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Yahoo Messenger will shut down on July 17th
Today, Yahoo announced that its Messenger service will be discontinued after July 17th, 2018. If you're looking for a Messenger replacement, Yahoo recommends the product Squirrel, which is currently in beta and invite only. You can request an invitation here.
Yahoo launches its redesigned Messenger app for desktops
Okay, this isn't the biggest news you'll hear from Yahoo this week, but bear with us -- it's important if you still rely on Yahoo for your messaging needs. The internet pioneer has released its long-in-development redesign of Yahoo Messenger for the desktop, giving the software both a much fresher look and a handful of big new features that you don't always see in personal chat clients. You can unsend messages, for example -- good for those overly hasty reactions or correcting mistakes. You can also search for GIF replies (much like you might in Slack), like posts and share numerous photos at once just by dragging them into the conversation.
Say goodbye to the old Yahoo Messenger on August 5th
After more than 18 years of service, faithfully shuttling your messages, emojis and A/S/L requests back and forth across the internet, Yahoo has announced they will be signing off and closing its old Messenger app for good on August 5th. The app launched in 1998 under the incredibly dated name "Yahoo Pager," but is heading off into the software sunset after the company introduced a more modern version last year.
Yahoo faces class action lawsuit over text spamming
Yahoo probably isn't the first company you'd think of as a text spammer, but the courts might soon beg to differ. A judge has ruled that the internet pioneer has to face a class action lawsuit for sending Sprint customers automatic "welcome" messages when someone else pinged them on Yahoo Messenger in 2013. These were effectively small, unwanted sales pitches for Yahoo's services, according to the lawsuit -- and it doesn't help that they sometimes followed spam from another party.
Yahoo attempts to take on Facebook with reimagined Messenger
Remember Yahoo Messenger? It used to be the instant messaging client of choice for many people (like myself) but even though it never really went away, it eventually fell by the wayside as social media and newer apps like Facebook Messenger and Whatsapp took over. Well, it's trying to make a comeback. Yahoo announced today that it's revealing an entirely new Messenger platform -- on mobile, web and within Yahoo Mail -- that has been rebuilt from the ground up to be faster, smarter and better than ever before.
Nokia Chat 1.1 beta sends contacts to other Lumias through NFC
While chat apps excel at adding contacts from the online world, they don't cope so well with real life -- reciting and typing screen names isn't very elegant. Nokia is bringing back some of those social graces with its Nokia Chat 1.1 beta, which revolves around NFC transfers. If both friends own NFC-equipped Lumia phones, they can tap to exchange their own details, other contacts or even the app itself. It's also easier to share locations: contacts with Lumias will see a Here Maps-based preview of any given place. These additions don't make as much sense outside of an all-Nokia ecosystem, but there's certainly enough for existing users to upgrade at the source link.
Nokia Chat beta messaging app released for WP8, is exclusive to Lumias
One of the benefits of buying a Windows Phone 8 handset with a Nokia stamp is the exclusive apps, and today we can add another to that list with the beta release of Nokia Chat for WP8. The software started life on Symbian and Series 40 devices before falling out of favor with Nokia, but this WP8 refresh enables cross-platform chatter between those older phones, the newer Lumia range and, as Yahoo Messenger contacts are supported, anything running that IM client, too. In addition to standard messaging, you can share your location with others, and send details about a specific place -- a restaurant, for example -- that'll link with Nokia Maps on Lumias for more info. (That sounds an awful lot like Nokia's other beta messaging app Pulse, doesn't it?) Other Lumia-only features in Nokia Chat include Live Tile and lock screen push notifications, Live Tile message previews, voice commands and text-to-speech composition. Nokia Chat beta is only available in a handful of countries right now, including the US, Canada and the UK, with more being added "in the near future." Head over to the Nokia Beta Labs source link to try it out.
Yahoo! Messenger lets iPad 2 owners video chat with PCs
Yahoo! rolled out a new Messenger app for iOS that includes support for the iPad 2. The tablet-optimized app will let you make voice and video calls using the front-facing camera. Yahoo! Messenger has a wide install base, and you will be able to make video calls to any device with a camera and a compatible version of the messaging app. Besides video calling, Yahoo! Messenger will also send SMS messages for free. The SMS feature is a quick way to message to a friend, but you have to remember these messages come from your Yahoo! account, not your mobile phone number.
Yahoo! Messenger and ooVoo Mobile do video chat on Android, but only for a lucky few
Two video chats enter the ring, only one comes out. In this corner it's ooVoo Mobile, a portable version of the (somewhat) popular desktop video chat application that will let up to six users simultaneously swap bitrate over 3G, 4G, or WiFi -- but only if you have an HTC Evo or Samsung Epic. In the other corner it's Yahoo! Messenger, with version 1.3 adding video calls and similarly limited device support, though this time it's the myTouch 4G and the Evo getting the nod. So, Android owners, which of these is going to reign supreme? Or, are you going to tap out and stay cozy with Qik? Hit the Android Market now and place your bets. Update: We're told that Paltalk has also recently released an Android app to the Marketplace, giving you yet another way to say "hey."
Updated Yahoo Messenger app now live in App Store, 3G video calling bonanza awaits you
Not stoked on Skype or FaceTime? Looks like you've got another option, bub. That overhauled Yahoo Messenger app we told you about 48 hours ago is now live in the App Store, offering multitasking on the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, 3G / WiFi video calling (iOS to iOS, iOS to Android or iOS to PC) and instant notifications. Users interested in making voice calls can also tap into their bucket of Yahoo Voice Phone Out minutes, but it'll only work in America, France, Germany, Spain and Singapore at the moment. Hit that source link to get your download on, cool?
Yahoo! Mesenger app updated, offers free voice and video calling
The Yahoo! Messenger app has received a pretty significant upgrade today -- the app now lets you make video and voice calls to Yahoo! Messenger friends. That has a few interesting outcomes, the first of which is that you can now make video calls from any iPhone running iOS 4.1 to anywhere with a Yahoo! Messenger account, including back to PCs running the client there. We haven't had a chance to try it out yet, but the app is a free download, so you can see for yourself if you want. You can also make free voice calls between friends, or for an extra fee, call out to phones around the world. One caveat: the calls don't seem to work on the iPod touch 4G, according to reviewers on the App Store. We're not sure why that would be, but the app description clearly states that service is only for iPhone 3GS/4. Otherwise, here's one more solution to voice and even video chatting over 3G on your iPhone.
Yahoo messenger coming to iPhone and Android with cross-platform 3G video calls
You'll be seeing a lot more of the good ol' Yahoo smiley on front-facing cameraphones soon -- the web portal's VP of Mobile David Katz says that a new Yahoo! Messenger with cross-platform video chat is headed to Android and iPhone. Originally confirmed for the new T-Mobile myTouch, it's presently been submitted to the iTunes App Store for review. It'll reportedly work over both 3G and WiFi connections and freely conduct video calls with any other device running Yahoo! Messenger, including webcam-equipped PCs. Look out Qik, Fring and Tango -- there's a new sheriff in town.
T-Mobile HTC Slide to provide non-FaceTime video chat with iPhone 4
FaceTime is one of the most visible features of the iPhone 4, with much of the advertising for the newest iPhone showing off the emotionally-rich video chat capabilities that FaceTime provides. But if your friends are on another network or don't have an iPhone 4, it's impossible to use your phone to video chat with them. Yahoo! and T-Mobile would like to change that. T-Mo announced earlier in the week that an upcoming Android phone, the HTC Slide, will come with two cameras arrayed much in the same manner as those on the iPhone. The Slide will also provide video chatting with any other phone equipped with two cameras, including the iPhone 4. Since FaceTime is an Apple-specific feature, how is T-Mobile going to do this? Through Yahoo! Messenger. The current iOS app doesn't appear to currently support video chats, but Yahoo!'s admission that the capability would be available for the iPhone 4 indicates that an upcoming version will take advantage of the built-in cameras. Yahoo! Messenger will not only provide video chatting with other mobile devices, but it should also make it possible to share some "face time" with Yahoo! Messenger users on Macs and PCs as well. It's expected that the HTC Slide from T-Mobile will be available prior to Christmas, hopefully bringing the new versions of Yahoo! Messenger for iOS and Mac OS X that will make possible video chatting for the holidays.
Microsoft prepping Yahoo, AIM, and Windows Live Messenger support for Kin?
The list of conspicuously missing features on Microsoft's Kin devices is a lengthy one, but considering the target demographic, there's at least one particularly egregious omission: instant messaging. Well-established ROM spelunker Conflipper is now reporting that Microsoft intends to add IM support in the future, though -- a belief he's presumably gleaned from looking through the latest firmware. Specifically, he mentions support for Yahoo Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, and AIM, a three-pack that would come close to covering the main services most of the Kin-owning world cares about; Google Talk would be nice, but it wouldn't be the end of the world if Microsoft went without -- especially considering that they're starting from zilch.
New screenshots of iPad apps start to make this thing seem less like a giant iPhone
We already knew that the iPad would be getting a few pieces of software that haven't shown up on its tinier, phone counterpart -- but now that a few screenshots of forthcoming apps for the device have reared their head, we're getting a clearer picture of just what this thing will feel like. If these shots of the new Yahoo! Entertainment, Bento, OmniGraffle, and Brushes are any indication, the iPad will be doing a lot more than just zooming up your Facebook profile. There's definitely an emphasis on content creation, file exporting (if not saving), and syncing with desktop versions of some of these apps, and Yahoo!'s work (alongside Brushes') shows that we've only begun to scratch the surface of what interfaces will be like on this device. We're sure the next week will be filled with all sorts of these kinds of leaks, but for now you can cherish the moment when you first laid eyes on your new way to check a TV schedule. A few more shots after the break, and lots more at the sources.
Yahoo! Messenger 3 adds voice, in beta
Our friends on the Yahoo! Messenger team dropped us a note alerting us to their newly released Yahoo! Messenger 3 Beta 3 for the Mac. What's the big news with this beta? As you might recall previous betas made Messenger a Universal Binary and added tabbed chats. New in this beta: voice calling.That's right, you can now do the following with Yahoo! Messenger, just like our Windows running comrades: Make free computer to computer calls Sign up for a Phone Out account which will allow you to call regular phones with Yahoo! Messenger Send free text messages to cell phones (though the receiver might get charged for the text) Receive calls from phones on your Mac if you have a Phone In account (these accounts aren't free) I gave the new features a whirl, so check out our gallery with screenshots of the new features, or head on over to the Yahoo! Messenger blog and watch their screencast.%Gallery-19189%
Yahoo! Messenger for Mac 3.0 Beta 2
After months of waiting Yahoo! Messenger for Mac 3.0 Beta 2 is now available for download. New in this version of the beta are: Tabbed conversations, as pictured above Access to Yahoo! Chat rooms More emoticons (to combat those times when there isn't an emoticon available to express how you're feeling) Better Webcam and file transfer performance Message archiving Yahoo! Messenger for Mac 3.0 Beta 2 requires OS X 10.4, but it is free. I had the pleasure of meeting with the Yahoo! Messenger team a few times, and I know they are Mac users and are very receptive to user input. If there is anything you want to see in Messenger sound off in the comments.
CamCamX: Spice up your video chats and get more out of them
For those who want to spice up their video conferences and would like to use their iSight (or other webcam) with more than one application simultaneously, CamCamX might just be the app for you. Offering an old-school UI for mixing movies and images into your video conferences, CamCamX allows you to play digital broadcaster with most of the webcam-enabled apps for Mac OS X. In addition to mix-master-iSight with your video and media, CamCamX also allows you to use more than one webcam app at once, allowing you to, for example, hop into a video chat while also providing a live webstream or recording yourself with QuickTime (though, for some strange reason, you apparently need to purchase iChatUSBCam if you want iChat to fit into your CamCamX workflow). While the UI isn't the most beautiful thing this side of the HIG, it's a powerful concept that mimics Apple's upcoming iChat Theater in Leopard, but seems to open a few more doors since it works with apps like Yahoo! Messenger, Skype and even Flash.A watermarked demo of CamCamX is avaialble from VJ Software, while a license costs $29.00, with 3-year and lifetime upgrade memberships available for $59 and $99, respectively.
Yahoo! Messenger team needs your input
It's a question that keeps many developers up at night: should they maintain backward OS compatibility at the expense of release speed and new features, or just dump support for older releases in the interest of getting out a new version as quickly as possible? The Yahoo! Messenger for Mac team is facing this quandary now, and you can help them make the call by responding to the version poll here. Want a quick release of a Tiger-only Messenger? Or a longer wait for a 10.3-compatible build? Make yourself heard.Thanks, Lucky.
APIOTeK's VP-0002 Skype phone could be so much more
Why, oh why can't this be a wireless Skype phone? Just look at the hotness which is the APIOTeK VP-0002. Unfortunately, it's just another USB Skype handset which also manages support for MSN and Yahoo Messenger. But at just 7.5-mm thin, you betcha we'd rub up against it if only they could have cut the cord and uh, add a display and dual-mode landline support. Wait, we've seen that. See ya APIOTeK. [Via Akihabara News]