Zoom may be grabbing all the headlines lately (for better or worse), but it’s hardly the only option for making video calls over the internet. Microsoft has Skype. Google has Hangouts. And Facebook has Messenger — which is now available as a desktop app. You can now download Facebook Messenger from the Microsoft Store or […]
messenger
Posted inNews
Microsoft is pushing users to upgrade to Skype 8, will stop support Skype 7
Microsoft has released an updated version of Skype 8 for desktop users… and encouraging users to upgrade soon. Starting in September you won’t be able to use Skype 7 for desktop anymore. The company actually rolled out an updated design for its video, voice, and text chat app that was met with mixed reviews last […]
Posted inNews
Google “Messages for web” will let you send SMS from a desktop
Google is starting to roll out several new features for its Android Messages app, including a new GIF search option, support for suggested “smart reply” messages, and link previews. But one of the biggest changes is that you may soon be able to send text messages from a laptop or desktop computer, thanks to a […]
Posted inNews
Yahoo Messenger is shutting down this summer
It seems like every other day Google releases a new messaging app… meanwhile some of the innovators in this space are pulling the plug on their aging chat apps. Last year saw the demise of AIM, MSN Messenger was eventually renamed Windows Live Messenger and then shut down in 2013 after Microsoft acquired Skype. Now […]
Posted inNews
Comments Off on With nearly a billion users, WhatsApp ends subscription fees, seeks new revenue models
With nearly a billion users, WhatsApp ends subscription fees, seeks new revenue models
Comments Off on With nearly a billion users, WhatsApp ends subscription fees, seeks new revenue modelsMobile messaging service WhatsApp has about 990 million users. That’s more than twice the number the company had when Facebook acquired the business two years ago. You’d think it would be easy to make money with an app with that kind of user base, but WhatsApp has focused on expansion more than monetization. Now the company […]
Posted inNews
Facebook’s M is a digital assistant baked into Messenger
Facebook is throwing its hat in the personal digital assistant ring with a new service called M. It offers some of the same functionality as Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana, and Google’s Now… but M is different in a few ways. First, M is built into the Facebook messenger service: you use it by sending a […]
Posted inNews
Facebook Messenger becomes a platform (with support for third-party apps)
Facebook is opening up its Messenger app to third-party developers. Basically the app which currently lets Facebook users send messages to one another will become a platform with support for additional features. Popular Chinese messaging app WeChat and others already offer similar features. But Facebook’s entry into the space could be huge: Messenger already has […]
Posted inNews
Microsoft retiring Messenger in 2013, merging it with Skype
Microsoft is combining its two instant messaging services. The latest versions of Skype for Windows and Mac computers let you chat with your Windows Live Messenger contacts. And early next year Microsoft is going to kill off the standalone Messenger app altogether. Messenger has been around for a dozen years at this point, and it’s […]