video chat

Just in time for Windows 8, Skype has now just released a major version update that adds improved integration with Microsoft and Facebook accounts, better messaging, and some minor changes to the user interface.

For those of you who've been living under a rock, Skype is one of the the most popular video chat and voice calling clients amongst our users as well as the world. It offers free calls to other Skype users over the Internet as well as very affordable rates for calling landlines and phones.

Version 6 brings a much simpler registration process, particularly with more … Read more

Video2Webcam lets you share video clips with others during online sessions, even when you don't have a webcam attached. If you do have a webcam, you can switch between the live feed and file playback easily. Video2Webcam installs quickly.

The Video2Webcam interface is simple to use. A small dialog shows video clips in a folder you choose, and lets you play them, pause, loop, and stop playback from a small control panel; a small preview window underneath lets you see what the video file looks like (and position playback, if necessary). There are also controls for your webcam to … Read more

If you go around saying things like "P2P" and "VoIP," even your friends are apt to give you the eyebrow, but say "Skype," and millions of users around the world get the message. Skype means free Skype-to Skype Internet phone calls, video chat and conferencing, IM, and Facebook integration. We tried the latest release of the free version of Skype, which not only lets you yak at other Skype users as long as you want for free but also enables free one-to-one video calls, Instant Messaging, and screen sharing. A Pay As You Go … Read more

ooVoo Video Chat is a free iOS app that lets you have up to 12 participants in a text and video chat session on Facebook. The app installs easily and lets you see four chat participants at one time (scrolling to other screens to see the rest), or you can zoom in on one participant while maintaining a small window showing your feed.

To use ooVoo Video Chat, you log into Facebook; you can ping anyone else who is also logged in. You have the ability to initiate text chat with some people, even while video chatting with others at … Read more

CyberLink YouCam 5 is a Webcam manager that not only manages your installed Webcams and feeds but also lets you jazz them up with cool effects, avatars, gadgets, and so on. YouCam includes productivity tools for making presentations, tutorials, and instructional videos. It records HD video, and its TrueTheater feature enhances them. You can add special effects to your Webcam feed, and even download unlimited free effects from DirectZone. New features include Face Login, which uses facial-recognition technology to access your PC and Web sites like Facebook and Amazon. CyberLink YouCam 5 is free to try for 15 days.

CyberLink … Read more

So you Skype; do you OoVoo too? Because OoVoo is a free HD video, voice, and IM chat app that lets you chat with up to 12 friends at once (6 via video and 6 on the phone). It records voice and video on your hard drive, not an online account, so file size is unlimited. You can use OoVoo to share large files (up to 25MB) as well as make phone calls to landlines, text chat, record video messages up to 1 minute long, and do a whole lot of other cool things. Mobile and tablet users have a … Read more

The cops are getting their geek on. Four days a week, a police officer ducks into the social media room at the Redwood City Police Department, launches a video chat application and stands by waiting for your call, just like those Time Life Books operators.

Located smack in the middle of the Valley, the police department is the first in the country to offer video chat on its Web site. Police Chief J.R. Gamez was clearly peacock-proud when we asked about his organization's tech know-how. The police department tweets city alerts to followers and posts updates on Facebook. … Read more

Usually if you use your iSight camera with one program, you can't use it with another. ManyCam Virtual Webcam helps change that as soon as you install it. This handy app removes many iSight camera restrictions and provides multiple ways to enhance the overall Webcam chat experience, with some helpful (and some silly) features you'll absolutely enjoy.

After installing the application, ManyCam takes control of your iSight camera: it will become the video source of the chat programs you use, such as Yahoo Messenger or Skype. Now, if you want to make your video chat more fun, you … Read more

Facebook is testing out a new "Call" button in profile pages to promote its video chat capabilities.

Despite launching the service in a partnership with Skype nearly a year ago, Facebook may feel the pressured to amp up its video chat's visibility with competition from services like Google+ Hangouts and the recently launched Airtime.

TechCrunch first noticed the little button showing up at the top of people's profiles.

It seems like the person needs to be online for the Call button to show up. A glance at my list of friends online seems to confirm that, … Read more