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Nine months ago, Microsoft announced an $8.5-billion bid to buy Skype , the provider of voice-over-Internet Protocol software and services. The move promised to add an important video chat feature to help handsets running the Windows Phone operating system better compete with FaceTime on the iPhone and Android's Google Talk feature

After I started my Web design and social media company, in 2008, I realized I needed a way to streamline communication with my clients, employees, and personal contacts. For about a year, I've been using a free Web-based service called Threadsy , which lets me access my e-mail, Twitter, and Facebook accounts in one place. You can access Threadsy through a Web browser, but I use a Mac app called Fluid to turn it into a desktop application.