voicechat
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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.
Alexa can now make Skype calls
Starting this week, you'll be able to make Skype calls on your Alexa devices. Basically the entire line of Echo devices will have the ability to make voice calls via Microsoft's VoIP platform. The Echo Show and its tablet-style screen will also be able to make and receive video calls.
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.
'Fortnite' for Switch thankfully includes native voice chat
The newly released Fortnite for Switch includes a pleasant surprise: there's built-in voice chat. Where Splatoon 2 forces you to use Nintendo's not-so-elegant Switch Online mobile app for voice, Epic Games has confirmed that you can plug any old headset into the console's headphone jack to coordinate with your Fortnite squad. The feature isn't active as we write this, but it should turn on as of June 14th.
Discord nearly tripled its user base in one year
If it wasn't already evident that Discord is becoming a staple of playing (and watching) games, it is now. The chat platform is marking its third birthday this week with word that its user base has nearly tripled in the space of a year, jumping from 45 million in May 2017 to 135 million today. About 19 million people use it every day, and as many as 8.2 million people have used it at the same time. That kind of growth rate would be impressive for most any messaging service, although it's not entirely surprising -- it happens to be in the middle of a perfect storm of circumstances.
Nintendo's solution for online voice chat feels half-baked
From the moment you pick up a Nintendo Switch, it feels like a magical device. The company nailed the hybrid TV / portable concept and created a genuinely fun console that seemed to shed the awkwardness of the Wii U. Indeed, Nintendo has a habit for making fun consoles -- but for the last three generations, it's failed to build online communication options on par with Xbox Live or PlayStation Network. Rather than baking voice chat into the Switch itself, Nintendo's new console relegates the feature to a companion smartphone app. We just tried it out and it works, but it's messy, confusing and completely unintuitive.
Nintendo’s solution for ‘Splatoon 2’ chat requires lots of wires
Saying Nintendo's solution to voice chat on the Switch is inelegant would be a gross understatement. At least for Splatoon 2, that is. This morning the game's Twitter account posted images of how you'll talk smack in the ink-fueled multiplayer shooter. The setup, dubbed "Empera Hook HDP," consists of a arrow/squid-shaped dongle, a set of swoop-style on-ear headphones with a boom mic and a trio of 3.5mm aux cables. One cable goes from the Switch's headphone port to the dongle, another runs from your cellphone to the dongle, and the last one connects the dongle to said headset. Phew.
Signal tries its hand at encrypted video and voice calling
Open Whisper Systems' Signal app is no longer limited to keeping text chats out of the wrong hands. A beta version of the Android app now includes experimental support for video and voice calling. Both sides of a conversation will have to switch the features on in settings for this to work, but you're otherwise free to talk knowing that encryption should prevent eavesdropping.
Skype translations now work with calls to phone lines
Skype's live translations are no longer limited to fellow internet callers. If you're part of the Windows Insider Program, you now have access to a Skype Preview release for PCs that will translate calls to conventional phones, whether they're cellphones or landlines. If you need to contact a hotel where no one speaks your native tongue, you might have a chance of holding a conversation. The recipients get a notice that Skype is recording and translating the call, so they have an opportunity to hang up if they're particularly concerned about their privacy.
Blizzard rolls out Battle.net voice chat starting with 'Overwatch'
Blizzard has been in the online gaming business for decades with massively popular games like StarCraft and World of Warcraft, but it's never implemented a native voice-chat system in its Battle.net client. Now, it appears that's about to change. Blizzard is testing out voice chat in the beta for its new team-based shooter, Overwatch, and it sounds like the studio has plans to eventually launch voice chat for all of its games. In the Overwatch beta FAQ, Blizzard calls the system "Battle.net voice chat," rather than something Overwatch-specific. Plus, it notes, "With voice chat still in its early development and testing stages, it's too early to say which Blizzard games will be supported and when." Prepare your vocal cords, players: The Overwatch closed beta begins on October 27th.
Onyx communicator lets you live out your 'Star Trek' dreams for $99
Don't deny it -- at some point, you watched Star Trek and wondered when you could simply slap a device on your chest to speak with your crew. You won't have to wait hundreds of years, thankfully. OnBeep has just unveiled the Onyx, a clothing-worn communicator that lets you chat with groups just by pressing a button. The Bluetooth add-on lets you securely message up to 15 people once using your Android phone or iPhone as the home base; you can also see where they are and whether they're available. The saucer-shaped design isn't nearly as discreet as Captain Picard's badge, but it's light and won't wreck your favorite shirt.
Xbox One to bring higher quality voice chat through dedicated hardware and the power of Skype (updated)
It's anti-climactic when you destroy someone in Madden, yet your victory chants are muffled by substandard voice chat. Today, Major Nelson revealed that with the Xbox One and the Xbox One Chat Headset, your taunts and condolences will be heard loud and clear by all. How? Well, the console has dedicated audio processing and the new controller's expansion port provides a fatter data pipe that allows the headset to render voices at 24 KHz PCM. According to the Major, that's three times the sample rate for rendering and a 50 percent better capture rate than Xbox 360 headsets. Combine that with Skype's refined audio codec, and you've got yourself a new gold standard for in-game chat quality. And, you can hear the difference at the source link below. Only downside Best part is, Microsoft still gonna won't make you pay extra for the privilege. Update: Major Nelson was kind enough to remind us that the headset will, in fact, be included with Xbox One.
Razer Comms voice chat launches in open beta with an always-on overlay (video)
Dedicated gamers are very familiar with loading chat apps like Teamspeak or Ventrilo to coordinate their multiplayer sessions, but such software usually sits in the background -- it's hard to tell who's speaking without switching apps and losing focus. Razer's new Comms open beta may just give players a chance to stay in touch without those rude interruptions. The Windows app provides the obligatory home for group voice and text chat, but its real standout is an optional on-screen game overlay that will keep the conversation going, either with a full window or a minimalist ticker that shows who's speaking. Razer's war on lag persists here, as well: Comms' servers reportedly minimize delays and hiccups in the heat of battle. Not everyone will need the beta when many games already have chat baked in. Those that want a more consistent experience, however, can give Comms a spin today.
Sony releases a PlanetSide 2 app for iOS
Sony has released PlanetSide 2 Mobile Uplink (free, universal), an iOS app that connects with the popular online game PlanetSide 2. The MMO has you traipsing around another world, trying to claim facilities and land for one of three factions. Now, PlanetSide 2 Mobile Uplink will help you track those factions, your progress in the game and even lets you connect up with friends. You can track your own online status, as well as your kills and all of the "cert points" you've earned (the game uses a certification system to unlock vehicles and weapons). And you can see a full map of the game in the app, so even when you're not near your computer, you can log in and see who's winning what. The app also hooks into your guild's voice chat channel, so you can chat live with friends as you play. It seems like a very impressive second-screen app for the game, so if you're a PlanetSide 2 player, this one's a no-brainer. You can download the PlanetSide 2 Mobile Uplink now.
Facebook Messenger on Android loaded with free voice calls for Canadian users
Android's flavor of Facebook Messenger has just been updated with VoIP functionality for the social network's Canadian users. There's no word when Android faithful in the US will snag the functionality, but Canucks can at least ring their American counterparts who wield the iOS app. Version 2.3 of the mobile messenger also makes group conversations accessible in the sidebar, allows them to be named from the top of a talk and makes them searchable by name and friends. Hit the neighboring source link to grab the revamped software.
Facebook's main app for iOS adds free voice calls inside North America
Facebook has been spreading voice messaging throughout its mobile apps for awhile, but it's clear the Palo Alto crew is no longer happy leaving interaction to canned speeches. Following a quiet rollout of live voice calls to Facebook Messenger earlier in the year, a version 5.5 update to Facebook's core iOS app is giving social networkers a similar chance to talk to each other for free. The only stipulations are that users have the bandwidth to burn and live in either the US or Canada. Otherwise, the interface and functionality are dead ringers for the Messenger equivalents we tried in January. There's still no word on when full voice calls will reach Android or other platforms, although they typically get feature parity before too long.
Imo's iPad app augmented with free voice calling, enhanced photo sharing
When Imo crammed free voice calling into its iPhone application, it neglected to port the functionality to its large-screened counterpart. Now, the iPad version of Imo.im is catching up -- adding VoIP support over 3G, 4G or Wi-Fi to other Imo users across iOS and Android. The latest version of the instant messaging aggregator boasts revamped photo tools too, featuring group photo sharing and real-time image uploads. These tweaks accompany a slew of design changes, including a color-coded status indicator bar and similar hue-based notifications for contact availability. Standard stuff, really, but that shouldn't stop iPad-toting chatterboxes from heading to the source link and giving the app a whirl.
BBM 7 leaves beta, brings WiFi voice calls into the mix (video)
RIM moves quickly: it was just a few weeks ago that BlackBerry Messenger 7 was in beta, and today we're seeing a finished version roll out to BlackBerry App World. As we saw in mid-November, the revamp lets chatters switch to free VoIP chat on WiFi without having to drop text messaging or photo sharing in mid-session. That's not the only upgrade; there's also direct BBM profile syncing through a BlackBerry ID as well as in-app notifications for future software versions. RIM warns that the BBM 7 upgrade may take as long as a day to show up in the store, so don't be disappointed if it's not immediately available; do, however, expect inter-BlackBerry voice calls to get that much cheaper.
Breakfast Topic: What voice chat do you use, if any?
Not everyone knows or remembers this, but there is actually an in-game voice chat. I don't think anyone uses it because it has rather severe functionality problems. I tried to use it for an It came from the Blog event, but it was painful. Otherwise, the most common voice chat programs in use are Ventrilo, Mumble, and Skype. Ventrilo and Mumble are very much like text chat programs that use voice instead. Skype is more of an internet telephone service. I know players who use voice chat as guild chat, which can cause a problem with non-voice-chat-using guildies. Many don't have microphones, have to be quiet, are shy, or otherwise can't or don't want to speak instead of type. A schism can occur between those who do use voice and those who don't. And nobody likes schisms. When not being used for chatter, players use voice chat to coordinate group activities -- such as dungeons or pre-made PvP. In these cases, not being able to at least hear everyone speaking can make a player a liability to the rest of the group. Do you use voice chat when you play? If so, which one and what do you use it for? If not, why not?
Microsoft no fan of existing WebRTC standard, proposes its own to get Skype onboard
Microsoft, objecting to a web standard promoted by its competitors? Get out. While Firefox, Opera and now Chrome have implemented WebRTC on some level for plugin-free VoIP and webcam chats, Microsoft doesn't think the existing, proposed standard is up to snuff for linking with existing devices or obeying "key web tenets." It's suggesting a new CU-RTC-Web standard to fix what it claims is broken with WebRTC. Thankfully, the changes are more technical improvements than political maneuvering: Microsoft wants a peer-to-peer transport level that gives more control as well as to reduce some of the requirements that it sees holding the technology back as of today. There's no doubt an economic incentive for a company that wants to push Skype in the browser, but the format is already in front of the W3C and could become a real cross-platform standard. If other W3C members are willing to (slightly) reinvent the wheel, Microsoft's approach could get Chrome and Internet Explorer users talking -- no, really talking.
