From browsing social media to creating films, your smartphone can do it all. But even with all that power, for many, it is primarily used to communicate with others, particularly via text. In One UI 3.0, Samsung and Google drastically changed this core functionality with a new ...more
PirateBox is a great way to communicate with others nearby when cellular and Wi-Fi networks aren't available. With it, you can anonymously share any kind of media or document and even talk to one another by voice — without being online. However, it needs a Raspberry Pi, which ...more
Screen recording is an essential tool for sharing what's on our smartphones. If you want to send your friends and family an unsharable video you're watching, or a neat trick you discovered on your phone, recording your screen is one way to do so. Messenger, Facebook's standalo ...more
On April 3, 2018, Snapchat announced that the phone and video calling feature that's long been a feature of one-on-one calls would be coming to group chats. Well, late on Monday, April 17, the feature was finally pushed out to everyone for Snapchat groups on Android and iPhone ...more
If you would like to use your Facebook chat but are hiding from a particular friend, check out this tutorial. Sometimes you just aren't in the mood to talk to certain people and you don't want them to see that you are online. In this video, you will learn how to create block l ...more
We all have those moments where we're bored or lonely, and in those times, just having anyone to talk to would be awesome. But maybe your friends are all busy, or everyone you know is at work and nobody's responding to your text messages. That's the perfect situation to chat ...more
This tutorial shows you how to set up an interactive chat box on your website, so you can allow members to communicate with each other in real time. It can be a bit tricky to master, but will definitely be worth it for your site in the long run.
When you wear a holographic computer on your face, you gain some things and lose others. That's certainly the case when using Skype in Microsoft's HoloLens. Some video chats will work better because your caller can see what you see, rather than your face—but others just feel w ...more
In Android 12, you can launch the Snapchat app just by tapping the back of your Pixel phone twice. The latest Pixel update from Google improved upon the feature by giving us access to the shortcut from the lock screen. That means you're mere seconds away from snapping photos, ...more
If you already own a Canon High-def digital SLR, you can set it up as a virtual webcam. This will allow you to record video podcasts or chat on Skype. You'll also need the CamTwist software and the Canon EOS utility (available from your install CD).
Check out this informative video tutorial from Apple on how to set up iChat to text, video or audio chat with friends. iChat is an application that's part of every new Mac. It lets you stay in touch with friends and family in fun innovative ways. What makes iChat a powerful c ...more
If you have any group chats going, you're surely familiar with this scenario: One person sends a picture, then, within 30 seconds or so, all other participants chime in with one-word responses like "Cute," or "Awesome." It's a social nicety, so you have to expect this behavior ...more
This is a tutorial on how to clear your Skype call history and chat history. The option for clearing call and chat history is difficult to find in Skype. To begin, click on Tools and select Options from the Menu. In the pop up box, click on the Privacy button. By showing Advan ...more
In recent years, many software publishers have tried to sell the business community on remote meetings via VR, but if social media chatter is any indication, it hasn't taken off in a big way just yet. However, for some, the notion of holding remote meetings using augmented rea ...more
You can now customize your chat experience in Facebook Messenger Lite for Android. You can change your chat bubble colors from steamy red to cool green depending on your mood or who you're chatting with. It's a great way to spice up your standard-issue Facebook blue chat theme ...more
It's open season on Zoom, the video conferencing platform that has grown in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic but has come under fire due to privacy issues. First, Google has opened up Meet, its video conferencing services for G-Suite subscribers, as a free service for ...more
Things tend to get noisy when you're in a big group chat, which is why the notification sound for that thread shouldn't be your standard, attention-grabbing ringtone. But you don't want to set the default notification sound to something too subtle, otherwise you'd miss message ...more
This video shows you how to spam your friends in msn, aim or some other sort of chat program.
Facebook Messenger Lite is more than just a battery-friendly version of the full-fledged Messenger app for Android. It's still packing some pretty neat features and it's so much snappier than its bloated counterpart. All of the essentials are present, down to the ability to gi ...more
Part of the fun of an online game is being able to chat with your friends! This tutorial goes over how you can use the in-game chat system to join a chat channel. It also gives you a few channels useful for everyone to join, especially new players. Or create your own channel. ...more
The bigger the group chat, the harder it is to follow. Messages start flying one after the other, and before you know it, you're hopelessly lost in the conversation. With most chat apps, there's nothing you can do, other than telling your friends to slow down a bit. But on Tel ...more
As enjoyable as Facebook can be at times, it can also be a great distraction and even better deterrent of getting work done. A quick "Oh, let me check my notifications" can turn into hours and hours of Facebooking, and before you know it, you're already on your 7th Wikipedia p ...more
While WhatsApp remains one of the world's most popular messaging apps, you could only call or video chat with one friend at a time. To group audio or video chat, you'd have to use a different app, but that's no longer the case. Announced on July 30, 2018, WhatsApp now lets you ...more
You know your infant is advanced. Maybe you want to give her or him a head start at learning things like writing code to develop the next big Fortnite game. Or maybe you just want to play Fortnite with your infant. But the American Academy of Pediatrics discourages screen time ...more
Live Activities is Apple's hottest new feature for iPhone, but it's not always straightforward. Sometimes you'll trigger one without realizing it, but it may seem frustratingly impossible to start one when you really want it. What Are Live Activities? First appearing on iOS ...more
If you're like me, you enjoy using your phone's dark theme at night and light theme during the day. When switching from dark to light and vice versa, many of the UI elements in supported apps adjust accordingly, but you have no control over what does and doesn't change. WhatsA ...more
Unlike the realm of virtual reality, augmented reality is less about losing yourself in some fantasy environment, and more about getting things done in the real world. So while we've seen some great games that capture the imagination on devices like the Magic Leap One and the ...more
In this video from ThunderBoom9709 we learn all of the faces used in Facebook chat or any IM program. We learn :) is a smile, :( is sad, +o( is sick, ;) is wink, :D is excited, :O is shocked, : '( is crying, B ) is glasses, 8| is glasses/cool, >:( is really mad, >:O s laughing ...more
Video chatting over the Internet is an inexpensive way to keep in touch with your family and friends. This video will show you how to set up web video chat. Step 1. Buying a webcam If you don’t already have a webcam, you’ll need to get one. A webcam for video chatting can be ...more
Stay connected with your friends on Facebook, even when you're on your Playstation! Facebook Chat is one way you can stay in contact with your friends, or group chat with fans of a particular page. And now you can stay signed into to Facebook chat with your Playstation. Follow ...more
Want to keep an eye on your home while on vacation? Terrorize your family pet while at work? A homespun telepresence robot might be just the ticket! Luckily, thanks to shrinking hardware costs and the efforts of renowned hardware hacker Johnny Chung Lee, building a physical av ...more
Sparky is a wireless, web-based video-chat robot from the Gomi Style crew. You can learn how to make your own Autonomous Telepresence robot using spare computer parts, some old toys and a bit of custom software (that we provide at gomistyle.com). This robot is operated with a ...more
Apple first announced Business Chat, a new way for customers to communicate with companies, at WWDC 2017. While Business Chat did not arrive with the initial release of iOS 11, Apple pushed it out in iOS 11.3 so companies can offer customer service in a whole new way, and it w ...more
No webcam and don't feel like purchasing one? Ever wonder how you could use your DV camcorder as your webcam? CNET Video will teach you how to turn your DV camcorder into a webcam through easy steps!
Are you trigger happy with a specific emoji with a particular friend? Do you like flinging emoji poo at a buddy who keeps acting sh*tty? We have good news. In the Facebook Lite Chat app, you can now set a specific quick access emoji for easy emoji spamming. When talking to fr ...more
Most people are aware that you can reply to messages within notifications. The "Reply" button has been a feature in Android since 7.0 Nougat, saving precious seconds needed to open the app and respond there. But did you know the convenience doesn't stop there? As long as you' ...more
Add a chat program to your website and allow the logged in users to talk to each other! You can write this program using Adobe Flash CS3, PHP and MySQL. This tutorial shows you how to write your own Flash chat program incorporating all three systems. Part 1 of 4 - How to Code ...more
This video tutorial was created by SCEA for Sony PlayStation fans and readers on how to use their PS3. Learn how to start a video chat on your PS3. Once you learn the ease of video chatting on your PlayStation 3, you won't be able to stop.
Who knew playing SCRABBLE could lead to something like this?!? Nearly four years after he was convicted of seven counts of Internet luring, a Winnipeg man's online activities have landed him back in court. James Glenn Horeczy admitted he made sexually suggestive comments to ...more
The uses for Telnet are nearly limitless. Even joining chat rooms are in its repituare of purposes. This video will show you exactly how to Telnet into a chatroom. To send a message grooms name#a#whatever you want to send To send a message through PM hpersons name#1#a#Whateve ...more
Slack is meant for business, but it's inevitably used for personal reasons too, or even just to goof off with colleagues. However, you never know who's looking over your shoulder (nosy coworker? boss?), and you could get in trouble for something sent to you. That's why you mig ...more
If you want to teach your small children how to dance ballet, then this how to video is the place to start. In this lesson, North Dakota Ballet Company's Mary Noel shows you a fun way to teach young students how to do a pas de chat. The pas de chat means "step over the cat" in ...more
Inhabiting the microgravity environment on the cusp of the world's atmosphere has to be filled with some of the most unique experiences in the world. Astronauts eat, sleep, and work just as we do, except that their lives are filled with the added dangers of extreme temperature ...more
A simple trick in the Messages app for iOS and iPadOS can make your iMessage conversations more fun for you and your recipients by sending a full-screen blast of any Memoji sticker you choose. Apple introduced Animoji in 2017 as a part of iOS 11, then Memoji in iOS 12 the fol ...more
On Thursday, yet another piece of the Magic Leap puzzle fell into place at Twilio's Signal developer and customer conference in San Francisco. During one of the stage presentations, Twilio co-founder and CEO, Jeff Lawson, walked on staging wearing the Magic Leap One to introd ...more
In this clip, you'll learn how to create simple chat applications with WinSock in VB 6. Whether you're new to Microsoft's popular event-driven program language & IDE or a seasoned developer merely looking to improve your chops, you're sure to find benefit in this free Visual B ...more
The front camera on the Droid Bionic from Motorola is a perfect match for the Google Talk application provided with the Android smartphone. Using the Verizon Wireless 4G connection, you can stream video and voice to friends and family members on the go. This guide by Motorola ...more
Google's new cross-platform video chat app, Duo, is finally making its debut today, following a long waiting period that began in late May. The app was heavily teased during the keynote speech at Google I/O, but was not made available for download until now, so any early hype ...more
This tutorial shows you how easy it is to start a one way video chat in iChat and goes over some of the benefits of using it.
Snapchat began rolling out a massive update on March 29th, dubbed Chat 2.0, that gives users a plethora of new features, basically transforming Snapchat into an all-purpose messaging app. New features such as one-tap video chatting, audio-only chatting, and the ability to mak ...more
One of WhatsApp's best features is being able to change the default wallpaper for all chats. There's no reason to stick to the default WhatsApp backgrounds when you can be texting over an image of literally anything. In a newer WhatsApp update, you can go a step beyond that by ...more
Some users are experiencing difficulties using the MSS picture messaging and FaceTime voice chat features on their jailbroken iPhone 4. This tutorial shows you an easy fix after jailbreaking your phone - all you need to do is go into Cydia and upgrade all packages in order to ...more
Facebook has been revamping its Messenger apps these past few months, trying to lure in more users. Competing in an already crowded market of third-party messaging applications, Facebook Messenger just upped the ante, by introducing voice messaging. Similar to Voxer, the new ...more
These days, phone calls aren't always the best way to communicate with others. Maybe you need to reach people out of the country, or you simply want to have a more visual conversation. Either way, there's a reason why video calling has become so popular. FaceTime, Google Hang ...more
WhatsApp has a new sticker-making tool in the iPhone app that lets you create custom stickers directly in chats using your own images, eliminating the need to rely on third-party apps to make them. The new sticker maker, which first appeared in late February, works with Whats ...more
In this video chef Sanjay Thumma shows how to make sweet tamarind chutney in these simple steps: -In a bowl add 1 tsp. of red chilli powder, 1tsp. corianderpowder, 1/2 tsp. of cumin seed powder, 1/2 tsp. of saunf powder, a pinch of ginger powder, 1 ttspblack salt powder, 1/2 t ...more
End-to-end encryption makes WhatsApp chats private and secure. However, if someone has access to your iPhone, they can easily open the app and browse through all of your personal conversations. Luckily, there's an easy way to block any would-be intruders at the gates — just lo ...more
Popular chat apps like Facebook Messenger and (these days, sadly) WhatsApp might not cut it when it comes to privacy and security, but they sure do offer some fun ways to customize your chats. If you're worried that moving to Signal Private Messenger means you lose these featu ...more
Snapchat has added yet another social feature to its mobile app, and this one makes it possible to use augmented reality with a group of friends over video. Rolling out worldwide this week, the new Group Video Chat feature gives Snap users the opportunity to video conference ...more
Google I/O is like Christmas for smartphone fans. At their annual developer's conference, the Mountain View search giant gave us a glimpse of what they've been working on over the past year—and they've been quite busy, to say the least. Don't Miss: Meet Allo, Google's New AI ...more