Now that you have had four or five days to fully dive into two of Google I/O’s biggest announcements – Hangouts and Play Music All Access – we thought it was time to see who is garnering most of your attention. I’ve fully committed to the new Hangouts and am already figuring out how to convince friends and family to make the permanent switch over. All Access on the other hand is sitting in limbo on my devices, since it is not compatible with the Nexus Q for the time being. See, I use Google Music quite a bit in my office, but only through the Q, so I’m unable to take advantage of my free trial at this point. I’d certainly like to use the hell out of it – just can’t for now. Tim on the other hand, is an All Access machine and couldn’t stop using it the entire time we were at I/O.

So what about you? Are you using both? If so, which is taking up most of your time?

Monday Poll: Enjoying More – New Hangouts or New Google Music All Access? is a post from: Droid Life

Last week at the I/O developers conference, Google introduced Hangouts, a cross-platform unified messaging service. Although, the service didn’t quite incorporate all of Google’s messaging services at time of launch, it has been confirmed through Nikhyl Singhal’s Google+ page that Hangouts is in fact, “the future of Google Voice.” 

Hangouts is designed to be the future of Google Voice, and making/receiving phone calls is just the beginning. Future versions of Hangouts will integrate Google Voice more seamlessly.

In addition, if you already changed your Google Talk service to Hangouts inside of Gmail, you might have noticed that it does not support outbound voice calls. According to Nikhyl, Google’s real time communication product manager, this is also getting fixed soon. “We’re working hard on supporting both, and outbound/inbound calls will soon be available,” he said in a G+ post.

This should come as excellent news for all of us that have been either a.) been dying for a Google Voice update or b.) ready for Hangouts to become their one and only messaging application.

Via: +Nikhyl Singhal

Google Hangouts Confirmed to be Future of Google Voice is a post from: Droid Life

We were the first to report the codename of “Babel” as Google’s new unified messaging service, which ended up as Hangouts at public launch, but if you needed actual proof that Babel was around for some time, we thought we’d share this screenshot. It’s taken from my Google Dashboard listing of sites authorized to access my account. You can see that the Hangouts app for iOS is indeed referred to as “iOS Babel App.” (It’s on an iPod Touch that I use for work purposes, don’t kill me.)

You can also hear Google’s director of product management, real-time communications mention it in this video at the 1:40 mark.

Cheers Matt!

Incase You Needed Proof That Hangouts was Codenamed “Babel,” Here You Go is a post from: Droid Life

Google mentioned during its unveiling of Hangouts that it would gradually rollout to Gmail over the coming weeks, but if you’d like to turn it on immediately, you can do that today. All you need to do is sign-in to your Gmail account, login to Google Talk in the left sidebar, click on the image associated with your Talk account, and then tap the “Try the new Hangouts” option that appears at the top of the list.

Bam! Enjoy.

*Note – This trick does not seem to be working in Google Apps accounts, online Gmail.

Via:  reddit

Cheers Leo!

Tip: Manually Turn on Hangouts in Gmail With This Trick is a post from: Droid Life

Shortly after Google announced their new unified chat service called Hangouts, users discovered a handful of Easter Eggs embedded deep within. Actually, they aren’t deep at all and can be accessed with a simple command in a chat box on either Google+ or through the Chrome app (no mobile version support here). The whackiness of the Easter Eggs’ ranges from colorful ponies to KONAMI cheat codes, all of which are listed above thanks to Googler Moritz Tolxdorff. To tell you the truth, I thought there might be even more, but this is the entire list.

To flood your box with ponies, pitchforks, or a shy dino, type the commands listed into the text box of a Hangout.

Which is your favorite?

Via:  +Moritz Tolxdorff

Here are the Easter Eggs Built Into Hangouts [Ponies!] is a post from: Droid Life

It’s probably safe to say that we were all a little disappointed when yesterday’s 3-hour keynote finished at Google I/O without an announcement for a new Nexus 7 tablet. Rumors have circulated for months, suggesting that I/O could be the time for Google to show us a retooled model with a higher-resolution display and new Qualcomm processor. But again, we left the show yesterday without one. Is there a chance that we saw the oft-rumored follow-up in a promo video for Hangouts, though? 

Google played a quick clip during their announcement of Hangouts that featured a handful of Google products, including a Nexus 4, Chromebook Pixel, and what appears to be some sort of Nexus 7 variant. We’ve captured the two sightings of the tablet in question in the image above, so that you can decide for yourself. Is this the new Nexus 7?

As you can see from the image on the left, there is a notification light telling the girl that she has a new Hangout to join. And as you all know, the Nexus 7 doesn’t have a notification light. Also, the silver-ish rim around the edge of the device certainly looks identical to that of the current Nexus 7. Interesting, right? So is this it?

Eh, I wouldn’t go that far. This entire promo clip is filled with minor issues like the male lead using his Nexus 4 upside down and having Advanced Task Killer installed on his device. His N4 is also running what appears to be Ice Cream Sandwich, since it has the old camera icon and stock Android browser instead of Chrome.

For all we know, this blinking light on the Nexus 7 could be an effect that the marketing company was trying to achieve when putting together the clip. It could be a new Nexus 7, but I wouldn’t bet the world on that idea.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Via:  reddit

Cheers Tyler!

Is Google Trolling Us or Did They Tease a New Nexus 7 in This Hangouts Promo Video? is a post from: Droid Life

Yesterday, Kellen and myself got back to the hotel and immediately started messing around with Google’s new Hangouts app. While attempting to make a video call over mobile data on AT&T’s network, we got the following message, “You must be connected to a Wi-Fi network to join a video call.” Well, that’s a downer. 

We saw this issue awhile back when AT&T still blocked Apple’s FaceTime feature on iPhones, so there is always the possibility that this block could get lifted. We should note that we attempted this on Verizon’s network as well and it worked with no issues.

With WiFi hotspots almost everywhere you go, this shouldn’t stop too many people from enjoying Hangouts.

AT&T Blocking Video Calls Through Google Hangouts Over Mobile Data is a post from: Droid Life

To say that readers were disappointed at the lack of SMS support in Google’s new Hangouts application is probably somewhat of an understatement. People are 100% ready to make Hangouts their number one way of communicating via phone, but if SMS (text message) support isn’t there, it becomes difficult, because not everyone you know is going to be up for switching their life over to Hangouts. We had heard through sources of ours that Google Voice support was eventually coming, but that it wouldn’t be a part of the service at launch – something that ended up being true.

Now, according to Google’s G+ community manager of Hangouts and Chat, Dori Storbeck,  SMS is one of their most requested features and will be “coming soon.” 

On a related note, if you stop by your Google account settings page, you’ll see an area labeled “SMS for Hangouts.” Tough to tell if this is new or not, but it does appear to be a way “to receive messages from Google+ Hangouts as SMS, when you are idle.” Unfortunately, the U.S. is not one of the countries listed.

So it is coming, we just don’t know when. Hang in there, folks.

Via:  +Dori Storbeck

Cheers Adam, Justin, and Miguel!

SMS is Indeed Coming to Google Hangouts, According to Google+ Community Manager is a post from: Droid Life

Google Hangouts, the new unified and cross-platform messaging service announced by Google at I/O, is now live on all platforms. For most of us, we care about Chrome and Android, but if you are an iOS user, you can find it in the App Store as well. Go grab it!

To install to your phone, you’ll need to install through the web Play store for the time being. This replaces Google Talk. Screenshots after the break! 

Via:  Hangouts [Play Link] [Chrome Link]

Hangouts for Android and Chrome is Live! is a post from: Droid Life

During today’s Google I/O keynote, Google and Vic Gundotra announced Hangouts, their new messaging service (previously codenamed Babel). It works across platforms, meaning it works on Chrome, Android, and iOS. It also utilizes cross-device notifications, which allows you to check one device and have the notifications on others clear away. This is the unified chat that has been rumored for weeks now.

The service should go live some time today.

Update:  Hangouts in live in Google Play!  

Google Announces Hangouts, Their New Cross-platform Messaging Service is a post from: Droid Life

Today, Google pushed an update to the Hangouts feature of their social network, Google+. Included in the update are a few features that I’m sure plenty of you have been screaming for, so get ready to celebrate.

The biggest addition to us is that you will no longer need to refresh a page after a broadcast starts. Once the Hangout goes live, it will start playing on your device. It’s about time, Google! Beyond that, you can now rewind live broadcasts as they air, will no longer need to wait a bit after your Hangout to see it live on YouTube, and Hangouts On Air should look better on mobile devices thanks to improvements.

Changelog:

Rewind live broadcasts. Regardless when you start watching, you can always go back to the beginning.
Access recordings immediately after your broadcast. Once you’re no longer On Air, your recording will be waiting for you on YouTube.
Watch higher quality Hangouts On Air on the go. If you’re tuning in from your mobile device, you’ll notice better-looking video.
Start live broadcasts without having to refresh. When you visit a page with a Hangout On Air (like Events or YouTube), the video will begin playing as soon as the show starts — no refresh required.

What’s great is that this changelog will greatly impact The Droid Life Show, so we are happy to test out these new features tomorrow night during episode 24!

Via: Google+

Google+ Hangouts Receive Much Needed Update, Finally No More Refreshing is a post from: Droid Life

The time is almost here ladies and gentlemen. The return of the NFL season in the coming weeks also means that Fantasy Football season is starting as well. With Fantasy Football however, you are not always in the same room with the rest of your team owners during drafts or on Sundays, so Google+ and the NFL itself have gotten together to bring the hate love to everyone in your league, no matter where you are.

NFL.com has added hangout buttons to most of their fantasy pages, including the draft and game centers, so you can be with your friends even when they aren’t in the room. Google also said they are cranking up the maximum number of hangout viewers from 10 to 12 since most leagues go up to 12 users. This is a great use of Hangouts which are one of Google+’s biggest selling points.

Do you use NFL for your fantasy league? And if so are you going to be using this feature to gloat celebrate your victories over your friends?

Via:  Google

Cheers Scott!

Google+ Partners With NFL for Live Fantasy Football Draft Hangouts is a post from: Droid Life

Click here to view the embedded video.

Today, Google is rolling out a revamped face-to-face video chat feature for all Gmail users. Instead of the older peer-to-peer formula that has been in use since 2008, they will now utilize the Google+ Hangout service for all of the video needs, which is a more stable and optimized system. Naturally, Google is going way beyond just being able to video chat. With Hangouts in Gmail, you can watch YouTube videos, share what’s on your browser’s screen, and of course, dress like a pirate.

Google says that some folks can start using the Hangouts in Gmail today and roll out will continue over the next couple of weeks.

Via: Gmail Blog

Google Upgrades Gmail Video Chat to Newer Google+ Hangout Technology is a post from: Droid Life

Click here to view the embedded video.

Throughout last week, Google released a series of videos to highlight some of the main software features of the Nexus 7. They talked about the Google app suite, how to set up your home screen, and of course, how to use Google Play. In this latest video, the focus is on video chatting with friends through Google+ Hangouts, only the comments at the YouTube page for this video have turned our attention elsewhere. That would be to the Zombie hand holding the N7 throughout this series.

It’s no secret that companies use fake hands during these videos, but once you notice them, you can’t help but laugh every single time you see one. Apple uses them in all of their commercials as well. Ahh the Zombie hand, always stealing the show.

Participate in Google+ Hangouts on Your Nexus 7, Using a Zombie Hand is a post from: Droid Life

You have had the ability to join Google+ Hangouts from a mobile device for some time, just not initiate them or “Go live.” An update is in the works that will address this issue, giving you the power to video chat with your friends from any time or any place. You should see the new version pop up within the next few days. iOS versions are also in the works, just in case you know someone with one of those devices.

And to show you how amazing it will be to kick start Hangouts with your Galaxy Nexus – whenever you finally get one – this new ad has been released. Bohemian Rhapsody is go.  

Click here to view the embedded video.

Via:  Google Blog

Google+ Hangouts Now Initiated on Mobile Devices After Update, New Galaxy Nexus Ad Shows It Off is a post from: Droid Life