JAMS 2.0!

Finally... JAMS 2.0 is out!

It requires Triton Beta 6. Use in Triton Beta 5 will probably cause "undesirable operation". Our plugin API is now locked down, so JAMS 2.0 should work with all future Triton builds.

Here's what's new:
* Easier to use - plugins are automatically enabled when you install. You can disable ones you don't want to use using the plugin tab in Triton's settings.
* Blops - Import and export your buddylist using BLT files (Greg)
* EZFormat - Add *bold*, /italic/, or _underline_ in your IMs easily (me)
* PhoneNumToLink - Incoming phone numbers in IMs are converted to hyperlinks, when you click them they trigger an AIM VOIP call (Steven)

Also, updates to:
* MyTunes - doesn't overwrite your Profiler profile. If a profile is set, it will replace "%song" with your currently playing song. So you can do "Hi, I'm currently listening to %song."
* FightClub - server changed, it now works again.
* And some miscellaneous bug fixes.

Some other plugins that just missed the cutoff for JAMS 2.0 are a cool buddy icon picker, and the ability to go away when your Bluetooth phone goes out of range. Also, future builds will integrate better with the AIM Triton UI, instead of the (admittedly clumsy) tray icon.

More AIMFighting

Previously I wrote about the http://aimfight.com/getFight.php URL for getting AIM Fight data programatically. However, this is not the official interface for getting this data.

http://big.oscar.aol.com/PopularQuery?screenname=<screenname> will return more detailed AIM Fight information, in XML format. A query for "juberti" returns the following XML blob:

<BuddyInfo>
  <CurrentBuddyScore3>431306</CurrentBuddyScore3>
  <MaxBuddyScore3>552127</MaxBuddyScore3>
  <OverallRankScore3>9429</OverallRankScore3>
</BuddyInfo>

Here, "CurrentBuddyScore3" is your current AIM Fight score, "MaxBuddyScore3" is the highest score you have had recently, and "OverallRankScore3", if nonzero, is your ranking in the list of top AIM Fight scores.

Web services like this are an important part of our AIM roadmap. Look for more stuff like this in the near future...

Humor for Geeks

I was talking to some folks who just got back from the Microsoft developer conference, one of the things they mentioned from the conference was a Microsoft Battlebot whose operating code was all written in .NET. Appropriately, it is called "The Finalizer". Even better is its tagline: "IDispatch the Fury". (If you didn't get it, you can read about .NET's garbage collector or IDispatch.) 

http://www.finalizer.net/ has details, including the source code for download.

My sources tell me various things about this guy, but he has flow. ytcracker, the "heavily disputed king of nerd rap" has released an album for free download of several raps set to soundtracks from old Nintendo games. One of my favorite lyrics (from "meganerd"):

 "Basically BASIC was the first language I spoke, I was telling Apple deuces just where they could PEEK and POKE".

Legit old school. If raps about "pushing and popping, XOR and NOPing" sound interesting to you, give it a listen.

Celebrity Buddies

I get several IMs every week that start with the message "who is this?". This puzzled me for a while - what would lead people to ask such a question? Do these people really forget who they added to their buddy list? Do they go around calling people on the phone and asking them "who is this?" Where did they learn their manners? I was really wondering until I read an article the other day about celebrity buddy lists. Apparently there are lists of celebrity screennames being sent around on the internet, which people add into their buddy list, and then try to strike up a conversation with these celebrities. Amazingly, I am on some of those lists. I can only imagine what it must be like for a real celebrity to sign on - getting bombarded by dozens of "who is this?", "waz^", or "prove you're really such-and-such" must make using IM a real joy for these people. To those affected, I apologize...

Here's one of the lists (note: I am not on this list).

Long Overdue Update

Wow, it's been a while since I last had an update. We've been cranking hard on stuff for AIM Triton, finally got a chance to come for air. Hope to have some more updates in the next couple days, with a JAMS release for Triton Beta 5, the latest on TOC, comments on GTalk, and some other stuff I've been meaning to post.

Also wanted to mention my trip to Europe last month - had a great time with the folks from AOL Germany - thanks to Markus, Alex, and Volker. Some pictures below...


At a German sausage stand in Hamburg with Volker and Günter.
(Update 9/7: for those unsure, I am the one in the black shirt.)


Driving through the French countryside towards Reims.


In Paris for IETF 63.