Tag Archives: messaging

Hands-on with Hangouts, Google’s first step towards unified messaging

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Hangouts

Lots of great new features, but this may not be the unified messaging service some hoped for

We've heard a whole lot about "Hangouts" as a headline feature of Google+ since its launch, but Google is repurposing that branding today for its latest group chat service. There was a whole lot of crazy speculation and expectation leading up to Google I/O about a unified messaging platform from Google, and unfortunately Hangouts just isn't that service quite yet. As if Hangouts coming to phones as an update to the Google Talk app wasn't a good indication, this is more of an instant messaging client then an all-encompassing messaging service.

That being said, if you and the people you talk to most are all-in with Google, this update just gave you a whole bunch of new features. Read on with us past the break for a little introduction to Hangouts, Google's next step in messaging.

More: Android Central @ Google I/O 2013

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Google Hangouts messaging app made official at Google I/O 2013 [video]

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The Google Hangouts messaging app has been announced today at the Google I/O 2013 keynote event.

The app, which had been rumored for some time and was thought to be called Babel and Hangout, is finally a reality and is set to be available starting today for Android, iOS and the web.

Google Hangouts has been introduced during today’s Google I/O keynote by Vic Gundotra, Google’s Senior Vice President of Engineering and it allows for cross-platform communication across devices. It will turn Google’s messaging services, like Google Talk or the Chat and Hangouts features in Google+ into a single services.

The app is a standalone one, not part of Google+, and is focused on conversations, not contacts, with the most important people you talk to ranked, so you can add them to a conversation easier. As you can see in the screenshot below, the chat window is very fluent, just like a normal discussion, with the possibility to add images (which are stored in albums, for easy access).

google hangouts

Said conversations will be stored in the cloud, so you can always go back to your archive.

The best part is that clicking the video button will send everyone into a group video call, a feature that’s also available in the app, and it’s free, too. Probably one of the most interesting features it will offer you is cross-platform notifications, meaning that if a notification is removed from one of your devices, it gets removed from all of them.

Will you be using the new Google Hangouts messaging app? Do you think it will change the way we communicate?

    




Android Authority

Google Play Services: new APIs, cloud messaging and more

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Mountain View today at Google I/O announced some really big changes: new APIs for Google Maps, Google+ single sign-in, cloud messaging, and Play Games. These are some exciting times for Android users, and we’ve got the rundown on all of the new services below!

Google Maps

Google Maps has received a trio of APIs: Fused Location Provider, Geofencing, and Activity Recognition. The first of three brings more accurate location signals. It even has a low-power location mode that uses less than one percent of your battery per hour! Simply amazing.

Geofencing allows for virtual fencing around a geographical area, and the last of the three, Activity Recognition, uses accelerometer data to tell if someone is, say, walking, running or driving.

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Google+ single sign-in

Google earlier announced the ability to sign-into websites using your Google+ credentials. Today at Google I/O, Mountain View revealed further plans to make the feature more seamless. Once navigating to a website using your smartphone’s or tablet’s browser, you can sign into the website using Google+.

From there, it begins downloading the Android app for the website. Once it’s installed, you can launch the app and you’ll find that you’re already signed into it via Google+. It’s a small update, but makes for a more seamless browsing experience.

Cloud Messaging

Google Cloud Messaging, the push notification service that was introduced last year, is now integrated into Google Play services, and has received three new features. These include persistent connections, which will help push out messages quickly, upstream messaging for easily sending data from your app to your servers, and perhaps the most awesome feature yet: synced notifications across all of your devices.

Google Play Game Services

Game services

Google Play Games services introduces a number of new APIs for developers to use, including instantaneous cloud game saves, which will be amazing for games like Angry Birds. Developers will also be able to take advantage of leaderboards and achievements.

So, it’s your standard gaming platform, like Apple’s Game Center. Google takes it a step further though. While developers will get take advantage of cloud game saves, leaderboards, and achievements, all of these APIs won’t just be available on Android — they’ll be available on iOS and the web too.

Conclusion

There are some exciting things going on in the Android world, folks. Google’s game services is going to be really helpful among the developer community considering you won’t have to worry about services like OpenFeint shutting down and essentially ruining your leaderboard, and achievement integration.

There’s only one thing I’m a tad worried about though. What if the Google Play Games API isn’t mandatory? While giving developers a choice is nice and all, it seems like it’d be a bad idea to leave the space open for third-party developers (i.e. Verizon and Playphone) to make their own gaming platform to try and trump Google’s own Play Games services.

Regardless, the features listed in this article will be rolling out today to those running Android 4.0 or higher. Are you excited for any of these new APIs and services? Sound off in the comments!

    




Android Authority

All new Google+ Hangouts app unveiled, cross-platform messaging service

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Android Central

Much rumored service becomes official, available today for Android, iOS and the web

Messaging has been one of the hot topics leading up to Google I/O, and today Vic Gundotra took to the stage and introduced the all new Google+ Hangouts. A cross-platform messaging service available starting today for Android, iOS and the web. 

We'll be taking a closer look at Hangouts once the dust settles, but one of the headline features is group video chat, available at no extra charge. We're also getting photos stored in albums, the ability to turn off history or save your chats, regular old group messaging, typing notifications, and notifications that will sync across all of your devices. 

A new messaging platform has been one of the most talked about items heading into Google I/O, and the app itself looks pretty nice. We're looking forward to putting it through its paces. It's a stand alone application, breaking free of the main Google+ app.

Follow our live coverage of the Google I/O keynote for the rest of the day's news!

 

    




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Skype Video Messaging preview makes its way to Windows 8

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Skype Video Messaging preview makes its way to Windows 8

Windows 7 users have been able to sneak a peek at Skype’s new Video Messaging feature since earlier in the week, but now the referenced Windows 8 version is available as well. The new tool, the service’s version of video voicemail, is still “in its early release,” so you may run into a bug or two. To that end, the team invites testers to reach out with feedback through a handful of channels. It’s all outlined at the source link below.

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Source: Skype

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Redact offers £10,000 if you crack its messaging app, bets UK government you can’t

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Redact offers 10,000 if you crack its messaging app, bets UK government you can't

Software developers looking to kickstart (or simply brag about) their security have a common trick up their sleeve: give away prizes to successful crackers. Redact is trying just such a strategy with its Secure Messenger app for iOS. It’s offering £10,000 ($ 15,482) to anyone who can visit London and successfully intercept an encrypted message delivered through the company’s peer-based, PIN-to-PIN communication system. Entrants have until June 1st to prove that they’re worthy of making an attempt. Redact has more reason to hope we lose beyond its pride and a big fat check, however — it wants approval for handling the UK government’s secure data, and it wouldn’t hurt to have proof that the app design is airtight. If you’re convinced that it’s all just bluster, you can challenge the company yourself at the source link.

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Via: The Guardian

Source: Redact

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Ultra Mobile MVNO adds new unlimited international messaging plan

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Ultra Mobile is an MVNO carrier that uses the T-Mobile network. At present they have several calling plans available, however as of today they will be launching yet another. This new plan will debut with the lowest price of all the Ultra Mobile plans. The plan will be $ 19 per month and is being touted as “entry point plan for casual mobile users.”

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Aside from being aimed at the casual user, this new $ 19 per month plan will also have a focus on international messaging. In fact, one of the features of this plan is unlimited global SMS messaging that will work with any mobile number in 194 countries around the world. This plan also includes 250 voice minutes as well as 50MB of high-speed data and $ 1.25 toward international calls.

For those not as familiar with Ultra Mobile, they are a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) carrier. Basically, you would go to a carrier like Ultra Mobile if you already have a phone and are just looking for a SIM and service. Ultra Mobile originally launched back in October 2012 and as one could take from the international friendliness of this new plan — they are looking towards those who live in the US, but happen to have been born elsewhere.

Aside from this newly introduced $ 19 per month plan, Ultra Mobile also has plans at $ 29, $ 39, $ 49 and $ 59. Since we already have an idea of what the lower priced plans will offer, lets mention the higher priced plan features. The $ 59 per month plan includes unlimited national talk along with unlimited global text messaging. This plan also includes 1GB of high-speed data and a $ 20 monthly credit towards international calling.

[via Fierce Wireless]

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Just.me launches on iOS, aims to become your favorite messaging app

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Justme launches on iOS, aims to become your favorite messaging app

Apple’s App Store certainly doesn’t suffer from any shortages in the social apps department, but that’s not stopping the newly launched Just.me from attempting to work itself into the daily lives of iOS users. After about two years of being in the development stage, Just.me has finally matured and is now readily available on Cupertino’s platform, giving the iDevice crowd a messaging service that’s reminiscent of Facebook’s own chatty offering.

What makes Just.me slightly different, however, are many of the other built-in tidbits, such as a cloud storage feature that lets folks save conversations they’d rather keep private, as well as the ability to message just about anyone in your contacts list from within the application — even if they aren’t account holders. So, if you think you have the time to keep track of one more thing, Just.me is just a free download away.

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Via: Reuters

Source: App Store

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Orange brings Libon to Android, adds picture messaging to iOS version

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Orange launches Libon, a VoIP app that wants to own your phone

As it promised back in November, Libon is crossing the smartphone rubicon and launching on Android, starting today. The Orange-backed WhatsApp and Viber rival brings free calls, messaging and visual voicemail to any handset running Froyo and above. And though iOS users have already had this app, they aren’t being left off this round of news: the company has added free picture and audio messaging to the iPhone version, as well as push-to-talk functionality. Head on down to your respective app stores to get at the goodies.

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Source: Google Play

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Addappt goes public, gives iOS users group contact control and messaging

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Addappt goes public, gives iOS users group contacts and messaging

While Addappt has been teasing painless contact syncing between iOS-using friends and colleagues since its December launch, its invitation-only nature has kept most of us on the sidelines. It may be time to try Addappt now that an update opens the doors to the public. On top of widening the app’s audience for its update once, share everywhere approach, the 1.3 release brings group management that easily lets us lump coworkers or social circles together. Messaging is appropriately easier as well — it’s possible to quickly text or email everyone in a given group, including the option to share more photos at once than the five that iOS usually allows. A port to Android isn’t yet on the cards, but iPhone and iPod touch owners tired of missing phone number changes can give Addappt a whirl today.

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Via: The Next Web

Source: App Store

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