MetroPCS intros first Rich Communication Services on LTE, touts universal contacts and chat (video)

MetroPCS, Joyn launch the first Rich Communication Services on LTE, aim for universal contacts and chat video

Smartphone users are well immersed in a world of contact syncing, media sharing, VoIP and video calls. They’re just not used to finding everything in one place, let alone guaranteeing that any carrier-level features will work with other phones and providers. MetroPCS is hoping to put itself ahead on that front by offering a potentially universal fix. It’s the first carrier anywhere to launch the Rich Communication Services standard on LTE, which provides a perpetually synced contact list that serves as the launching pad for everything else. Early adopters of the Joyn-branded service can chat through text, share media (including during calls) and start up WiFi voice or video calls without needing yet another specialized service and the extra sign-in that goes with it. Right now, the very young state of RCS on LTE leaves it behaving more like the isolated services it’s trying to replace — on MetroPCS, only those with the Galaxy Attain 4G and an after-the-fact Joyn app download can get the experience as intended. As long as more devices and carriers come onboard, though, the technology might be the long-term key to pulling us away from fenced-off conversations in Google Talk or Skype.

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MetroPCS intros first Rich Communication Services on LTE, touts universal contacts and chat (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Oct 2012 13:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google adds CardDAV support to contacts for easier syncing with iOS and other third-party devices

Google adds CardDAV support to Contacts for easier syncing with iOS

The marvelous folks from Mountain View never seem to take a break from working on tools to help make almost everyone’s life easier — even if some of these folks happen to be on the other side. Today, Google announced it was adding CardDAV to the list of open protocols it currently supports to access Gmail and Calendar from mobile apps and devices alike, noting that with the recent adaptation it’ll be easier for third-party clients — such as iOS — to access and sync with Google Contacts. Better yet, the company posted a full set of instructions on how users can do just that, which you will find at the source link below.

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Google adds CardDAV support to contacts for easier syncing with iOS and other third-party devices originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 01:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skype confirms fix rolling out for instant messaging bug

When one of your main services throws up a pretty embarrassing bug, you’re going to want to squash that quick. Skype has stepped up and done just that, according to its blog. The hotfix will be rolling out for version 5.10 for Windows, 5.8 for Mac, 4.0 for Linux and 1.2 for Windows Phone. Skype was also quick to point out that not all clients (and therefore users) were affected. If you were on 5.9 for Windows, version 2.8 for Android or Skype 4.0 for iOS, then the firm assures you that you won’t be affected. The official line is that the fix should start arriving in the next couple of days, so still best to keep a lid on those office gossip chats for now. Let us know if you start getting the update in the comments below.

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Skype confirms fix rolling out for instant messaging bug originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jul 2012 09:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skype confirms ‘rare’ bug that sends messages to unintended contacts, promises fix soon

'Rare' Skype bug sends messages to unintended contacts, fix promised soon  Only a handful of Skype users have reported this problem over at the support forum, but what they’re complaining about is pretty hair-raising. They say that, following an update in June, instant messages have repeatedly and unintentionally been forwarded to random people in their contact lists. In other words, third-parties are seeing stuff they were never meant to see, which constitutes a serious breach of privacy. Skype now tells us it’s aware of the issue and is working on a fix. Here’s the official response in full:

“We are aware that in rare circumstances IM’s between two contacts could be sent to an unintended third contact. We are rolling out a fix for this issue in the next few days and will notify our users to download an updated version of Skype.”

[Thanks, Kuldar]

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Skype confirms ‘rare’ bug that sends messages to unintended contacts, promises fix soon originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Jul 2012 09:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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