A few months ago we learned that Google was planning to retire the communication service known as Google Hangouts… while transitioning some of the key features to its Hangouts Chat and Hangouts Meet services. It’s still not entirely clear what this will mean or when it will happen for personal users. But Google has announced […]
hangouts
Report: Google Hangouts will stop hanging out in 2020 (Update: sort of)
Google has a complicated history with communication applications. The company has introduced, lost interest in, and killed enough that I’ve kind of lost count. So it was kind of nice when Google Hangouts launched in 2013 with features taken from three earlier apps (Google talk, Google+ Messenger, and Hangouts video chat). Now it looks like […]
Google retools Hangouts for business with Hangouts Chat and Meet text and video services
Google’s strategy for messaging apps has been a bit of a mess in recent years, but the company is hoping to clear things up (for real this time!) by focusing on Allo and Duo chat and video apps for consumers, and turning Hangouts into more of an enterprise service. To that end, today Google has […]
Google launches Duo video calling app for Android, iOS
Google is starting to overhaul its mobile communication apps. In May the company announced plans to launch a new text-based chat app called Allo which would be like a cross between WhatsApp and Snapchat, as well as a new video chat app called Duo to offer a simple solution for 1-on-1 calls. Now Duo is available […]
Google Hangouts 4.0 launches for Android: New look, more speed
Google’s messaging app for Android has received a major upgrade. Hangouts 4.0 has a new user interface based on Material Design, improvements to the contact list and compose message experience, and other improvements. Google says Hangouts 4.0 is also faster and uses less power than its predecessor, which helps give you better battery life. Hangouts […]
Google’s new Hangouts app for Chrome OS, Windows is less obtrusive
Google has released a new Hangouts app for Windows and Chrome OS. It replaces the older Chrome browser extension while continuing to let you chat or make voice or video calls to contacts whether they’re using a PC or a mobile device. The new app is also designed to get out of the way when […]
Google Voice is merging with Hangouts
Hangouts is Google’s app for text and video chats. You can use it as an instant messenger, use it to make video calls, or create group hangouts for either voice or text chats. If you have an Android smartphone, Hangouts also recently became the default SMS app. Now Google is starting to bring its long-neglected Google […]
Lilbits (4-21-2014): Netflix price hike
Apparently Amazon’s not the only company in the mood for price hikes. Just days after the price of an Amazon Prime membership in the US jumped from $79 per year to $99, online video service Netflix announced plans to increase its monthly subscriber fee. Netflix mentioned the price hike in the company’s latest shareholder report. The […]
Google Hangouts for Android adds SMS, location sharing, more
Google is rolling out an update to its Hangouts service today, bringing new features to desktop and mobile users. That includes HD video enabled by default no matter what kind of device you’re using, and a unified messaging experience if you’re on an Android device. For the first time, that means you can use Hangouts […]