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Oct 9, 2017 - Duo by Google lets you make simple person-to-person video calls, across. The hottest apps with Download's iOS and Mac Apps newsletter.
Google has a new one-to-one video calling app for iOS and Android called Duo, which the company says aims to take the complexity and frustration out of video calling. Users of Duo sign into the app using just their phone number and Google then sends them a confirmation text.
After that, users can video call anyone in their contacts list who also have Duo installed. Google says Duo is built to be fast and reliable, so that video calls connect quickly and work well even on slower networks. Call quality adjusts to changing network conditions to keep you connected — when bandwidth is limited, Duo will gracefully reduce the resolution to keep the call going smoothly. For video calls on the go, Duo will switch between Wi-Fi and cellular data automatically without dropping your call. You can start your call at home, and continue seamlessly even when you head out the door. Apart from its simplicity, Google is heavily hyping a feature (currently limited to Android) called 'Knock, Knock', where a known caller's live video can be transmitted before the receiver has answered, allowing them to reveal things on the screen to entice the person to accept the connection.
Once they do so, the video continues seamlessly, which makes video calling 'more spontaneous and welcoming, helping you connect with the person before you even pick up,' says Google. The company has made no mention about whether the feature will be coming to iOS - and even if it did, users would have to unlock their iPhone first before taking a call. Google notes that Duo isn't a replacement for its other video calling app, which it hopes will appeal more to enterprise users as the service is further integrated into the Google Apps suite. Google Duo is a free download that should be available on the App Store for iPhone sometime today. Why does it seem that Google keeps releasing messaging platforms?
What's the point of installing Duo? It has zero added benefit over HangOuts. Someone, please tell me what feature this has that isn't already available by Google itself, or others.
I enjoy Hangouts too, use it with friends especially for when many of us need to chat. However initiating a call is difficult for my parents. Dad uses iPhone and likes the simplicity of FaceTime. Google is trying to do that for everyone with this app. Hangouts will still exist for those that use it, this can't replace Hangouts since it's completely one on one video. doublepost=/doublepost Anyone Else Getting this Error when downloading google duo 'The item you've requested is not currently available in the U.S. On Android it isn't available yet either, Google usually does slow rollouts even on their Play Store such that some users will see it on the store before others.
doublepost=/doublepost yeah we all know what you're trying to say here Knock knock isn't just for people wanting to tease their SO. If I'm getting a video call I SHOULD be able to see who is calling before I answer.
The description in MR's post has the wrong focus. It isn't so the caller can tease the recipient, it's so the recipient can see who is calling before they answer. Yes the caller's name shows up too but it's just an additional way for you to know who it is; and what if someone else is actually using the caller's phone?
doublepost=/doublepost Replace 'standard' with 'chat app' below: Except this isn't a chat app to compete with Hangouts, it serves a different purpose compared with Hangouts. Now Allo seems dumb, and your XKCD definitely applies to that. But again it seems Hangouts will get swallowed up by Google Apps and this is for these are for the average consumers. doublepost=/doublepost If someone's got an android then they don't deserve a phone call. You make your life seem so sad. What's funny thing about this company is that they just keep throwing stuff on the wall and see what stick in there. They don't need an actual product to a very successful tech company.
As long as they get the media attention every fake products they have people will think they are changing the world. For some reason the media and some people will always get excited everytime they announce a product that they will eventually kill in a year or two.
They know how to play the game so people will keep using their search erngine and that's how they make money. What's really funny is you don't mention if you're referring to Apple or Google! And, what you say can be said of both, so if you're trying to bash Google, it backfired.:). What's funny thing about this company is that they just keep throwing stuff on the wall and see what stick in there.
They don't need an actual product to a very successful tech company. As long as they get the media attention every fake products they have people will think they are changing the world. For some reason the media and some people will always get excited everytime they announce a product that they will eventually kill in a year or two.
They know how to play the game so people will keep using their search erngine and that's how they make money. Companies launch products and sometimes they don't succeed. Happens to Apple too, ask any MobileMe user, or anyone who bought a Cube.
It's just that Google does more launches and they do a few in beta. And they like to evolve the product over time.
![Google Duo For Mac Book Air Google Duo For Mac Book Air](/uploads/1/2/5/6/125632734/879484030.png)
Google+ obviously didn't reach the success they wanted despite bundling things into it but they haven't killed it and still update it. Gmail and Inbox live simultaneously. I hope Allo fails, because I'd rather they get behind existing at apps like WhatsApp (unlikely since it's Facebook owned) or Telegram but they want advertising dollars so they'll still launch it.
doublepost=/doublepost So no room for humour on the internet anymore? Yeah I guess sad is the word.
Fair enough, as you might imagine sarcasm is hard to detect, might be because I'm on Android. I enjoy Hangouts too, use it with friends especially for when many of us need to chat. However initiating a call is difficult for my parents. Dad uses iPhone and likes the simplicity of FaceTime. Google is trying to do that for everyone with this app. Hangouts will still exist for those that use it, this can't replace Hangouts since it's completely one on one video. doublepost=/doublepost On Android it isn't available yet either, Google usually does slow rollouts even on their Play Store such that some users will see it on the store before others.
doublepost=/doublepost Knock knock isn't just for people wanting to tease their SO. If I'm getting a video call I SHOULD be able to see who is calling before I answer. The description in MR's post has the wrong focus.
It isn't so the caller can tease the recipient, it's so the recipient can see who is calling before they answer. Yes the caller's name shows up too but it's just an additional way for you to know who it is; and what if someone else is actually using the caller's phone? doublepost=/doublepost Except this isn't a chat app to compete with Hangouts, it serves a different purpose compared with Hangouts. Now Allo seems dumb, and your XKCD definitely applies to that. But again it seems Hangouts will get swallowed up by Google Apps and this is for these are for the average consumers. doublepost=/doublepost You make your life seem so sad. So no room for humour on the internet anymore?
Yeah I guess sad is the word.
Good news, Apple fans (and fans of laptops in general) – there's a in town, with an upgraded display, faster internals, and other improvements. So how does this shiny new device fare when it's up against Google's premium? We're about to tell you – our comparison fits into four easily digestible sections, so you can quickly get an idea of which of these laptops might be best for you.
Read on for everything you could want to know about the 2018 MacBook Air versus the Google Pixelbook. Google Pixelbook vs MacBook Air: design.
Google Pixelbook First up is the Google Pixelbook: it's a little boxy and angular, but we like the overall aesthetics of the design, and especially the two-tone finish on the back of the lid. The keyboard is lovely to both look at and type on, especially with the two rubberised palm rests at either side. Those thick display bezels aside, Google has done a great job here. As for the MacBook Air, it needs no introduction really: the design is rather iconic.
Unlike the Pixelbook, there are a choice of colours – gold, silver, space grey – and it's a fantastic-looking laptop from any angle. Despite the MacBook Air's reputation for thinness and lightness, the Google Pixelbook is slightly thinner and lighter.
When it comes to the display, the MacBook Air has a bigger 13.3-inch, 2560 x 1600 pixel screen compared with the 12.3-inch, 2400 x 1600 pixel screen on the Pixelbook. The Pixelbook, however, has a touchscreen, and can be folded over and used as a tablet if needed (albeit a rather awkwardly built and hard-to-hold tablet). MacBook Air Having launched in October 2017, the specs on the Google Pixelbook are looking a little dated now, though they're still very good for a Chromebook – a 7th-gen Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, 8GB or 16GB of RAM, and 128GB, 256GB or 512GB of internal storage. That's more than enough power for running Chrome OS and a few Android apps. The MacBook Air has the edge in running 8th-gen Intel chips, but you're limited to the Intel Core i5 level.
For RAM you've got 8GB or 16GB to pick from, while in terms of on-board storage your choices are 128GB, 256GB, 512GB or a huge 1.5TB depending on which configuration you want to go for. All of which means the Pixelbook is slightly more powerful, even if it is using last year's Intel chips – indeed it gives you much more power than you strictly need for a Chromebook. The MacBook Air has to cope with the demands of a full operating system and its desktop apps, and should cope with most tasks perfectly well.
It's not really a device for intensive video editing or gaming, but nor is the Pixelbook. Google Pixelbook vs MacBook Air: features.
Google Pixelbook The Chrome OS vs macOS question is going to be a big factor if you're choosing between these two laptops: can you get by with web apps and Android apps? Or do you need the full power of a desktop operating system?
Chromebooks tend not to slow down over time, and are really simple to update, but they don't have the versatility of a MacBook. Then there's the actual hardware design too – the Pixelbook has a touchscreen and can be folded over into several different configurations. You can use the Pixelbook Pen with it, even if you can't actually detach the screen. The MacBook Air, on the other hand, is a more conventional laptop, which may or may not be what you're looking for. The Pixelbook has both two USB-C ports and a headphone jack, whereas the MacBook makes do with two Thunderbolt 3 ports with USB-C compatibility. The MacBook Air just edges in terms of battery life, meanwhile, though both these laptops should be able to stretch to the double-digit hours between battery charges, just about. MacBook Air Both these laptops start at a similar price point, but they're very different propositions – one a lightweight, web-based laptop that can convert into a tablet at a push, the other a more conventional laptop that gives you everything macOS offers.
Those differences should be enough to tell you which one is right for you. If you're going to be sticking to mostly browser-based work and like the idea of using Android apps on a bigger screen, then the Pixelbook will appeal, though you can get Chromebooks for much cheaper elsewhere (even if they are less powerful). Apple fans will of course gravitate towards the MacBook Air. It's encouraging that there now is so much choice for the discerning laptop buyer – in terms of operating systems, apps, and form factors – and we'd say both of these devices deserve to be somewhere on your shortlist if you're shopping at the more expensive end of the market.