Facebook Videochat vs Google Hangouts

As predicted ahead of its time (see here), Facebook has teamed up with Skype for a videochat tool. In this way Facebook offers its 750 million of users a new way to communicate with each other by adding a new weapon to its arsenal. But let us examine the real intentions of Facebook regarding the timing of this implementation.

Facebook administration has input this feature days ago. The question is; why now? this feature has been rumored many times in the past. Well, I think the answer is obvious. 'Google Hangouts'. Google hangouts is the tool in the new social network, Google Plus. Google Plus more or less contains the elements of Facebook, StumbleUpon, some Twitter elements and also posseses videocall function. It is true on the other hand that Facebook has remained stagnant for quite some time. As a result, it is natural for Facebok to feel threatened by Google's new project (Facebooks performance has already started to decline in countries such as France).

But, is this Videocall feature enough to face Google Hangouts?

Well, in my opinion, no. Facebook has added a videocall feature which is very similar to the IM. A single button has been added (just like the picture above) and the videocall begins. This videocall contains simple things: it is a two persons only videocall and the interface is a mixture of Facebook and Skype. On the other hand, with Google Hangouts more people can co-exist in a videocall, more functions are available (such as youtube video projection), stratightforward call option keys (in case you want to mute microphone/speakers etc). In a way, Google Hangouts is (or said to be, since Google+ is on a testing stage yet) a more 'cared-for' interface with more functions, more flexibility and a more attractive-to-user environment.

With the main, basic characteristics of the call being almost the same, Google Plus beats Facebook videochat due to the better environment that it offers. Facebook videocall is not bad if you want to have a conversation with a person, on the contrary it is quite simple and straightforward. But, the thing is that hangouts' layout has been more attractive to the user (or even just to me, personally).

For more info on Google hangouts, check this: GooglePlus : RIP Existing Social Networks??

GooglePlus : RIP Existing Social Networks??

Google's answer to the widespread use of Facebook and other Social Networks has arrived. It's name:

Google+ (Google Plus)

Google has just announced the new project called Google plus. From the outside it looks like a social network but the truth is that it differs in a lot of ways from the things that we have seen so far from networks like Facebook or Twiiter.

From the videos that Google has uploaded regarding this new project, we can see that the way that it is different is that it contains the whole idea and features of social networking in a Black line- a task manager for Google plus, just above the main Google screen. Here are some main features for Google plus:

Google Circle: Google Circle is the main tool for communication and interaction on Google+ since it is the main feature where you can see what your friends ( or 'communication circle') are posting. Here is also where you can edit your profile and post updates, photos, news etc. It kind of looks like Facebook but in a more different and new approach and more user-friendly as you can see here:

Google Hangouts: Google on this new project implements the feature of videocall as well. Using Hangouts a user will be able to participate in a video call with up to ten people simultaneously. Also there are actions available such us Youtube Group watch.

Google Sparks: Google Sparks is a network where the user will be able to indicate articles, websites, blogs and every other source of information on the Internet that is in any way useful to him or an other member. How it works: Utilizing Google +1 implemented some time ago by Google, the system will be able to determine which articles are of Interest for the user and which ones are not. To be more accurate, the procedure is this: when the user finds something interesting for him on the Web, he will be able to badge it with +1 and then this will work as a tool for discovering further sites similar to the one that the user marked and always according to the users interests. The whole thing looks a lot like StumbleUpon on the idea of working and to be clearer regarding its use, here is a video from Google explaining in detail.

These are the key functions on which this new network will run. Of course there are other features as well like 'Huddle' and 'Instant upload' that will work as support for these features.

On the whole, Google plus looks like mixing the main elements from variosu social networks in a single platform, in a simple, modern and very user-friendly way.

At the moment Google Plus works on a testing mode provides limited access to its users. So, hang out for further updates in the near future..