Six Free Video Chat Apps for Your Android/iOS Smartphone

With a whole plethora of free applications available for video calling on smartphones, we users are spoilt for choice.

With a whole plethora of free applications available for video calling on smartphones, we users are spoilt for choice. While most apps currently allow video calling over 3G and Wi-Fi for multi-platform users, it’s the extra features that set these applications apart. Let’s take a look at few of the currently available video chat apps, for both Android and IOS Skype The most popular video chat application currently, Skype allows free video calls between Skype users via both 3G and Wi-Fi. Post registration, Skype allows users on Android and iOS devices, MAC and Windows PC to make video calls to each other. Call quality is impressive, however, Skype currently allows video calling on extremely limited handsets. Skype Fring Fring allows free video calls via 3G and Wi-Fi between users from different networks (MSN, ICQ, Google Talk, AIM and Yahoo!). It requires registration to the Fring server and allows syncing of contacts from the networks mentioned above. What sets it apart from the rest of the applications, though, is support for a four-way group video chat. Fring Tango Another up and coming video chat service, Tango, is the ‘Whatsapp’ of video calling. Besides the usual video calling over 3G and Wi-Fi, the tango app seamlessly integrates into your phonebook and updates your contact list based on the people who have installed the app. The only downer for this app is that it is not as popular as some of the other apps for Android and iOS currently available. Tango Qik Qik, like the other apps, supports video calling over 3G and Wi-Fi. In addition to that, it allows video recording and uploading too. An interesting feature that Qik supports is video sharing for select circles. So, your colleagues will not have access to the videos you uploaded for your friends to view. Qik also supports live uploading, which means that if the user has Internet access, any video recording gets uploaded simultaneously in real time.  Qik

Vtok
Vtok is a surprisingly small application that allows video calls for Gmail users over both 3G and Wi-Fi. What sets it apart from the rest of the apps is that users do not need an account to sign up, they simply need to log-in with their Gmail account. Another feature is the option to choose between the front and the back camera on the device. The back camera option might just beat the whole purpose of video chatting; however, it could be helpful for users who want to try video calling features, despite their phones lacking a front camera. 

Vtok

ooVoo
Another video calling app that deserves recognition is ooVoo. It currently supports three-way video calling with HD video capability at 720p. 720p video calling is definitely work in progress with the current data rates. However, connection via Wi-Fi easily translates into superior call quality. Another feature is recording and sending video messages to friends or email addresses. Users can also send files up to 5MB in the free version. 

ooVoo

Honourable Mention: Facetime
Facetime, as we all know, is an iOS exclusive application that allows video calling between iOS users. It allows video calling through both, the front and the back cameras. The application has the best call quality out of the lot, however, it is usable via Wi-Fi only.

Facetime

All the apps currently support video, voice and text chatting between phones and desktops. Naturally for any video calling app, the best option is connection via Wi-Fi, due to better data rates and minimalistic fluctuations. Wi-Fi to 3G works decent, with the worst option being video calling over the 3G services currently available in India. What we would love to see in the near future is Google integrating the Google Chat Video Calling service in Android Phones, as well as the Facebook+Skype app for phones. Also, WhatsApp could give their chat service a major boost by introducing video calling among their users. 

The above mentioned apps are just a few of the many available options. Do feel free to list your favourites amongst these or any other options you would like to share.

Google’s Cosmic Panda is an Updated YouTube UI Preview

Google’s video service YouTube sees a few updates every now and then. The aim is to try and enhance viewing experience. There have been plugins and scripts for browsers that try and make it better by darkening the screen and hiding all the text content on it. Google has launched a new viewing mode codenamed Cosmic Panda that's available on youtube.com/cosmicpanda. It’s free to everyone and can be viewed by clicking on the Try it Out button on that page. The mode changes the interface of the flash player component itself with completely new buttons.

A fresh new interface

Comments can be seen listed below the video. Clicking on the Suggested buttons slides open a large listing of related videos. A neat new feature is the ability to change the quality of the video on the player itself and then choose a different viewing area. Typically, YouTube changes the image quality everytime you open a larger version of it. Real time comments are also available. It’s not just the video viewing page, but also the profile pages. Featured videos on profiles are shown as large, wide thumbnails instead of the tiny versions on the default interface. Having used it for a while, it’s easy to say that the Cosmic Panda interface is a good step up from the existing interface and we’re hoping Google switches to it, full time.

Google to Fix Google Talk Video Jitter on Android

A problem with video on Google Talk on Android (tablets and smartphones) is the jitter and instability. Google is looking to fix this issue and has approached SRI International to embed its video stabalization software in the Google Talk application for Android. This should help prevent the jitter and instability on Android smartphones and tablets, while video chatting via Google Talk. The company, SRI International is the same company that is responsible for the invention of the computer mouse. It's a Menlo Park, California based non-profit organization and has been working on this video stabalizing software since the nineties. Now that Android tablets are fast and powerful enough to sustain this software, it only makes sense for integration. Video chat on Android via Google Talk will be easier The software works by recognizing the face of the user video chatting and stabalizing that video before compressing for transmission. The steadiness and stabalization of that shot allows for better compression, making the video actually look sharper with less noise. The stabilization software is only available for devices that have Android 3.0 installed. The difference between this software and other stabilization software is that this works in real time, a necessity for video chatting.

LG Optimus 3D’s Video Recording Bumped up a Bit

When we had a hands-on with the Optimus 3D, the smartphone could record 720p 3D videos at rate of 30 fps. However, in standard definition video capturing, it could record 1080p videos at 24 fps. Now the Optimus 3D’s launch was delayed, and there seems to be a valid reason for that.

Better frame rate for video capturing

GSMArena says that the frame rate for capturing Full HD 1080p videos has been bumped up by a few frames. Now, the smartphone can record 1080p at 30 fps which is not a very big rise, but is definitely quite a bit to change at the last minute. It looks like ever since the smartphone was announced, LG was working on tweaking the video performance of the Optimus 3D.

Many companies usually end up boasting about such achievements. And strangely, LG hasn’t done that. Does it mean that they’re working on some other update, as well and are planning to announce these updates together? Time will tell. Let’s hope the other update is a little more significant.

The 10 Most Annoying Trends in Video Games Today

The video game industry may have evolved by leaps and bounds, but it has in a lot of ways regressed, as well. Today, the cynic within takes a look at ten of the most annoying trends plaguing the video game industry.

Motion controlled gaming

Do you really wanna be the controller?

Oh look at me, I’m controlling this character with my body. Oh wait, no, go left. No don’t drop the weapon pick it up. Not the pistol you dumbass, pick up the freaking shotgun. In case you missed the point of that rather exaggerated example that was me trying to control my character without a controller failing miserably at everything. Be honest, when was the last time you played a game on the Kinect or the Move and felt in complete control of your character? Yeah, thought so.

Multiplayer for the heck of it

Did BioShock 2 really need MP?

I love me some multiplayer games. In fact, most of the games on my Steam list are multiplayer ones in which I’ve spent countless hours killing dudes on the battlefield. But, do I want multiplayer in every single game out there? No, I don’t. I am perfectly happy with games that offer an engaging and enthralling single player only experience, as well. Forcibly putting a multiplayer component in there just to appeal to the Halo/CoD crowd is just plain stupid.

Anal checkpoints

What!! I have to kill aaaaal of them again?

You’ve killed that annoying boss and his legions of minions, but that battle has left you on the brink of death. You wonder why Autosave didn’t kick in when you kicked his butt. You stumble around searching for health desperately but instead of medical aid, you come across a whole bunch of people baying for your blood. You try to survive but you go down faster than a Chicken McGrill (why are those burgers so freaking small?). And guess what, you have to restart the game aaaaaaall the way before the first boss fight. You scream, you break the controller, burn the game and slit your wrists. See what happens when you don’t allow players to save where they want?

Short games

Huh? Game's over? Already?

I’m down with the whole short and sweet mentality, but then there’s something called painfully short. I’m talking about games that finish in under five hours making you wonder if the developers ran out of ideas or were just plain lazy to complete the game. 

Quick Time Events

Kill that monster for me. I'll be back in 10

Back in the day, when studios were limited by the power of consoles, Quick Time Events were designed to let players experience jaw dropping moments simply by pressing a few buttons in succession. Today with all the tech at their disposal, it just seems a tad lazy when at the press of a button my character can leap into the air, dodge rockets, blast fools in the face and land on his feet with cigarette in his mouth. Why don’t I just sit back and let the game play itself for me hmm?

Weapon limit I need moar GUNS! I play games to forget about the real world and shoot people in the face. I don’t need my shooters hyper realistic limiting me to just two or three weapons at a time. I would like to return to the days gone by where the generic space marine/earth’s savior/ultimate badass could easily carry nine weapons without breaking a sweat. Crappy rushed sequels Shame on you BioWare I’ve touched upon this topic a great deal in my opinion here and sadly this is one trend that’s taking the industry down fast. When a sequel’s done right, not only does it please fans of the series, but it allows the developer to draw in a wider audience. A rushed crappy sequel churned out to capitalize on the other hand is just appalling. Incessant whining Cry me a river Now this obviously isn’t an issue from the developers; it’s the gamers and journalists (yes us) at fault here. Even though both the Xbox360 and the PS3 released eons ago, there are still console wars igniting forum threads the world over. And then you have these “video game journalists” who instead of quelling these wars pour even more fuel on them with articles like “PS3 version of Battlefield is sub-par” or “Xbox360 version of Black Ops is sub-Hd” and so on. In fact just the other day I came across an article on N4G where the author seemed butt hurt simply because there was no animation of entering or exiting vehicles in Battlefield 3. Really now? Movie to game adaptations Why do games like this exist? Nearly a decade and countless crappy movie to game adaptations later and it’s still not dawned on people that for some unfathomable reason, this transition really doesn’t work in the real world. Yes, there have been a few exceptions to the rule but compared to the gargantuan amount of crap, it’s really surprising large studios are still spending huge amounts of the green stuff on horrible cash-ins. Downloadable Content The evil that started it all Like sequels, when done right DLC allows players to enjoy more of the same. Studios like Rockstar actually offer players a ten plus hour experience in some of their DLC packs completely justifying their price tag. But for every Episodes from Liberty City there are shameless add-ons that should have been added into the base game itself. Yeah I’m looking at you Bethesda for starting all of this by the way. So anyway, that’s pretty much it from my end. If you feel the need to rage against the industry further, don’t feel shy and pour your feelings out in the comments below.

Epson Launches EB-G5000 Range of Multimedia Projectors

Epson has launched their new range of multimedia projectors in India called the EB-G5000 series. Targeted at corporate users, higher education and government sector, it offers a very high brightness rating of 4000 lumens to as high as 5,200 lumens, ideal for using in auditoriums or lecture halls. The following is the pricing for the various models available –

• EB-G5600 - Rs.142,400

• EB-G5950 - Rs.173,100

• EB-G5650W - Rs.154,500

• EB-G5450WU - Rs.232,600

• EB-G5750WU -Rs.283,500

High powered!

The EB-G5000 series supports up to 1920x1080 resolution and will have functions like enhanced split-screen and multi-PC projection. The projectors are based around 3LCD technology which gives it an edge when it comes to image clarity and sharpness. Epson will also incorporate its C2Fine technology that minimizes polarized light leakage and increases contrast ratios. The split screen function is really interesting, it lets you project from two different sources and displays it at the same time. It can also operate wirelessly by using a Wi-Fi dongle. The projectors will be available, starting this month.

Sony's S1 and S2 Tablets Featured in a New Teaser Video

Looks like Sony is leaving nothing to chance with their upcoming tablets and have released a first in a series of videos for the S1 and S2 tablets. The first video tagged “The First Impression” is a little misleading, since we can’t really get a good look at the tablets themselves. The video is beautifully done though with the whole domino effect going on. I really like the way they’ve used the lighting and placement of power lines and trees to create a cool shadow effect. Towards the end you’ll notice both the tablets running Honeycomb but that’s about it. We’ve covered the announcement of the S1 and S2, back in April itself in depth, so you can take a look here for more information. Most likely, the features and specifications shouldn’t change much, but we’ll know soon enough. For now, enjoy the video.

Samsung Galaxy S II Unboxed video by tech 2.0

Samsung's latest ultra high-end Android Smartphone the Galaxy S II recently made it to India and found its way into our Tech2 Labs. Ok so it wasn't really a test piece, but when you've got a serious tech lover for a boss, one does tend to get products a little earlier than most others. So a brand new purchase was made by one of Tech2's own and we unboxed it. Here's a closer look at what the Samsung Galaxy S II comes packed with.