Tag Archives: Google+Hangouts

Google now lets you join Hangouts as a guest, no account needed

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The worst thing about organizing an online meeting is squabbling over platform. Should you choose WebEx? Skype? Google? Your decision just got a little easier. As of today, you no longer need to have a Google account to join a meeting Hosted on Han...

Google Hangouts bug sends messages to the wrong people (update: fixed)

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Google Hangouts and Talk users complain of messages being sent to the wrong people

We're hearing from tipsters and a number of other sources, including Google's own Product Forums, that a bug is causing some Google Hangouts and Google Talk messages to be sent to the wrong recipients. A few awkward situations have already ensued, according to TechCrunch, such as internal company communications being sent to ex-employees. The privacy bug seems to crop up when users of the old Google Talk platform try to connect with those who have migrated to the newer Hangouts service, so it sounds like it could be a transitional thing -- it's also reminiscent of a similar bug that hit Skype last year. Meanwhile, some of us here at Engadget are currently experiencing the more fundamental (though thankfully less embarrassing) problem of not being able to log onto Hangouts in the first place.

Update: Google' status page reports that the issue has been resolved and that services are "gradually returning to normal." It says it will update users again when the full service is restored.

[Thanks, Boris]

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Source: Google Product Forums, TechCrunch

Google updates Hangouts with more emoji and a touch of Project Butter

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DNP Google updates Hangouts with more emoji and a touch of Project Butter

When Google debuted Hangouts at I/O, it looked like a pretty nifty idea, but since then, the app has been plagued with its share of performance issues. A new update, available today in the Google Play store, aims to rectify that by adding a hint of Project Butter to the Hangouts mix. Google is smearing Butter on the app (like a wayward child with his head stuck in the banisters) in the hopes that it'll smooth out the kinks and speed up performance. Also included in the update is a brand new set of emoji, so you can continue to abandon the written word in favor of cutesy hieroglyphics. We jest, of course. Who doesn't love some good emoji? To get the upgrade, head on over to the source link below.

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Via: Android Central

Source: Google Play

Hangouts upgrade disables outbound Google Voice calls in desktop Gmail, company promises it will return ‘soon’

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Hangouts upgrade disables outbound Google Voice calls in desktop Gmail, company promises it will return 'soon'

Anyone who's tried out the new Hangouts feature in Gmail in place of the traditional Google Talk option got a bit of surprise when they went to make an outbound call from their computer. That feature gets disabled when the new Hangouts replacement is switched on, leaving folks looking to make calls with no other option than to revert to the old Google Talk in Gmail or seek out another alternative. That's apparently just a temporary change, though, as Google's Nikhyl Singhal has now confirmed that both outbound and inbound calls will "soon be available." Unfortunately, he's not getting any more specific than that for the time being. He did, however, reiterate that "Hangouts is designed to be the future of Google Voice," and that "making/receiving phone calls is just the beginning," further adding that "future versions of Hangouts will integrate Google Voice more seamlessly."

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Source: Nikhyl Singhai (Google+)

SMS integration confirmed to be coming to Google+ Hangouts ‘soon’

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Google expanded its chat / video conferencing offerings in a big way with its new Google+ Hangouts platform, and it looks like its intent on making it even more all-purpose in the future. Responding to a question on her Google+ page, the company's community manager for Hangouts and Chat, Dori Storbeck, confirmed that SMS integration is "coming soon," noting that it's been one of the most requested features. Storbeck further added that future versions of Hangouts will also support outgoing calls and other Google Voice features, but specifics remain light beyond that for the time being.

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Via: Droid Life, The Next Web

Source: Dori Storbeck (Google+)

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

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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.

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Via: SlashGear

Source: TechRadar

Ender’s Game trailer teased on Google+, promises full preview on May 7th

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Ender's Game trailer teased on Google, promises full preview on May 7th

Film promotion has changed over the years. Sure, there are still posters, trailers, TV spots, and radio and print ads, but now there's also Google+ -- at least for Ender's Game. The upcoming film, based on Orson Scott Card's award winning sci-fi novel, is using the social network to tease fans -- flaunting a brief peek at the film's trailer and advertising a Google+ Hangout with the film's creators. Leading actors Harrison Ford and Asa Butterfield kicked off the hype machine by introducing a teaser trailer for the film, promising the full preview as a Google / YouTube exclusive next week. The entire clip (introduction included) falls under a minute, just long enough for die-hard fans to cry "the book is better." You can take your continuity complaints to the film's director, producer and star on May 7th.

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Source: Google+, YouTube