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

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

#111

Post by emsy »

euyyn wrote: post #104
emsy wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A bit cynical but that was my initial thought as well. It's sad because FaceTime exists for so long and is so easy to use and I'd really like to have an app that I can use with both of my parents (one Android, one iOS). But I see Google failing with this already.

So you rather Duo not exist and keep not having an app that you can use with both of your parents?

The problem is that I want such an app to exist (and thrive), but that history taught me not to get my hopes up when it comes to Google products. Chances are they will fail to gain a significant userbase and/or the product (better yet project) will be discontinued.

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

#113

Post by izacus »

csydas wrote: post #108
wutbrodo wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google's communications strategy has been bafflingly dumb for years and years now. Almost my ENTIRE social network (that was on chat; this was before every part of society was "on the Internet") used to be on Gchat. That's a massive network-effects advantage that they had ages before anyone else did (including Facebook, but Facebook's network did surpass them with the ability to find someone by their face). Almost a…

> This is a pretty chronic Google problem that I noticed both from the inside and outside: their engineering and design talent are incredible, but the people responsible for the product and marketing side are evidently really, really bad at what they do. See, I don't even think it's marketing, it's Google not understanding what they already have and engineering a solution without a problem. Hangouts as an app on mobi…

Oh yes, Googles insistence to the horrible Chrome plugin (and ONLY chrome plugin, you're SoL if you want to use any other browser) instead of a slim desktop app like iMessage/Telegram is pretty much the reason why I've abandoned Hangouts.

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

#114

Post by nl »

helloworld wrote: post #12

Sounds like Duo has a simple user experience, which is great. But it doesn't solve the eye-contact problem with video calls today. When you look at the person on the screen whom you're talking to, that person sees you looking away, because you're not looking into the camera, which is somewhere on the edge of the screen. So you don't make eye contact with the person you're talking to. And for me, that makes video call…

I don't find the non-eye contact thing too big a deal.

But sounds like it might be Skype soon: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/publication/gaze-ma...

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

#115

Post by tdkl »

serpix wrote: post #7

Is there anything currently that works similarly without a google or Facebook account? My dad is so computer/phone illiterate that he cannot/won't register for either of these. It should work across iPhone/Android. I ask because video calling between my son and my dad is no longer as simple as FaceTime after I switched to Android

You could try Viber, it requires a phone number login though.

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

#117

Post by [deleted] »

Nullabillity wrote: post #43
dingo_bat wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Hangouts is able to mix voice, video and text just fine. For varying values of "just fine". For me, hangouts is probably the worst performing app on mobile, desktop and tablet. It's so bad that even Skype shames it. And FaceTime...well let's not even compare.

At least it doesn't only run on Apple devices, like the complete joke that is FaceTime.

[deleted]

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

#118

Post by wineisfine »

alaskamiller wrote: post #19
sotojuan wrote: post #9

On the same week that they discontinued Hangouts on Air in favor of YouTube? Why is Google always making and closing stuff?

Google culture is hiring the smartest or most motivated college grads, paying them to babysit legacy money printing systems built by the generation before them, then occasionally encouraging them to team up and clone popular services from other companies and startups. The clones get passed around the campus for dogfooding until enough interest builds up and the project goes up the chain of command until a VP (at the…

Spot on, which is the opposite of Apple (under Jobs)

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

#120

Post by wineisfine »

csydas wrote: post #108
wutbrodo wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google's communications strategy has been bafflingly dumb for years and years now. Almost my ENTIRE social network (that was on chat; this was before every part of society was "on the Internet") used to be on Gchat. That's a massive network-effects advantage that they had ages before anyone else did (including Facebook, but Facebook's network did surpass them with the ability to find someone by their face). Almost a…

> This is a pretty chronic Google problem that I noticed both from the inside and outside: their engineering and design talent are incredible, but the people responsible for the product and marketing side are evidently really, really bad at what they do. See, I don't even think it's marketing, it's Google not understanding what they already have and engineering a solution without a problem. Hangouts as an app on mobi…

This blogpost is probably the only marketing that'll happen.
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