Facebook announces Skype-powered video chat

Have you tried “Hangout” in Google+?

Tragically, my G+ invite must have been lost in the mail. But unless they’re using a different codec than what they use for Google Talk (why do that?), I maintain that Skype offers a better video experience. I also feel like their audio codecs are a little cleaner.

YMMV, naturally. This is just opinion.

@Sqube:disqus The big innovation with Hangout is that it does group video chat and also how it does it. I don’t think fb skype does group.

Not only is Skype video “production quality”, but it’s been hard-tested against a few hundred million people concurrently already. Add Facebook’s “few” million people to it, and it’s much more mature and usable than Huddle.

Huddle is still “beta”, hasn’t had that kind of hard testing, it isn’t Google’s primary business where they live/die by it, and still has a lot of growing up to do.  I’d personally rather go with Skype than something Google could “ditch” tomorrow.

I’m on Facebook. Admittedly i don’t have a ton of friends on there. Mostly close friends and family members. I don’t really understand the need for Facebook to begin with. And it’s not that big of a deal.

Bottom line is this. For those of you who rely on facebook for everything. It’s a big deal. For everyone else in the world.

Whoop-de-freaking-doo.

/now back to your regularly scheduled programming. 

You’re right.  But isn’t that with everything?  If a person doesn’t use or care for something then it’s not a big deal.  But if someone does care or use something it is a big deal.  You didn’t say anything that no one else knew nor that applies to everything in the fricken world.

Anyhow, this is a big deal to the MILLIONS OF FACEBOOK AND SKYPE USERS.  

I agree i dont see what the big deal is with video chat.  Facebook and twitter are mostly people saying where they are or a short comment on something.  I think most people will be bored talking to one person at a time. Facebook and twitter is really only making people feel like they are important talking about what they are doing, which personally i dont get i dont think i am a celebrity so i could care less.

And you also have everyone on FB available to talk to. Without them having to install and make a skype account. The addon is easy to instal and doesn’t require making another account. This is going to be immensely useful for me as I video chat almost weekly.

good point.

1. Why would you want to give one corporation that much access and control over how you communicate? Don’t be such pitiless consumers. 
2. Now anyone on your FB list, including people you don’t want to vid chat with, will be bugging you to do just that. *turns status to offline* 

sidebar: Has anyone noticed that conversations and “likes” on FB pages (not profiles) are now automatically indexed on Google. So if you for instance “like” a post about a particular politician, or worst add a snide comment to that original post, your name and that “like” or comment can now be searched without even registering or logging into Facebook. If I was under 30 I’d be afraid to use FB. HR departments are building a virtual file on you as we speak. Career ladders will eventually become small stools based on online activity.

@LookLively:disqus People I don’t want to chat with very likely won’t want to chat back. And considering we’re friends of FB I don’t see a reason not to chat if they want to. It’s not like they are random strangers.

If I don’t feel like talking or I don’t have time I can go offline or politely decline. It’s not like I’m a celebrity so doubt anyone is very keen on chatting all the time.

I know they are indexed, and that’s fine with me. I watch how I behave on all groups anyways, and the second you post something on a PUBLIC GROUP facebook has option to make it truly public by allowing indexing. That’s the idea behind ‘public’.

I think my online presence does more good than bad for jobs I apply for. Maybe it has to do with my life style, maybe also because I am careful what and how I post….but I couldn’t find anything I wouldn’t want anyone to see when Googling my name. Though I understand why others may feel differently.

how is google circles different from  facebook groups?, although fb groups came into light last October but didn’t gain significance as people seem more open these days

Seriously? Log onto your Facebook account from your iPhone or your Android’s app. and send a message to a “group” of friends. It will not happen. It cannot happen. The feature isn’t there.

Google Plus. It’s there. There is a big difference.

Simple, because circles aren’t groups. 

I’m tired of people thinking everything Google does is great.  It’s not.  Everything they do is beta and we are all testers, period.  It’s easy to come out with something and then add newer ideas after you’ve had time to sit on the sideline and watch for a while.  Google is nothing but a copy cat.  They did the same thing with Android and Google + is another.  Just sit on the sideline, watch what others do and then say “hey, we can do this too”  But they leave out the beta part.

@yahoo-GP2WYAHXS6CRUREISWBGPUSUGE:disqus I use FriendCaster for Android and it’s right there. I also set the privacy for the “default” posting from the mobile app, and that’s usually fine.

I’ve been using G+ consistently the past week and have to say, while clean and nice etc….It has very little that FB doesn’t, and lacks a lot that FB has.

Sure, but what about all the apologists that keep glazing about how much better Google+ is over FB? 

That’s the topic.

Not working on my MacBook Pro