This Day in Tech: Facebook releases video chat; Obama on Twitter for town hall meeting

Too busy to keep up with today's tech news? Here are some of the more interesting stories from CNET for Wedesday, July 6.

•  Facebook had big news today: The social-networking giant announced a new video chat feature powered by Skype, which means you can now see your Facebook friend's face in real-time. Mark Zuckerberg spoke today on stage about why mixing Facebook's social infrastructure with new apps like video chats will create new scenarios for their users. CNET's Josh Lowensohn, who was at the event, wrote Zuckerberg says 4 billion things are shared every day. "The stuff we're going to share today doesn't even fit into that 4 billion," Zuckerberg says, which are group chat, a new chat design, and video calling updates. Still wondering what it looks like, CNET's Rafe Needleman gets a demo from Facebook officials at the company's headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif. It basically looks like Skype video chat, in a room with all your Facebook buddies.

• Twitter Town hall: President Obama hosted a Webcast at the White House today and answered questions through Twitter. Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter, moderated the tweets sent in through #AskObama, fielding questions about the economy and jobs. Obama answered on Twitter: "Collective bargaining responsible for so many benefits/protections we take for granted on the job" and "We reformed student loans to help students not banks; talking w/ universities to bring down costs, promote needed skills." Back in April, Obama held a Facebook town hall and threw punches at Republicans.

• So you got an invite to Google+ but don't know what to do? Don't worry: CNET's Sharon Vaknin will help you with seven essential tips you need to know so you don't literally walk in circles as you get used to this new social network.

• Does your phone battery constantly run out of charge? CNET tested the battery life of different phones and put them in a chart. See how your phone ranks.