Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

Yesterday,  Google let loose their video chat to the masses.  If your account doesn’t have the option yet, Google promises within a day or so you will.  The new option for video is very simple and many users are wondering, how does this differ from other online video services like Skype?

Skype is a full-featured video calling program.  It is easiest to think of Gmail voice and chat as augmenting their instant messaging chat rather than something completely new.  One of the biggest differences is Gmail’s version only allows video chatting with other Gmail users who have downloaded the plug in (about 2MB).  With Skype, users are allowed to contact both online and offline numbers, albeit for a fee.  There is not an option to go offline with Gmail voice and chat.

See what else Gmail voice and video users won’t be doing anytime soon.

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Sections: Communications, Email / IM, Web, Web 2.0, Google

AT&T has added another of its “quick messaging phone” with the Quickfire.  This phone’s got 3G, a QWERTY keyboard, touch screen, and a 1.3 megapixel camera in a slider form factor. 

This new phone comes in colors: silver, lime, and orange.  With these kind of colors, AT&T doesn’t look like it’s aiming for business people.  The Quickfire is just a hair under $100 ($99.99).  Of course, that price requires a two-year agreement and actually sending in a mail-in rebate. 

The AT&T site has the Quickfire as “coming soon” and the actual product page is not filled out as of right now, but you can order one today on the AT&T site.

Read: [AT&T Press Release]
Product Page: [A&T Quickfire]

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They are going to sell bunches of these.  Debuting as the world’s thinnest QWERTY phone, the new Pantech Slate is available now on AT&T.  This phone is one of many AT&T is launching to address the heavy-messaging market segment.  Phones like the Pantech Matrix (a take on the Duo without Windows Mobile), Samsung Propel and now the Slate, AT&T is covering the bases with a variety of styles to fit, well, your style.

The Slate’s claim to fame is its less than 1-centimeter thickness.  That is super thin and AT&T claims it can fit into your skinny jeans; though, clearly, they’ve not tested my skinny jeans.  Continued after the break.

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E-mail, messaging, Internet, touchscreen all for under $100.  That is what Samsung has been bringing to AT&T now for about 2 years under the BlackJack name.  Today, Samsung changes things up and rolls out the Epix name for what looks to be the 3rd installment in the BlackJack family.  Thankfully, its got two big additions its supposed siblings were sorely missing.

Namely: touchscreen and voice dialing.  Oh, thank the higher powers!  For those of us on corporate phones, the BlackJack was a safe bet.  It did most of the things you needed, though none too well.  We all missed voice dialing.  This version finally brings it all home.

The Epix runs Windows Mobile 6.1, features a 2 mp camera and runs on the 3G network.  The phone is on AT&T’s site now for just $99; $20 more than the BlackJack 2.  Sounds like a pretty good deal.  I’ll have one to play with soon, so expect an update on how it really performs.

Product page [AT&T]

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12seconds just today launched their application programming interface (API) as well as announced it’s first three partners: Tweetdeck, Blippr, and Phreadz. With the goal of 12seconds being to be the go-to platform for video status updates, they needed this step forward of a strong API.

The company is happy with their first three partners, although they are still encouraging others to hop in and play around with the code. Of their newest partners, Tweetdeck, an Adobe Air client, probably holds the crown for being known for it’s Twitter service. Blippr is a site that does short-form reviews, and Phreadz is a startup company that does threaded video conversations.

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Sections: Video, Content, Web, Web Apps, Websites, Online Music/Video

MobileSphere recently launched a free voice messaging service called (very aptly!) Slydial, that connects you automatically to someone’s voice mail so you can leave a message when you don’t feel like going through the conversation mode, or are pressed for time.

Some of the scenario’s they present where Slydial could be especially useful are quite humorous, others very realistic.  Feel like taking a play day and you are calling in “oh so sick” and don’t want to actually talk to your boss? There you go. How about that “let’s just be friends” call that you’re too chicken to actually have the other person on the other end of the line listening to because you don’t want to hear an hour’s worth of sobbing? Uh-huh. Want to call and thank Great Aunt Bessie for the lovely birthday sweater she sent you, but don’t want to hear all about her aches and pains for a half-hour? Yep, you’re seeing where this could come in handy, aren’t you?

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Sections: Communications, Mobile, Web, Websites

T-Mobile has just announced that as of August 29 the rates for text and picture messages will be going up. With a nice increase, the per message rate will now be the same as most other major carriers as it is going from 15 cents up to 20 cents.

These new message rate will apply only to those customers without a messaging plan, however it may also be a reason for those to escape any contract without paying an early termination fee. Of course that may require a little negotiating on your part and we expect the success level on that to vary depending on how convincing you are and also how nice or friendly feeling the service rep is.

With the way messaging rates seem to be increasing, it seems like it would be smart, even for the casual user, to subscribe to a messaging plan and ditch those per message rates.

Via [jkOnTheRun]

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Alltel has just added another improvement to their MyCircle calling plans. Now, in addition to voice minutes, they will have the option to include text, video or picture messaging. Current MyCircle customers will be able to send or receive unlimited messages to anyone in their Circle as well as other Alltel customers with the addition of a “My Circle message pack” which starts as low as $7.99 a month.

In addition, for those looking to send messages to friends outside of their circle or to non-Alltel customers the new messaging options include either 400 or 1000 messages and are priced at $7.99 and $12.99 a month respectively. Users looking for an unlimited messaging plan will still have the option to get the All Access Pass which costs $19.99 and allows for unlimited messaging to anyone.

Keep reading to check out the full press release.

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In this day and age of high powered mobile phones and web based communication applications, we couldn’t help but wonder if there is still a need for a home phone. The Vtech people must have the same thought on their mind when they were conceptualizing the IS6110 cordless phone that’s why they decided to include an Instant Messaging function.

Well, it looks like Vtech might have caught onto something new. For one, their IS6110 cordless phone is the world’s first cordless phone with built-in IM features with support for MSN Messenger, Windows Live Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger. And for that, it certainly deserves some accolades. But if you think that IM is all there is in the IS6110, think again as it is packed with some nifty features too.

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Verizon Wireless has announced that it will raise the price of text messages by 5 cents starting March 2nd. The hike will result in customers paying 20 cents per message. Sprint Nextel became the first U.S. carrier to charge 20 cents per message when it raised its rates in October of 2007. Text messaging currently accounts for about 45% of all wireless data revenue.

Read[CNN Money]

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