Teenager Michelle Rome can’t imagine life without instant messaging. Baby boomer Steve Wilson doesn’t care that it even exists. They’re part of an instant messaging gap between teens and adults. And the division is wide, says an AP-AOL survey on how Americans use or snub those Internet bursts of gossip, happy date-making and teen tragedies that young people exchange by the hour while supposedly doing homework.

inclue! announced a new release of its Media Inbox that is so easy and convenient to use that it could vastly increase media feed traffic from such popular video sharing sites as YouTube and Google Video. The inclue! Media Inbox is one of a few RSS readers that can be used with Outlook and Outlook Express, making it as easy for users as reading their email. The new inclue! Media Inbox, version 1.2, includes features that make getting video and music content even easier. Users can enter a keyword search and get video updates delivered from Google Video, YouTube and other major search sources.

A bunch of OutlookPower readers are frustrated that reminders pop-up, but under other windows. While Outlook itself can’t fix the problem, we may have a hack that may help.

Read this OutlookPower article.

Verizon Communications announced on Dec.5 the launching of Verizon Online Backup, a broadband product that will allow small and midsize businesses to protect company and customer information. Verizon Online Backup allows business users to back up files to an online storage space where users can retrieve the files anytime, as long as he or she has access to the Internet. The new product will also let the SMB user enable automatic backups, which will allow users to protect files and documents from common problems such as hardware failure, natural disasters and human error while also providing security during transmission and at an online facility.

AMD announced its entry into the 65-nm manufacturing generation with a new line of 65-watt "energy-efficient" processors that the company claimed already consumes just under 50 percent less power than the Intel Core 2 Duo. AMD’s novel argument provided a backdrop for four new chips–the AMD Athlon 64 X2 4000+, 4400+, 4800+, and 5000+–will be sold for the same price as their older counterparts, which were fabricated on the 90-nm process. The Athlon 64 X2 line will receive the 65-nm conversion treatment first, which will be completed by the first quarter of 2007 in its Fab 36 in Dresden.

Hitachi America has introduced Xinba 2.0 Reader and Analyzer, a desktop-based Microsoft Excel add-in that allows users to import, open and manipulate eXtensible Business Reporting Language financial information directly in Excel. According to Hitachi, Xinba 2.0 Reader and Analyzer allows end users to import XBRL 2.0a- and 2.1-compliant financial information directly into Excel by using Web services to access taxonomies and instances that can be stored locally, over a network or anywhere on the Internet.

About half of the average business PCs in North America are unable to meet the minimum requirements for Microsoft’s Windows Vista operating system, while 94 percent do not meet the system requirements for Vista Premium. Within these figures, 41 percent and 78 percent, respectively, require RAM upgrades to meet the minimum and premium system requirements of Vista, says a new study by Softchoice Corp., which is expected to be released later this week. In comparison, when Windows XP was released, some 71 percent of the PCs met its system requirements, Softchoice services consultant Dean Williams said in an executive summary of the report.

As many of your know, for the past week we have been following the story of missing CNET Senior Editor James Kim and his family. Fortune smiled on his wife Kati and daughters Penelope and Sabine when they were found by searchers on Monday. James had left them Saturday morning on a quest for help. He was found deceased today.

We in the tech industry, particularly here at ZATZ, will miss James and mourn his passing. He was an intelligent and well-respected writer and tech guru. James made the ultimate sacrifice in his dedication to the safety and welfare of his family. We will miss our colleague and friend; our thoughts and condolences go out to Kati and the girls.

Eighteen care packages will be strategically dropped along the route where an intensive search for missing CNET editor James Kim continues, authorities announced Wednesday morning. Items in the packages will include a bright orange sweatshirt, sweat pants, a large wool blanket, socks, gloves, waterproof bib overalls, three half-hour flares, a flashlight, a handwarmer, a MRE (meal ready to eat) and a personal letter from the family, Lt. Gregg Hastings of the Oregon State Police, said at a press conference. Late Tuesday afternoon, searchers found various items left by Kim, including two gray long-sleeve shirts, one red T-shirt, one wool sock, a pair of gray pants and the remains of an Oregon map. Officials believe Kim may have left them as markers or indicators of his path.

Microsoft announced Tuesday it is giving business users a chance to kick the tires on its upcoming Office PerformancePoint Server 2007 with a newly released preview. The downloadable preview is designed to allow users to gauge how the integrated monitoring, analytics and planning software would work in their particular business environment. Microsoft plans to release one or two more previews before the product hits the market in mid-2007.