Participants in a conference call could, for instance, branch off to have an instant messaging conversation in a small group, then return to the larger group without interruption.

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Another is a "conversational balance table" where an animated floral display provides instant feedback on whether someone is hogging a conversation.

WSJ: The Science of Serendipity in the Workplace

O'Neill told friends later that Bush and Cheney made him feel like an instant insider, and he was happy the conversation had been so candid.

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For one - very brief - moment in February, Liu Xia, was, it seems, able to access a computer and have an online conversation with a friend via an instant messaging system.

BBC: Held 'hostage' by China

The new 2.0 update features an entirely new FaceTime-like interface, allowing simultaneous audio translations within a video call, which not only adds a new interactive experience, but also adds another dimension to this new type of instant communication: the body language and tone to each conversation.

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She was instant-messaging her parents back home for more money, and detailing the conversation for her friend, loud enough so that everyone in the coffeehouse could hear.

NEWYORKER: Swimming

The second phase, which is scheduled for the second half of 2011, will add in the remaining Skype features, including video, instant messaging and presence (an indicator of whether a person is available for a conversation).

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Skype works very much like an instant messaging program, but allows users to call people on their buddy list and have a voice conversation instead of a text-based chat.

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London-based Skype Technologies distributes an application that works like an instant messaging service, but instead of trading text, users plug in a microphone and speakers and have a voice conversation.

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