Google Hangout
Latest
Pope Francis to address the world's children on Google Hangouts
Pope Francis likes mixing it up with the public, and has no problem using the internet to do so. To wit, he'll be hosting his second video chat on Google Hangout, a forum that's been popular with other public figures like President Obama for face time with the masses. The chat will be sponsored by his educational entity Scholas, like it was last year when he spoke to students from around the globe (see the video below for a wrap-up). This time, he'll be taking questions from children with special needs and disabilities from Spain, Brazil, India and the US. If you're interested, you can catch the whole event tomorrow at 10:00 AM ET.
Sound Off! Share your favorite messaging apps
There's definitely no shortage of messaging apps around. With services like Google Hangouts, Facebook Messages, iMessage, Path Talk, Snapchat, Whatsapp and countless others, it's a pretty overwhelming task to figure out the best way to contact your friends. How do you choose which app is the right one for keeping in touch and giving your thumbs a workout? Head over to the Engadget forums and share your favorite way to communicate.
Destiny roundtable with Joystiq on Google and Twitch, plus an Xbox One stream
Destiny makes bold claims right in the title. Bungie named its game after inevitability! While only time will tell if the studio's bold experiment in blending its signature shooter fundamentals with a decade of MMO evolution has produced a classic, Destiny is certainly unavoidable in the gaming world this week. After pouring hours into the game since the servers went live on Monday morning, the Joystiq team is ready to reflect on the game's first days. How does Destiny feel on last gen consoles? What's it like to review a game like this? Are there any hiccups in service? We'll cover it all. The staff will host a Google Hangout starting at 2:30PM EST. Want to chat with the crew? Follow along on Google Plus, right here in this post, or at Joystiq.com/Twitch. Following the roundtable, Joystiq's Jess Conditt will be streaming the Xbox One version of Destiny. Also, if you'd like to get your hands on an absolutely free copy of Destiny, we're giving some of those away right now! [Images: Activision/Bungie]
Tune into our Google Hangout with the CEA's Gary Shapiro, happening at 11:30 AM EST! (update: Now with transcript!)
Now that we've set foot into 2014, the final countdown to CES in on. There's plenty to look forward to, from anticipated announcements from LG and Samsung to the official Best of CES Awards, which we'll be running in partnership with the CEA. Who better, then, to chat with about what to expect at the show than the Consumer Electronics Association's Gary Shapiro? He'll be joining Engadget's Marc Perton in 30 minutes for a Google Hangout about all things CES. Catch it here, or below the break.
We'll be talking CES 2014 with Gary Shapiro tomorrow, catch our Google Hangout here!
With a new year comes a giant trade show just around the corner; CES 2014 is less than a week away! In anticipation of the excitement to come, our very own Marc Perton will be hopping on a Google Hangout with the CEA's Gary Shapiro to talk about tech trends and what announcements to expect. Head here for the live Hangout -- it's happening tomorrow, January 2nd, at 11:30 AM EST.
Google+ on Android gets its turn at a UI remake, extra Hangout and photo features in the bargain
Did you see the Google+ 2.0 update for iPhone and wonder if Google's attention had drifted away from its own baby? Don't fret, as the Android app has just been given similarly loving treatment. The interface shares the reworked stream look that we saw on iOS while keeping the swipe-to-switch category filters that Google+ has used from the start. There's even small rewards for having to watch your iPhone friends go first: you can now start a Hangout video chat from the main menu, get ringing Hangout notifications, download photos directly from conversations and edit your posts after the fact. The new look has already proved polarizing, but if you're the sort who revels in the purity of a Google social network running on a Google platform, you can now try the overhaul for yourself.
Android Developers ready to hangout on Google+
The mobile ninjas over at Android Developers have announced a new medium for advice, collaboration and training: Google+. The collective will use the social networking site to help developers "meet, share, and connect with the people behind the Android developer experience." Programming tips, SDK announcements and training offerings are all on the menu, and the group is promising to hold weekly "broadcast office hours" for live Q&A using the Hangouts feature built-in to Google+. Hit the source link to invite the coding co-op into your virtual circle of choice.
With new privacy controls onboard, Google+ opens up to teens
The world's teenage population can pontificate from a new digital platform, now that Google+ has decided to open its doors to high schoolers. Google+ VP Bradley Horowitz made the announcement yesterday, confirming that anyone old enough to own a Google account can now join the social network. In most countries, that applies to anyone older than 13 (previously, Google+ had been restricted to the 18-and-over crowd). This expansion also introduces a new set of privacy controls for younger users, who will be warned every time they try to publish a public post, and can only be contacted by those in their immediate circles. If a teen joins a Hangout, moreover, he or she will only be able to receive audio and video from those in his or her circles. Find more at the link below.
Google brings free voice calls to Hangouts, really wants you to hang out
Google's Hangout feature has just become a little more Hangout-y, now that the folks in Mountain View have integrated free voice calls within Google+. Available to users within the US and Canada, this new "extra" feature allows social networkers to place calls directly from a Hangout, allowing the recipient to remotely join in on the conversation at hand. To set it up, all you have to do is start a Hangout, hit the "Invite" button, and dial up your friend's number. Users can also use the feature to place individual calls without setting up a Google Voice account, though they'll need one if they wanna talk to someone overseas.
YouTube adds Google+ Hangout button, lets you share videos with a click
Hangout video sharing is one of Google+'s more appealing features -- not that we use it often, but when it comes to things to do in an online social gathering, watching YouTube clips would certainly rank near the top. Now you can launch Hangouts directly from YouTube, rather than heading over to Google+ and pasting in a link. Sure, it's a simple tweak that probably took less than an hour to code, but it's a clever addition nonetheless.
Google+ users can now send email invites, brag about being into the service before it was cool
Google's exclusive little club just got a little less exclusive. As promised, the search giant's shiny new social network Google+ has opened up, giving users the ability to invite friends via email. (If it's not working on your system yet, trying logging out and then logging back in.) Existing users, it's time to start building out those Circles to avoid the sort of accidental social networking shenanigans Google is working so hard to curb. Everyone else, we're sure you'll be getting one in your Gmail inbox soon enough. In the meantime, how about prepping yourself by reading our detailed hands-on? Update: Looks like they've been shut down again. It was fun while it lasted! [Thanks, Ryan]
Google+ invite received, we go hands-on
It's hard to argue with Google's track record. The company has scored a hit in nearly every space in which it's dabbled: search, email, ads, office software, etc. There's always been one glaring exception to this rule, however: social networking. The company hasn't made much of a dent in a world dominated by Facebook (and, once upon a time, MySpace and Friendster). For Google+, however, the company dove in with both feet, launching a multi-faceted service that brings a lot to the table with features like Circles, Hang Out, and Huddle. Is it enough to end Google's streak of misteps in the social world? Join us as we take a dive deeper into Google's latest attempt to find out.%Gallery-127373% %Gallery-127362%
Google launches all out social networking assault with Google+ (video)
Social networking has long been Google's white whale. The company has done plenty of dabbling in the space, releasing Orkut, which has failed to catch on in the US, and rolling out Buzz to the relative indifference of its massive user base. Announced today after seemingly endless leaks, Google+ represents a major push for the software giant. The service began showing itself to a smattering of users last night, as a black bar across the top of various of the company's properties. A "+You" button on the far left of the bar currently brings you to the service's landing page, offering a tour of the many features that fall under the Google+ umbrella. Get to know the services better after the break.
