Mac: Of all the days to (finally) launch a version of its app for macOS, Houseparty picked yesterday - the start of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference - to make a big (themed) splash onto Apple desktops and laptops. And while Apple's announcement of FaceTime group hangouts probably took a little wind out of Houseparty's sails, the app is still makes it incredibly easy to chat with a bunch of your friends at once.
It's hard to get too invested in new products from Google. The company has built a reputation for developing interesting and useful projects, only to abandon them when they cannot commercialise them or lose interest. So, when they released Duo last year I didn't really bother with it too much. But they seem to be getting serious about Duo - their video calling challenger to Skype and FaceTime.
Dear Lifehacker, my girlfriend travels a lot for work which means our interactions - including romantic and sexual - are often limited to Skype. Unfortunately, the video quality is usually quite poor. Is there a way to improve the video without buying a new laptop or expensive webcam?
Body language is important in an interview, but it's hard to remember to be animated over video chat. The Daily Muse spoke to experts about what you should and shouldn't do during a Skype interview; an important lesson was to be expressive without being too animated.
Android/iOS: Earlier this year, Google announced a couple of new messaging apps (like it does every year, it seems). One of them is a one-to-one video chat app called Duo. Now, it's finally rolling out to users.
Video: The glow from a laptop screen doesn't look flattering on anyone's face, especially if you're having a video chat in a dark room. This bright LED frame you can build for cheap will make sure you're always lit to look your best no matter where you are.
In Back to the Future II, Marty arrived in the future on October 21st, 2015 -- which just happened to be yesterday. It seems we've created an alternate timeline, because we didn't get all of the awesome stuff Marty's future did -- but we did get a lot. Here's the future tech we still have in this timeline.
Today, Google Hangouts got the biggest feature it should have had four years ago when it launched: A dedicated homepage with a simple web address. Now, in addition to all the other ways to access hangouts, you can visit it at its own headquarters.
Facebook launched a video chat feature for its Messenger app last month, but it wasn't available to Australian users. Today that has changed, with the feature enabled down under.
iOS/Android: Facebook's latest enhancement to its Messenger app allows you to make video calls, adding to the existing text chat and voice call features. However, like so many Facebook enhancements, this isn't being rolled out as a worldwide release, and Australia is not on the list of the first countries getting the feature.
Whether you're talking to family on Skype or Hangouts, or you're playing multiplayer games and need your teammates to hear you, there are a few simple things you can to do make sure your audio comes through clearly. Here are a few things you can do to make sure you're heard.
Mega has been on our radar for secure file storage ever since the file storage phoenix rose from the ashes of MegaUpload. Now, the company has created MegaChat, which it bills as a secure alternative to Skype, offering browser-based voice and video chat.
Today, Microsoft announced that it plans to bring Skype to the web. While other chat services like Facebook Messenger and Hangouts have been web-based for a while, Skype has lagged behind -- until now.
Everyday occurrences such as watching TV with family and friends become exponentially difficult when you're physically far away. Gaze allows you to virtually watch videos at the same time with other people and communicate through webcam.
Android/iOS: Most messenger apps depend on both parties installing it on their phones. Blab is an exception. You can record a quick video message and send it to any contact via SMS, who can open it in a regular browser. Those who have the app can also reply.
Android/Web: Previously mentioned video calling service Gruveo took the wraps off a major update today. It now includes Android support that lets you talk to others without having to install an app first..
As remote working environments become more common, the interview process often involves never meeting your recruiter in person -- instead, you'll do the interview over email or video chat. And because the medium is different from talking face-to-face, you need to adapt and use new strategies to ace that interview and land the job.
Web/Android/iOS: Rounds Live is a new video chat service that turns any video, blog, article or anything else on the web into a live video chat with your friends. Think of it like hosting a live Google Hangout from any site.
Skype group video calls used to require a subscription to Skype Premium, but today the service announced that group video calling will be free starting from today for Windows, Mac and Xbox One users, and will roll out to all other Skype platforms soon.
Video calls allow us to work remotely or interview for jobs in far away locations. But you still need to make a good impression, and US News suggests a trial run before any important video calls to make sure everything -- background, ambient noise, even your audio quality -- are just right.
