videocalling
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Nikon will let you use its cameras as high-end webcams
The Webcam Utility Software is available in beta for both Windows 10 and macOS.
NVIDIA wants to make video calls better with AI
Its Maxine platform can sharpen audio and video, and reduce bandwidth.
The first commercial video call took place 50 years ago today
The AT&T Picturephone Mod II helped pave the way for our Zoom and FaceTime-dominated reality.
Skype takes on Zoom with custom backgrounds for video calls
Microsoft also brought the feature to Teams this month.
Google Duo's group video calls roll out to everyone
Google is making Duo more useful as it's rolling out group video calls to everyone on Android and iOS. You can have up to eight people on a call at once (a far lower limits than FaceTime's 32 and Skype's 50). Group calls gradually went live in some markets this month, but now they'll be available for everyone.
Google launches Duo group video calling in 'select regions'
Google has been testing a group calling feature in Duo for the past few months, and now, it's actually live. Well, in a few countries at least. According to Duo head Justin Uberti, the feature has rolled out in "select regions", with Indonesia being one of them. It's unclear what the other countries are at this time.
Facebook cuts its Portal smart display to $99 for Mother's Day
Mother's Day is less than a month away, and it seems Facebook is hoping you'll consider giving your Mom a Portal or Portal+ to keep in touch with you -- it's running a Mother's Day sale on the smart displays. Until May 12th, Portal will set you back $99 instead of $199. If you decide to pick up a pair of them (maybe, possibly one each for you and Mom), you'll get $200 off, as long at least one is the larger Portal+.
Google Duo video calls are available on the web
Google is still making good on its shift in messaging strategy -- the internet pioneer has quietly rolled out Duo audio and video calls on the web in the US. So long as you've signed in to your Google account (no phone number checks or QR codes here), you can start and receive calls while you're sitting at your PC. This browser-based version still supports creature comforts like a preview window for video chats and can adapt to different video sizes.
FaceTime bug lets you listen in before a call starts
Apple's FaceTime might make it a little too convenient to drop in on a friend. Reports have emerged of a bug that lets you listen to the other side's audio before a call has even started. All you have to do is start a FaceTime call, add a person, and choose your own phone number when prompted. If you try that, you effectively start a group call while the other side's device is still ringing. It's not necessarily eavesdropping, especially when the other side can hear you, but it could easily lead to catching someone off-guard.
Facebook's Portal video hub gains major news channels and recipes
Facebook's Portal and Portal+ smart calling devices have only been available for a month, but they're already getting significant updates. The latest version will bring news content from ABC and CNN, and via a new web browser, offer access to Monday Night Football from ESPN, YouTube and AllRecipes.com. You'll also be able to play Facebook's Instant Games like Battleship, Disney's Tsum Tsum and more.
WhatsApp launches four-person group video calling
WhatsApp teased that its messaging app would add a long-awaited group video calling feature several weeks ago, and it's finally here. Both Android and iOS users can now hold audio and video conversations with up to four people. You'll have to start a one-on-one call before you can add the other two people, but it's otherwise straightforward. WhatsApp reiterated that calls are "end-to-end encrypted" like its other chats, and promised that they should work in less-than-stellar network conditions.
You can now tell Google Assistant to make Duo video calls
Despite Google's best efforts, Google Assistant has often been overshadowed by its more efficient, feature-laden counterparts, such as Alexa and Siri. However, the company is taking steps to make it more intuitive, and to increase its compatibility with its own services, which many would agree should have been considered from the get-go. One such example, apparently rolling out now, is video calling on Duo.
Now Google Duo can stay signed in on more than one phone
The latest build of Google Duo revealed multi-device support was on the cards, and while the feature hasn't been officially announced, it is rolling out to users now, according to 9to5Google. The function means you can simultaneously sign into the Duo video calling app on different devices, which will all alert you if someone's calling.
Facebook makes it easier to control large Messenger groups
Facebook's Messenger app is on its way to becoming a social network in its own right, thanks to new group chat features rolled out today. Like regular groups (the app for which Facebook killed last year), group chats now come with admin privileges. Anyone with admin status can add someone else to the chat, and also has the power to remove members, or promote or demote them as an admin.
Discord makes video chat and screen sharing available to all
As promised, Discord is rolling out video chat and screen share to its entire user base. Some of you may recall that the Slack-style gaming chat app began testing the highly-requested features in August. During the trial run, they were available to around 5 percent of members. Now, anyone can take advantage of video chat in one-to-one calls, or with up to ten people in a direct messaging group. You also have the option to switch between your webcam video and screen share. And, the update includes picture-in-picture support, allowing you to video chat while checking out other stuff (like servers or DMs). With 45 million users and counting, the latest changes should see Discord swipe more gamers from Skype and TeamSpeak.
Amazon brings Alexa calling to the UK, Germany and Austria
The whole point of Amazon's Alexa is to talk, rather than type, to a virtual assistant. When you've grown tired of ordering Domino's pizzas and asking what the weather is like, however, the company hopes you'll want to talk to another human being. Following the US, it's now possible to call and message Alexa users from the UK, Germany and Austria. It works on the company's fast-growing range of Echo and Echo Dot speakers, as well as the Alexa app for iOS and Android. The screen-equipped Echo Show will also support basic video calling when it arrives in Britain next month.
Skype’s interview feature pairs video calls with a code editor
Skype recently launched a preview version of a new feature that could be appealing to people who conduct technical interviews online. Now, while on a video call, Skype users have the option to simultaneously use a real-time code editor through the platform's new Interviews site.
Amazon Echo Show review: Seeing is believing
Siri may have ushered in the era of the digital assistant, but Amazon's Echo (with Alexa) really took that concept and put it in our homes. The Echo wasn't an immediate, breakout hit -- but having Alexa around to ask questions, manage smart-home devices, play music and much more has turned out to be a pretty great thing. It's a concept Google and Apple are now chasing (to varying degrees), but Amazon isn't standing still. The $230 Echo Show is the first Echo with a touchscreen, and since it was announced, we've been wondering how much a display will really add to the Alexa experience. It depends on what you want to do with it and where you put the Echo Show in your home. But after a week with Amazon's latest, I'm convinced that yet another touchscreen in your life actually makes the Alexa experience better in a lot of ways -- and that's not to mention the special tricks the Echo Show brings.
Amazon's Echo family can now make calls and send messages
One of the most notable new features introduced alongside Amazon's new Echo Show is the ability to make calls with Alexa, something that's been rumored for a while now. And the good news is that this feature isn't limited to just the Echo Show. When it rolls out later today (via an update to the Alexa iOS and Android apps), you'll be able to use all existing Echo hardware to place voice calls, video calls and send messages. You'll obviously need an Echo Show for video calling, but the support for voice calling and messaging is pretty robust.
Signal's encrypted video calling is now available to all
Signal, the encrypted chat app from Open Whisper Systems, now lets anyone chat privately on video. The feature, which first launched on Android last month, has come out of beta and is now available on both Android and iOS. The company spent the relatively short beta period "collecting feedback and addressing the issues" found by beta users, it said. As with texts and calls, video is encrypted end-to-end, so nobody, including spy agencies, can eavesdrop on your business.
