Google Duo, a simple 1-to-1 video calling app

Re:Google Duo, a simple 1-to-1 video calling app by nagarjun on Tuesday August 16, 2016 @04:01AM (#12296116)

It's already bad enough that I have a row of chat apps (WhatsApp, Messenger, Hangouts, Skype, Slack, Telegram etc.) on my phone because I can't get everyone I know to agree on one app and now, Google's trying to get me to add yet another icon to that list! I love Telegram but I couldn't get more than a few friends to try it out and even then, no one checks their Telegram anymore because none of THEIR friends are on it. Even though I love the tech here, I can't get enough people to try and use it.

Not sure why this had to be its own app. Could have just been included into Allo. Also, all of the other apps I mentioned above have some form a desktop app (which is in a way, the biggest factor for me considering that's where I spend most of my time). Sigh! Great tech, terrible packaging.

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Re:Google Duo, a simple 1-to-1 video calling app by T-1000 on Tuesday August 16, 2016 @05:49AM (#12296398)

Someone should build a meta video calling app: Make a normal phone call, and if the app detects that both parties have a common video calling app installed on their devices, the meta app notifies the caller ("Press * for video") and helps reconnect the call with the video calling app.

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Re:Google Duo, a simple 1-to-1 video calling app by draugadrotten on Tuesday August 16, 2016 @06:25AM (#12296495)

Hmm that's how iPhone works.

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Re:Google Duo, a simple 1-to-1 video calling app by T-1000 on Tuesday August 16, 2016 @06:40AM (#12296548)

And that is an open standard that works with Skype, Duo and other non-apple alternatives?

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Re:Google Duo, a simple 1-to-1 video calling app by CaptSpify on Tuesday August 16, 2016 @11:13AM (#12297976)

> It's already bad enough that I have a row of chat apps

And this is why we need to be using open protocols, instead of walled-off systems. If I had one client that could integrate all of these, I'd use them. But since I need one install per chat-system, I end up just using none of them.

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Re:Google Duo, a simple 1-to-1 video calling app by DropbearRob on Tuesday August 16, 2016 @08:48AM (#12297082)

what?? no threema?

but seriously I have the same problem. I liked that hangouts was bringing it all together and had live hangouts, and collaborative document editing and everything.. it feels like they just really didn't work on making hangouts lag free and high throughput and bringing the people there with superior quality calling.

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