillian Astra
   
   Trillian Astra is a multi-protocol instant messenger that can connect to multiple IM services, such as AIM, ICQ, Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, IRC, Skype and Google Talk networks. Plus, if you're not at home or haven't installed the client on your machine, you are able to communicate with other people anywhere your are with the web-based version of Trillian Astra, available on your personal home page. Beta.
   http://www.trillianastra.com/

Originally written by Nico Canali De Rossi for Master New Media and first published on June 23rd 2008 as "Online Collaboration Technologies - New Tools And Web Services - Sharewood Picnic Jun23"