If you have a Mac, you probably use Adium or iChat for instant messaging.  Most people I talk to use Adium, and the great people who develop Adium have been cooking up some new features.  On top of just instant messaging, they have added some other awesome things.  The two major additions are Twitter and IRC.

These additions are Huge, as I know many people who use twitter, as well as IRC.  I use IRC, twitter, AIM, and Windows Live, and this makes it nice to save system resources.  This beta at the time of writing is using 62 MB of RAM with the contact list, and another window with an AIM conversation and my twitter timeline.

Now, you may be wondering how you would add these features.  Download the latest beta, check the changes, and go to your preferences in Adium.

Click the ‘+’ button, and you will find it list of services you choose.  For twitter, choose twitter, and allow it access.  Your browser will then open, and you will sign in to twitter.  After you sign in, you will get a code that you will then copy/paste into Adium.  Restart Adium, and a twitter window will open.  Just type in your update, and hit enter. For IRC, just choose IRC, type in what you need, and hit OK.  After the IRC window opens, type /join #channelnamehere.

This beta is awesome, and jam packed full of features.  I give it a 8.5/10.  I wish you could add auto join for IRC, but this may be in the final version.