Comments on: Gmail Introduces Video & Voice Features

By: Mark O'Neill

Mark O'Neill — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:39:55 +0000

I have to disagree with you about Skype. Their webcam images are extremely good and they get better with every new software release! They are a serious contender to Google's GTalk now and the two of them are going to go at each other. As for the "send a video email", that won't be long in coming. Then services like Eyejot will bite the dust.

By: venkat

venkat — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 05:57:44 +0000

It’a nice addition to Gmail ,all are talking it as anti-skype have you ever notice voice chat clarity is it similar to skype ,I want my privacy to be protected what I chat in Google’s Video chat i don’t want all these chat logs will be stored by Google. As mark said we can access all from Gmail itself isn’t it nice.

By: sean murray

sean murray — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 04:50:19 +0000

this is a great addition. The article doesnt mention that it doesnt work on Macs, which may be important to some……!

As for providing a “challenge” to skype…..perhaps skype could surrender before play begins in this case? Given the fact their dumbing down of even the highest quality webcam images makes them come across looking like they were recorded using a VIC-20 , in high color mode.

It is a shame this feature wasnt born with “send a video email” functionality. It wont take long.

By: DataStronghold

DataStronghold — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 23:37:55 +0000

Skype nor Yahoo have ever actually published application or studies that have used it. Nor have have there ever been reports that they have. I am sure if we have heard news stories that they were using the data in that manner, we would be up in arms as well, much in the same way we are with Google.

By: Mark O'Neill

Mark O'Neill — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 21:34:55 +0000

What makes you think that Skype and all the other VOIP services perhaps aren’t doing the same thing to their users? Why is it that Google always solely gets hit over the head with the paranoia stick?

You know, if Yahoo did a feature like this or Microsoft, I bet we wouldn’t be hearing grumblings like this. But as soon as GOOGLE brings this out, instantly we hear “DON’T USE IT! BIG BROTHER IS MONITORING YOU!”

Amazing.

By: DataStronghold

DataStronghold — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 21:07:43 +0000

So how long is it before Google starts compiling all of your chat and voice logs? They would of course disguise it in a very pretty box, much in the same way they did with the flue trends. I worry that people are becoming so distracted by all of the shiny new services Google is offering and forgetting the core purpose of Google, which is data aggregation.

By: Alfred Westerveld

Alfred Westerveld — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:47:18 +0000

Too bad linux is not supported …..