Gmail's very useful voice calling service is even more useful now, with the addition of call recording. The call recording feature enables you to save your Google voice chats without using any additional software. For incoming Google Voice calls only, you'll see a button to start/stop recording right in your call window.

Call recording might be great for doing interviews, but it's not very useful for playing detective. When you hit record, Google Voice will play an audio message saying "this call is now being recorded," and when you stop recording, it will say "call recording off."

Recordings are saved in the "recordings" tab of your Google Voice account -- I looked for them in Gmail itself for a while, but I think opening Voice is the only way to get to them -- and you can download them as space-efficient low-quality mono MP3 files. If great recording quality is a primary concern, you're probably still better off with Skype and a third-party call recorder. For ease of use, though, you can't really beat Gmail's new built in one-click option.

[via Lifehacker]

Google now offers call recording in Gmail originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 05:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Voogle brings Google Voice to webOS

Filed under: VoIP, webOS

Been waiting for a solid Google Voice app you can use on your webOS smartphone? Check out Voogle, which has just landed in the App Catalog at the bargain price of $1.99.

Voogle supports all the important Google Voice features you'd expect. You can make voice calls, send text messages, playing recorded calls, and check voice mail. If you so desire, you can even use Voogle to replace your carrier's built-in voicemail with your own from Google Voice (slick!). Future plans include the addition of MMS support and real-time notifications.

If you're a Google Voice fan and you own a Pre or Pixi, Voogle is a must-have app.

[via PreCentral]

Voogle brings Google Voice to webOS originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Voice app for iOS available now

Filed under: Google, VoIP, iPhone, Mobile

The official Google Voice application for the iPhone has finally arrived in the iTunes App Store. After more than a year from Apple's rejection of Google's first Voice app for the iPhone, almost ten months since Google responded with an HTML5-based mobile Web app, and about 6 weeks since it was reportedly approved by Apple, it's here.

The app has all the features you'd expect, including getting cheap rates for international calls, free texts to US numbers, voicemail transcription, and displaying your Google Voice number as your caller ID when making calls. It also has support for push notifications, to instantly alert you when you receive a new voicemail or text message. Google says that 'most' of the calls made through this app will be placed via Direct Access Numbers -- Google assigns a unique phone number to each person you call, which results in the app not needing to connect to the internet every time you place a call, thus making the whole calling experience much faster.

To use the new app, a Google Voice account and an iPhone with iOS 3.1 or newer are required.

Download Google Voice for iPhone from the iTunes App Store

Google Voice app for iOS available now originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skype for webOS 2.0 gets the hands-on treatment

Filed under: VoIP, webOS

One app I've been wishing for on my Palm Pre is Skype -- since I don't have a cellular plan on it, being able to place calls via Wi-Fi would be pretty handy. The good news is that it's on the way -- for webOS 2.0, anyway. Former Download Squadder Brad Linder got to spend some quality time with the app recently, and he's shared his initial impressions of Skype for webOS over at Mobiputing.

This is yet another one of those good news/bad news scenarios, unfortunately. Yes, Skype is coming to webOS. But it's apparently only coming to Verizon and only allows Skype-to-Skype and International calls via 3G or Wi-Fi. Domestic calls will be handled like regular calls and chew up your airtime.

Skype for webOS 2.0 gets the hands-on treatment originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yahoo Messenger for Android now does video calls, Yahoo Mail for Android updated

Filed under: Video, Yahoo!, Freeware, VoIP, Social Software, Mobile, Android

The Android apps for Yahoo's two most important services -- Messenger and Mail, have received updates. Both apps now support contact sync between Yahoo Contacts and your smartphone's address book.

Yahoo Messenger for Android finally has built-in support for video calls, a feature that Yahoo has announced a while back but that until now has only made its way into Yahoo's iOS apps. There are caveats though. First, you need to be running Android 2.2 or newer to get the video chat feature. Then, it requires the installation of the Yahoo Messenger Video Add-On to work. And finally, video is only supported on the T-Mobile myTouch 4G and the HTC Evo 4G at the moment -- support for more devices is reportedly in the works. The new Messenger app now also has enhanced photo and video sharing capabilities.

The new Yahoo Mail for Android brings support for multiple accounts and enhanced photo viewing. The app creates a gallery that's automatically populated with all the photos you've received or sent, so you don't have to go to each individual message to find a specific attachment.

Yahoo Mail, Yahoo Messenger and Yahoo Messenger Video Add-On are available in the Android Market.

Yahoo Messenger for Android now does video calls, Yahoo Mail for Android updated originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Get Google Voice alerts on Windows 7 with GVNotifier

Filed under: Windows, Google, VoIP

We love a good app with Windows 7 shell integration features -- like GVNotifier. It's a slick little Google Voice notification and messaging app with jump list and progress indicator support. Install the app, log in to your account, and you've got slide-up access to contacts, call history, and voice mail messages. GVNotifier even lets you send SMS messages to your Google Voice contacts right from your desktop -- and you can pin favorite contacts to the list for faster access.

You can even make GVNotifier portable if you like -- simply create a settings.xml file in the same directory as GVNotifier.net.exe and it's ready to drop on your USB flash drive. The app will also run on Windows XP and Vista systems, though you'll need the .Net 3.5 framework installed.

Over at CyberNet News, Ryan Wagner's only real gripe with GVNotifier is how it handles contacts with multiple phone numbers. They're not displayed individually, so you have to click through each entry until you find the one you're after.

Download GVNotifier for Windows 7

Get Google Voice alerts on Windows 7 with GVNotifier originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FaceTime on an iPhone 3GS with FaceIt-3GS

Filed under: Apple, VoIP, iPhone

FaceTime, once the privilege of the iPhone 4 and fourth-generation iPod touch owners only, can now be had, sans Apple's blessing, on the iPhone 3GS. Thanks to the iPhone Islam team (English translation), a jailbroken iOS and Cydia, iPhone 3GS users can now get in on the FaceTime action using FaceIt-3GS. Of course, there's one snag: try as they might, app developers couldn't overcome Apple's hardware oversight, which means that the faces are likely to be only one way. Still, I'm sure some enterprising user (possibly armed with a mirror [or two -Ed]) can make it work, and who doesn't like a bit of free "built-in" VoIP.

Defy Apple and head on over to Cydia, your friendly neighborhood jailbreak app store, to get what Steve doesn't want you to have. Check out a video of FaceIt-3GS in action after the break.

[via Engadget]

Continue reading FaceTime on an iPhone 3GS with FaceIt-3GS

FaceTime on an iPhone 3GS with FaceIt-3GS originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 06:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skype for Android now faster and available on smaller screens

Filed under: VoIP, Android

Not everyone who owns an Android smartphone has a glorious 4-inch Super AMOLED display in his or her pocket. Lower-priced devices like the HTC Wildfire have brought budget-conscious shoppers into the Android fold, too. But there's a downside to a device with a smaller screen: not all of the big name apps will run on them.

If you've been cursing under your breath about the fact that you can't run Skype, for example, your mutterings have been answered! Skype has announced in an official blog post that Skype for Android v 1.0.1 now supports devices with 240x420 and 320x240 resolutions.

The new version also includes support for your hardware 'back' key, and it's both smaller and faster than previous Skype for Android releases. Skype also now consumes less power if you leave it idling on your device.

Download Skype for Android

Skype for Android now faster and available on smaller screens originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 09 Nov 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skype 5 Mini brings better-looking chat to Skype 5 for Mac

Filed under: Utilities, Macintosh, VoIP

If you've switched over to the Skype 5.0 Beta for Mac, and you don't love the new look of Skype chat, there might be an easy fix. Skype 5 Mini is a simple chatstyle swap that cuts a lot of the whitespace out of Skype's new default chat appearance, letting you fit more text into your window.

Mini is the Lego to the default's ages-3-and-up Duplo. The first thing you'll notice about Mini is that it drops the clownishly large font size down to something reasonable. The next big thing is that the View Earlier Messages bar at the top has been made a lot more space-efficient, and all the options fit on one line now. This doesn't fix some of the other complaints people have had about the new Skype, though, like the somewhat scattered UI elements -- searching for important functions and settings is no fun for the novice user -- but it does make Skype's text chat a lot more tolerable.

[via Reddit]

Skype 5 Mini brings better-looking chat to Skype 5 for Mac originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 07 Nov 2010 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gmail call recording coming soon

Filed under: Utilities, E-mail, Google, VoIP

Google has started testing a call recording feature inside Gmail. It looks like this is still at the experimental phase and therefore isn't widely available yet. If all goes well during the testing period, recording should be made available to all users who have the call phone option enabled in Gmail.

Call recording in Gmail is quite similar to the same feature in Google Voice. You can press the record button when you start a conversation -- or at any point during a conversation. Press it again and the recording stops. Your recordings are presumably saved online, the same way Google Voice recordings are.

That's it. Neat, simple, easy to use. Coming soon to a Gmail account near you.

[via Google Operating System]

Gmail call recording coming soon originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skype 5.0 Beta now available for Mac, with group video calling and Address Book support

Filed under: Utilities, Macintosh, VoIP

Skype 5.0 Beta has finally hit the Mac, bringing with it the group video calling feature that Skype for WIndows users have been enjoying for a couple of months now. The OS X version also gets some Mac-only perks, though, including a nice new single-window UI and Address Book integration.

The contact list (now attached as a sidebar to the main calling window) will grab all the Address Book contacts for whom you've added phone numbers, and let you call, IM or SMS them, even when they're offline. Meanwhile, a new call control bar floats above your other windows, so you can quickly pause, mute or hang up a call, even while you're in another app. Of course, the most-hyped new feature is group video calling, which will work with up to 10 people, but all participants must be running Skype 5 (on Mac or Windows).

One caveat about upgrading to 5.0, though: it breaks some Skype plug-ins, so you might have to downgrade again if you're running any hacks or add-ons you can't live without.

Skype 5.0 Beta now available for Mac, with group video calling and Address Book support originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 04 Nov 2010 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adobe Connect 8 Flash-based Web conferencing solution announced with Android and iPhone support

Filed under: Adobe, VoIP, Web

Yesterday, Adobe announced the next version of Adobe Connect, its Flash Player-based Web conferencing and online meeting solution. For those unfamiliar with Adobe Connect, previously known as Macromedia Breeze and Presedia Publishing System, it is Adobe's browser-based answer to things like Cisco's video conferencing systems, Citrix's GoToMeeting, or in a very basic sense, Skype's screen sharing.

Online meetings have become more and more important as the cost of travel continues to rise, while budgets get slashed. Adobe Connect 8 attempts to reach out to more than just the desktop, with free support for Android [Market] and the iPhone [iTunes], allowing connected meetings on the go using devices that don't natively support Flash. An AIR-based client has also been made available for desktop management of your meetings, as well as access to recordings for later distribution.

Adobe Connect is primarily aimed at the Enterprise and Education market, but an online-only hosted plan is available for individuals for $55 a month per host. It's not something your bedroom blogger is going to use, but if you're an Enterprise manager looking for a new meeting solution, Adobe Connect 8 is worth throwing into your line of fire.

Adobe Connect 8 Flash-based Web conferencing solution announced with Android and iPhone support originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 05:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yahoo! Messenger updates with video calling on the iPod touch

Filed under: Yahoo!, VoIP, iPhone

Yahoo launched its Messenger app with video calling for the iPhone a couple of weeks ago. It sadly omitted support for the forward facing camera that's available on the latest generation iPod touch. But all is not lost, touch fans -- Yahoo has just updated the app and corrected that oversight. Yahoo! Messenger for iOS now supports two-way video calling on the fourth generation iPod touch, matching the iPhone 4, as part of a free update. Hop on over to the App Store to grab the app.

Yahoo! Messenger for iOS [iTunes] - Free

Yahoo! Messenger updates with video calling on the iPod touch originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adobe Flash Media Gateway enables VoIP and video conferencing from Flash Player and AIR

Filed under: Adobe, VoIP, Web

Adobe announced yesterday that you'll soon be able to make VoIP calls right from Flash Player. A server solution from Adobe called Flash Media Gateway will enable you to make calls to landlines, cell phones, and computers using an SIP gateway. And if you happen to have a webcam (and who doesn't these days), it will even support video chat using H.264.

The interconnection fun doesn't stop there -- AIR apps will apparently get the same capability. That means that you might soon get cross-platform VoIP apps based around Adobe's AIR runtime, which recently made the jump to TVs, tablets, and smartphones. With Flash getting constantly knocked down in the embedded video market, it looks like Adobe's pulling out all the stops in order to keep it relevant. If Flash Media Gateway can use AIR apps to enable chat between the big screen TV and your tablet or smartphone, then color us excited.

Adobe Flash Media Gateway enables VoIP and video conferencing from Flash Player and AIR originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft Messenger for Mac 8 is out of Beta, available to download as a standalone app

Filed under: Internet, Video, Macintosh, Microsoft, Freeware, VoIP, Social Software

Microsoft Messenger for Mac, Microsoft's instant messaging application for Apple-made computers has hit version 8, finished its beta testing, and is now ready to download and use. Microsoft Messenger for Mac 8 will be included in the upcoming Office for Mac 2011 suite as well.

Messenger for Mac has all the features you'd expect -- it lets you instant message, audio and video call your friends who also have a Windows Live ID. Naturally, a Windows Live ID is required to use the application, but you already have one of those if your email address ends in live.com, hotmail.com or msn.com.

This release is targeted at people who use Office applications on the Mac. Thus Microsoft chose to emphasize how Messenger can help with productivity, by allowing real-time collaboration between Mac users and their Messenger contacts. Because of this, certain features that are part of Windows Live Messenger 2011, such as games or social views, will not be available for the Mac version.

Microsoft Messenger for Mac 8 is free and can be downloaded from here.

Microsoft Messenger for Mac 8 is out of Beta, available to download as a standalone app originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 18:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skype 5 for Windows has Facebook integration, group video calls, and a redesigned interface

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Freeware, VoIP, Social Software

Skype for Windows has officially reached version 5. The most important feature addition is, as expected, Facebook integration. Group video calls, a feature that has been available in Skype 5 betas, has also made the jump to the stable version. Some work to clean up the UI has also been done.

The new Facebook tab brings your News Feed into Skype and lets you post messages, comment, and like updates as you would in any other Facebook client. The Facebook Phonebook in Skype now makes calling or texting your Facebook friends easier than ever; it's always just a few clicks away.

Group video calls are now in open beta for all users of Skype 5. This features a dynamic view that automatically shifts the focus to the person who is speaking, which makes it easier to follow video chats with large groups of people.

Automatic call recovery auto-redials a call whenever it's dropped. The call quality manager is also improved. It provides real time information on video or voice call quality as well as tips for solving any problems that occur.

The new dashboard, called Skype Home, is basically a feed of your contacts' mood messages, which sounds strangely Twitter-ish, but it's also the way to access tutorials about everything that Skype does.

Skype 5 is a free download for Windows and is available right now.

Along with the announcement of the new version, Skype has also made some interesting stats available: 40% of all Skype-to-Skype minutes used in the first half of this year were for video calls, and Skype users spend an average of 520 million minutes per day calling people from Skype. Impressive, no? And the new features introduced today will probably help those numbers go even higher.

Skype 5 for Windows has Facebook integration, group video calls, and a redesigned interface originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yahoo! Messenger: Is the iPhone-to-PC (and Android) video calling app a FaceTime challenger?

Filed under: Yahoo!, VoIP, iPhone

There was once a time when FaceTime was the only iPhone 4 video calling gig in town. Fring entered the ring first, but now Yahoo has joined the video calling party, with an update to their Yahoo! Messenger app.

Unlike Apple's current implementation of FaceTime, Messenger allows you to video call over both Wi-Fi and 3G, but if that wasn't enough, you're no longer limited to iPhone-to-iPhone calling either. iOS to PC or Android is now also possible, making Yahoo! Messenger the first cross-platform video calling app to cover Android, iOS and the desktop. But how does it stack up to FaceTime in actual use? Read on for our quick test drive.

Continue reading Yahoo! Messenger: Is the iPhone-to-PC (and Android) video calling app a FaceTime challenger?

Yahoo! Messenger: Is the iPhone-to-PC (and Android) video calling app a FaceTime challenger? originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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fringOut arrives on Android to challenge Skype

Filed under: VoIP, Android

Today is the day that Skype for Android finally broke free of its Verizon shackles, and they couldn't have made the move at a better time. Another scrappy little VoIP app also made a big announcement today: fringOut calling is now available in fring's Android app.

Unlike Skype -- which requires 2.1+ -- fring will install on Android devices running older versions of the OS. That's a pretty big deal, since there are plenty of inexpensive Android devices out there that are still running 1.6. One other advantage fring offers is support for multiple chat networks, including Yahoo, ICQ, AIM, Facebook, Twitter, Windows Live, and Google Talk.

Also huge: fringOut calling works on 3G -- Skype is WiFi only.

Gotta love the snark on the official blog post with regards to Skype's WiFi limitation in the U.S.: "This is the company decision. You will like it."

ed note: thanks for the correction on the Wifi issue!

fringOut arrives on Android to challenge Skype originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skype now available on Android 2.1+ phones, works via Wi-Fi or 3G

Filed under: VoIP, Android

Skype, after a rather long and pregnant pause, has finally released its Android app. It requires an Android 2.1+ phone, such as the latest from HTC or Motorola, and apparently there are some issues with the Samsung Galaxy S. You can find the app by searching for 'Skype' on the Android Market.

The app is free and works just like the desktop client. After logging in, it's just a matter of dialing a number, or selecting a name from your contacts list. Pricing is the same, but obviously if you use 3G rather than Wi-Fi you might end up with a rather large bill. Incidentally, there's a footnote on the announcement that says you can't use 3G in the USA (why?!).

There's also a link to monthly subscriptions -- for just a few dollars (or pounds, or euros) you can get unlimited calls to Europe, or the entire world. Android smartphones with Wi-Fi can be had for just a hundred dollars or so... combine that with Wi-Fi Internet access at your local coffee shop and a Skype subscription, and you have a very economical solution indeed!

Skype now available on Android 2.1+ phones, works via Wi-Fi or 3G originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 07:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skype and Facebook teaming up on SMS, voice and video chat

Filed under: VoIP, Social Software

If you're the biggest social network around and you need to tap someone for video chat, who better to do it than the biggest name in video calling? That's what Facebook thinks, and they're teaming up with Skype to deliver SMS and voice/video chat using Facebook Connect.

As Kara Swisher reports, Facebook hopes that giving users stronger communication tools will lead to a tighter community -- more users using it more often. Skype will likely see a nice increase in its monthly usage as well. While 124 million people Skyping at least once a month is certainly impressive, Facebook integration will no doubt provide a big boost.

Skype 5, which is set to release in a few weeks, will add a Facebook tab from where you'll be able to SMS or call your FB friends. The new version is currently in beta testing right now, but Facebook integration has yet to appear.

Skype and Facebook teaming up on SMS, voice and video chat originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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