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11:14 pm
Our computer club here had a class on using Skype. They also included Facetime and tried to do Hangouts (Google+). They didn’t really know anything about Hangouts and only succeeded in confusing folks. I will be traveling in Canada this summer and had thought of using Skype as my phone to friends and family. Can Hangouts be used for the same thing? Can it be used internationally. They thought the video was much better than Skype.
Can you tell me how to use Hangouts or where to go for instruction? Have you thought about including Skype and/or Hangouts in your videos? You used Hangouts for a couple of presentations over the web this winter and I thought they went well. I was surprised when it was being talked about for individual communications. I had thought it was more like that Adobe presentation program.
Thanks
Roberta Sauerwein
9:39 am
July 2, 2010
Offline
That’s cool that your club had a class on Skype, Facetime and Hangouts! Of those 3, Hangouts is the most flexible and powerful … it is completely understandable that they are confused. I think Google is still confused as to where Hangouts fits in! The hangouts we’ve done were using “Hangouts ON AIR” which is a way to do a public broadcast of a topic. This is mind-blowing technology that can allow you to have your own TV show on the internet … for free!
But, then there’s simple Hangout Video Chats – where you can simply click on a person’s Google+ user icon and establish a video call with them on their phone, computer, or tablet.
“Hangouts” is also what it’s called if you don’t want to talk with voice or video, but just send a text message and maybe a photo.
We are still figuring it all out and trying to see where it best fits in. You can read the official help pages on Hangouts: About Hangouts
I’d be happy to try “hanging out” with you! Although it is possible to use the basic Hangout feature without a Google+ account, it is SOO much easier if you have a Google+ account, and the person you want to hangout with is in your Circles. So, if you open Google+ (www.plus.google.com) make sure you are logged in, and find me … +ChrisGuld – or just use the search feature for Chris Guld. When you find me, add me to a Circle. Then we can go from there.
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