Coming on Wednesday: Google IM and VoIP?

Googlewatchers are still processing Monday's release of Google Desktop 2, but there may be bigger news on Wednesday: Rumor has it that Google may release an instant-messaging and Internet telephony client.

Here's an MSNBC story on the program, which is said to be called Google Talk. And here's a John Markoff article from Monday's New York Times. It's on Google plans in general, but mentions a Wednesday launch of a communications tool and speculates that it might be IM. Markoff's as reliable a reporter as there is in technology, so it sounds like something will be afoot tomorrow.

Of course, not every Google rumor turns out to be the real deal: Back in June, the Web was abuzz about a PayPal-like service from the company. I still wouldn't be surprised to see Google dive into electronic payments in some form, but they say they're not working on a PayPal clone.

Meanwhile, assuming that Google does release an IM/VoIP client, it'll be interesting to see if they come up with any unexpected ways to give these workaday Internet tools a distinctly Google-esque flavor.