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Google Hangouts for Android update adds quick replies
Google is updating its Hangouts chat app that adds some long-awaited functionality. The update is slowly rolling out now, but has already been thoroughly investigated by Android Police. The headline feature is quick reply. Clicking "reply" on a notification now brings up a simple text box so you can respond to messages without entering the Hangouts app itself. Also new is the ability to "save" important conversations to your home screen, which gives them their own icon.
Facebook is reportedly making a Messenger app for Mac
Desktop messaging apps haven't gotten much attention lately. Sure, you continue to see mainstays like Skype, but the big chat services still tend to steer you toward websites. That might be changing shortly, however. A TechCrunch tipster has provided both an image and details of what looks like a native, pre-release Facebook Messenger app for the Mac. It's really the iOS app writ large, but it suggests that Facebook might be willing to return to the desktop after its relatively brief, ill-fated experiment with a Windows app years ago.
Facebook Messenger might soon have an army of bots
Facebook has given select developers access to a secret SDK for Messenger, according to TechCrunch, one that they can use to build bots for the app. We're not talking about spambots or those AI chatbots you talk to when you're lonely -- we're talking about bot accounts you can send messages to in order to make purchases or to ask for info and directions.
Facebook brings Uber rides to Messenger
In the near future, you might not have to interrupt that Facebook Messenger chat to hail a ride home. Facebook has announced Transportation on Messenger, which integrates ride-hailing services into its communications app. To no one's surprise, Uber is the first partner -- you can order a ride entirely within Messenger, and you'll get things like receipts and status updates as conversations. The transport platform is still in testing in certain parts of the US, but other areas and countries are coming soon.
There's a PlayStation messaging app for your phone now
In a world of WhatsApp, Line, SMS, Facebook Messenger and all the rest we can't fit into an intro paragraph, there's a space for very specific messenger apps. Maybe. Sony's launched a companion companion PlayStation app, available now on iOS and Android, that lets you talk to anyone on your PSN friends list. PlayStation Messages does only that -- you'll need the full PlayStation app to explore new releases, PS4 news and anything to do with your PSN account. However, like Facebook and its messenger app, you'll be able to jump between your PS apps through tabs -- all message-based functions are in this new app. Useful features include the ability to see who's already online at a glance (before you're even home and warming up your PS4), as well as being able to send voice messages, as well as text and stickers, to friends or groups of up to 100 players. And if you're looking for more game-messaging options, there's also that dedicated Twitch messaging app. Spoilt for choice.
Facebook at Work rolls out a dedicated chat app on Android
Facebook at Work caters to businesses, allowing employees to communicate and share documents on private channels, and this week it adds a new mobile feature called Work Chat. Work Chat is a separate messaging app that operates similarly to the standard Facebook Messenger service, though it's restricted to you and your coworkers only. It's available to select companies on Android now, with an iOS launch in the works, TechCrunch reports. Facebook at Work is still in beta, though TechCrunch says about 300 companies use it daily, from Heineken USA to the Royal Bank of Scotland. When it launches for all businesses next year, it'll use a "freemium" model, the site reports.
Yahoo's Livetext is a messaging app for the Snapchat generation
Yahoo's Livetext video-messaging app popped up in Hong Kong's iTunes store a few days ago, and now it's rolling out to more locales. The app is the company's effort to provide software similar to its popular Messenger app that's appropriate for how people are chatting these days. This means offering a an option that's similar to Snapchat and the like, but with a focus on one-on-one conversations. With Livetext, you can let the person (no group chats yet) you're chatting with via text get a look at where you are and what you're doing. While the app does provide a video stream, it doesn't include sound. Why? The folks at Yahoo found that enabling sound caused folks to think twice about answering a message and instead wanted to offer "a way to connect that's quick and non-intrusive." It might keep you out of trouble in the office, but we'd surmise most folks would prefer it offer at least the option of some audio.
Facebook testing its own virtual assistant, 'Moneypenny'
It sounds like Siri, Cortana and the entity known only as Google Now could get some competition. Facebook is launching a virtual assistant of its own, according to The Information, and James Bond fans might smile when they hear what Zuckerberg and Co. are calling it. Moneypenny is a feature that lives within the social network's Messenger app and it'll apparently let you ask real people for help with stuff. Exactly what? The Information's sources say research and shopping. And that's about it. A release date wasn't given and details are otherwise pretty non-existent. Perhaps the function being a part of Messenger will help it avoid a fate similar to the Home or Poke apps.
Facebook Messenger's money-sending tool arrives for all US users
When it first announced plans to let you send money to your pals in its Messenger app, Facebook said the feature would roll out in the States in the coming months. Well, the time has come. After flipping the switch for folks in New York City and the surrounding areas in late May, the social network is letting users in the rest of the US beam funds to friends, too. To leverage the currency tool, you'll need to link a debit card before money can be transferred from your bank account to a recipient. For added security, you'll have to input a PIN before each transaction and iPhone/iPad users can employ Touch ID to verify their identity. And all of the transferred data travels via an encrypted connection. Messenger may not be your first choice to reimburse someone for concert tickets or for picking up your tab, but if you use the app to chat with friends or family, it could come in handy.
Facebook Messenger no longer needs a Facebook account
Facebook wants as many people using Messenger as possible... and after today, that includes people who aren't using Facebook at all. Anyone in the US, Canada, Peru and Venezuela can now sign up for Messenger without using a Facebook account. You only need to provide your phone number to get started -- after that, the mobile app can create an ad hoc friends list based on your contacts. The social network would still prefer that you enlist using one of its accounts, of course, but this lets you stay in touch with friends without registering for a service that you can't (or just don't want to) use.
Facebook Messenger has its first game
Facebook recently revealed that it would open up its Messenger platform to third-party apps, and we're now seeing how you'll be gaming on it. Facebook told TechCrunch that Doodle Draw is the first "true game," for Messenger -- until now, it's only permitted GIFs, audio and the like. I gave it a whirl, and it's basically a social version of "Pictionary." It suggests a word, then you draw it on the screen and share it on Facebook or privately to friends on Messenger. From there, they try to fill in the blanks and guess what it is. In short, it's a droll simple game, exactly suited for a chat tool like Messenger.
Facebook Messenger only shares your location when you tell it to
Sharing your location with the person you're chatting with in Facebook Messenger isn't a new feature, but the way its done has changed... thankfully. The app no longer shares your location by default, nixing the stalkerish function that updated folks on your friends list with your movements. Instead, Messenger only sends that info when you tell it to. By tapping on a map pin, those details can be sent as a separate message in a chat window. The app places a small map in your convo as its own note, pointing to either your current spot or a rendezvous point for future reference.
Creepy Chrome extension shows where FB messages come from
Even though Facebook's mobile Messenger specifically tells you that it tracks your location data the first time you install the app (and every time you start a new conversation), most folks don't realize how often and how accurately it actually does so. In fact, the app pings your location each time you send a text. And with this new Chrome extension, you'll be able to see exactly where your contacts have been messaging you from -- without their knowledge or consent.
Facebook Messenger's pay-your-friends feature reaches New York City
Facebook has been cautious about rolling out Messenger payments in the US so far, but it just opened them up in a big way. The feature now works for anyone in New York City and the surrounding areas, so you can cover your share of that SoHo pizza when a chat buddy brings it up. The software itself is a little more helpful, too -- it'll automatically link dollar amounts to help you pay them faster, and you can pay individual friends within group discussions. It'll be a while before you can sling cash to any Facebook user you like, but that day is at least getting closer.
Facebook launches 'caller ID' for new Messenger conversations
Next time someone contacts you on Facebook Messenger for the first time, you'll see a calling card of sorts showing his photo, other public info and how you two are connected. Facebook's Vice President of Messaging, David Marcus, calls it "enhanced caller ID for messaging," and it shows up even if you're not Friends with the other person. It lists helpful clues to jog your memory in case you can't remember who's trying to contact you, including his job, school and if he lives in your location, which are the same pieces of information shown by Facebook's Hello caller ID app for Android. This "Messenger caller ID" feature, however, is rolling out to both iOS and Android devices, but only in the US, the UK, India and France for now. Hopefully, it can save you time from clicking through to a weirdo's profile and prevent you from dismissing important messages sent by potential employers or old friends.
Facebook Messenger's video calling lands in (almost) every country
Facebook Messenger's video calling feature is now available in more locations -- almost everywhere, according to David Marcus, "with the exception of a few countries." Marcus, the social network's Vice President of Messaging Products, announced the development as a status update. He didn't exactly list the newly supported countries, but he revealed in the comments that the company "would love to offer the service in UAE, but operators are blocking it." We can say for sure that video calling hasn't arrived in the Philippines yet, and according to commenters on Marcus' page, it's also still not available in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Folks in countries included in this update can take advantage of the feature on both iOS and Android, as well on messenger.com.
Facebook wants to put games in Messenger after all
Contrary to previous reports, it appears Facebook is still toying with the idea of featuring games in Messenger. According to The Information, the social network plans to strengthen its instant messaging platform by adding games, as it looks to find a fresh, more lucrative source of revenue. Facebook's already said to be working with developers to roll this out; Ilya Sukhar, an executive leading the project, confirmed the talks to the news outlet, though he didn't specify when we could see the changes take place. While you wait for that to happen, keep enjoying your GIFs, emojis and all the other tidbits Facebook's chat ecosystem has to offer at the moment.
How I nearly became hooked on a $335 laptop bag
When I was first approached about checking out the WaterField Designs $335 Rough Rider messenger bag, it occurred to me that I've never written about something as decidedly non-technical before. Let's face it: When I plop down my case and begin unloading my work stuff, my focus has always been on the contents, not the vessel. But once the bag arrived, I realized this San Francisco outfit doesn't just peddle any old type of gear; its handmade leather goods (crafted in the US, to boot) are something truly special. Still, coming from a world of ultra-padded messengers, I was worried if it would be quite good enough to do the job. So I broke up with my cushy day-to-day bag and switched to this all-leather interloper to see how I'd fare.
NASA's Messenger probe will crash into Mercury at 3:30pm ET today (update: it's done)
It's been a long and hard road for NASA's Messenger Probe as it studied the surface of Mercury for the last four years. That journey, however, will come to an end today, after NASA announced that the craft will crash land into the planet at around 3:30pm ET today. The vehicle was the first that managed to make it to Mercury, and has been in service for more than a decade -- far longer than administrators had ever expected it to last. In fact, the project was only meant to last for a year, but canny fuel-saving measures managed to quadruple its lifespan.
Android's built-in texting app lets you reply from notifications
Hangouts may be Android's star messaging app at the moment, but Google is still willing to show its original Messenger client a little TLC. The company has updated its basic Android texting app with support for quick replies from notifications. While the feature isn't quite as slick as what you get in iOS' Messages (where the notification itself has a reply box), it'll save you from constantly switching apps when you're juggling a rapid-fire conversation alongside your usual phone tasks. Grab the upgrade today if you want some of Google's latest bells and whistles without having to use Hangouts as your SMS software of choice.
