Google launches new Google+ Hangouts platform and mobile apps with focus on conversations

Google launches new Google Hangouts platform and mobile apps with focus on conversations

The rumors were apparently true: Google's unified chat platform (widely nicknamed Babel) is launching as the new Hangouts, with new mobile apps to match. The messaging service puts Android, Chrome, Gmail and iOS all on the same page for the first time, focusing the interface on conversations that carry over from device to device. Across the board, you'll find consistent notifications, as well as emoji and shared photo pools that weren't in Google Talk. Contacts are still there, but they're pushed to the side in the mobile view. Live group video is new, too, while text chats have watermarks to clarify who's reading and typing. Everyone gets access to the updated Hangouts today. The Android and iOS apps are available as we write this; Gmail users can hit a "try it now" button, while Chrome users can install an extension. One word of warning: the Android app currently won't run on some tablets, including the Nexus 7.

Filed under: , , ,

Comments

Via: Official Gmail Blog, Google+ Project

Source: Chrome Web Store, App Store, Google Play

Google’s rumored Babel chat service will reportedly launch as Hangouts

Google's rumored Babel chat service will reportedly launch as Hangouts

Google hasn't even officially launched Babel, but word on the street has it that the aforesaid term was being used internally to reference a new, unified chat platform. Now, TechRadar is reporting that Babel will simply become a part of Google Hangouts -- almost certainly as a means to continue the art of subtly shoving Google+ onto every user it can. Moreover, the newly expanded Hangouts could launch as early as next week during Google I/O, and we'll be there to bring you the goods if indeed it does.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Via: SlashGear

Source: TechRadar

Google Play Android redesign and Babel chat branding surface on Google+

Google Play redesign and Babel chat branding surface on Google

Google I/O may still be a solid month away, but folks on Mountain View's social network are already stumbling across leaks and notifications hinting at what might be in store. Google Play's 4.0 redesign, for instance, briefly appeared on a YouTube employee's profile before being deleted, matching the holo-themed leak we saw last month. The update shows a landing page we didn't see in the previous walkthrough, and includes a message introducing the redesign that promises to make it "easier to browse and discover new favorites." Google's rumored Babel chat rebranding is making the rounds too, apparently surfacing in Gmail when certain messages are moved to trash. Neither are surefire announcements for I/O, but the timing is about right. Skip on past the break for a screen grab of the Babel notification.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Source: Droid Life, Google+