Hasta La Gadget!

Earlier this month word got out that Facebook was trialing a free voice calling feature in Canada. We said that, if those tests went well, the company would expand to the US. Well, things must have gone swimmingly because, just two weeks later, American customers are starting to see the same feature turn up in the Messenger app. After updating to the latest version, just tap the “i” icon in the top right hand corner while viewing a conversation with a person and you’ll see a button for a “free call.” The voice call needs to be made over WiFi, however, so don’t expect to completely replace your contact list and dialer yet (update: calls can be made over a cellular data connection as well). We’ve reached out for comment from Facebook, and we’ll let you know the moment we hear back. In particular we’re wondering when Android users can expect to see the same option turned on for them. Let us know in the comments if Facebook’s VoIP has been turned on for you.

Update: We just heard back from a Facebook spokesperson who said “you can only connect with a Facebook friend who also has [the latest] Messenger installed on their iPhone” and that “it’s only available on iOS.” If you satisfy the requirements and you’re still unable to see the Free Call feature, it might not be available yet for you or your friend. We also confirmed that there are no special privacy settings to enable or disable if you want it. Join us after the break for our first impressions.

Continue reading Facebook starts turning on free voice calls for iPhone users in the US (update)

Filed under: Internet, Software, Mobile, Facebook

Comments

Via: The Verge

While we knew Microsoft Messenger was due to retire sometime in the first quarter of this year, we now have a confirmed date. According to The Next Web, Redmond has informed users via email that they have until March 15th to use the IM platform, after which they will need to hop on to Skype to chat with their Messenger pals. Your buddy list will automatically be migrated to the VoIP-focused offering. Desktop users of the outgoing service (globally except mainland China, where it will live on) should receive a banner notification to install Skype and, as it turns out, clicking on said banner will also uninstall Messenger. Road warriors are also taken care of, with Microsoft account support already baked into iOS, Android and Windows Phone 8 versions of the Skype app. Nostalgia notwithstanding, fans of the long-standing MSN descendent can at least take solace in the broader set of features Skype offers.

Filed under: Internet, Microsoft

Comments

Via: The Next Web

If you’re a fan of the Facebook Messenger app keep your eye out for an interesting update coming down the pipe today for both the iOS and Android versions. The social network is adding the ability to record and send voice messages, up to one minute in length, to your friends. The goal isn’t to create a voice mail system for Facebook, but to give users another option for interacting when typing is either impossible or inconvenient. It works much like the video feature in the company’s Poke app — press and hold the red record button, speak your message and it’ll appear in-line as part of your chat, represented by a clickable sound wave icon. Even more interesting though, is the VoIP capabilities that are being flipped on for Canadian users. It’s a little buried at the moment — hidden behind the “i” icon in the chat window — but everyone’s favorite social network is now offering a way to place free voice calls to friends. Interestingly, the platform is built on open source technology and not on its Skype partnership. If things go well in the land of maple trees and Mounties we imagine it wont be too long before America gets a taste of VoIP calling Facebook style.

Filed under: Software, Mobile, Facebook

Comments

Source: TechCrunch

Both iOS and Android users will be seeing an update for their Facebook Messenger app starting today, one that will allow them to begin use Facebook’s own flavor of Voice Messaging. This feature is included in the download for all while Canada specifically gets a unique opportunity to work with VoIP in a sort of beta test of the service. The Canadian VoIP test will be working with iOS only (at the start) while Voice Messaging is set to hit Android and iOS all at once.

This release allows Voice Messaging – otherwise known as voicemail – to be integrated into the conversation rather than sitting beside it. This service is now not unlike the Walkie Talkie app Voxer what with its ability to record messages and push them to users in a chatroom. Facebook’s brand of this sort of functionality appears now to be a smaller part of the larger chat window while the Voxer app makes voice messages the primary function.

In Canada, Facebook app users are beginning to get VoIP functionality. This ability will allow you to call your friends using the internet, and is currently only going to to be available to users physically inside Canada calling other Facebook users inside Canada on iOS – on the iPhone, that is. This functionality uses data instead of phone “minutes”.

Facebook continues their ultimate mission to make sure any time you want to communicate with a friend, it’s through them – with everything from Skype calls via the browser (now defunct) and the newly updated Poke functionality in app form for mobile devices. Have a peek at the timeline below to see what else Facebook has been doing to keep you interested and stay tuned for the all-encompassing Facebook functionality wizard to command your communication from bottom to top.

Facebook adds free Voice Messaging and limited VoIP to Messenger app is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

RIM has released BlackBerry Messenger 7 (BBM 7) complete with BBM Voice support, adding WiFi calling to the popular messaging service. The new app, headed to the BlackBerry App World today, currently works with BlackBerry OS 6 devices and above, and as well as allowing for simple switching between text messages and voice calls, adds several other new features.

There are sixteen new emoticons, shown below, as well as BBM upgrade notifications within the app itself, allowing users to easily switch to each new version. Finally, there’s BBID sync, pulling in the BBM profile, Groups, and Contacts, and linking them to each user’s BlackBerry ID.

It’s BBM Voice which will get the most attention, however, RIM’s attempt to keep the messaging system competitive with rivals such as Apple’s iMessage and Google’s Gchat. A single voice button in the top right hand corner of each text conversation begins a call, directly from the chat itself, rather than forcing the user to go through the contacts app.

RIM says BlackBerry 5 devices will get BBM Voice functionality in the new year, and the calls are free over WiFi. It may take 24hrs or so for the new app to arrive in your local version of the App World, so keep checking.

BBM Voice brings WiFi calling to BlackBerry is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.