Filed under: Internet, web 2.0
Look out, Skype: Vivox bringing voice chat to 250 million Facebook users
Facebook's on-site chat applet has been a big ol' success. Nearly everyone and their grandmother has at least tried it out, and I know plenty of people that don't even bother with traditional IM after using it.
But text chatting is so last decade. Heck, I could do that way back when our high school computer lab was running on token ring and Cleveland Freenet was the place to be. Why not something a bit more modern, like voice chat?
While Facebook themselves might not be in any hurry to roll out voice, Vivox is more than happy to fill the void with their own app. Vivox Voice Chat -- which is currently in private beta -- will allow Facebook users to chat with anyone on their friends list. Vivox also plans on offering call-in numbers so that non-Facebook users can interface as well. That could be a big selling point for companies using Facebook to interact with their customers.
The company already has a strong position when it comes to in-app voice, providing solutions for SecondLife, Eve Online, Sony Online Entertainment, and Electronic Arts' upcoming Command & Conquer 4.
I'll have to agree with Chris Pirillo's thoughts on the app - it's going to catch on, and it's going to take users away from Skype. With a quarter billion users spending 5 billion minutes a day on the social networking Death Star, Vivox is bound to make some serious noise.
[via CNet]
But text chatting is so last decade. Heck, I could do that way back when our high school computer lab was running on token ring and Cleveland Freenet was the place to be. Why not something a bit more modern, like voice chat?
While Facebook themselves might not be in any hurry to roll out voice, Vivox is more than happy to fill the void with their own app. Vivox Voice Chat -- which is currently in private beta -- will allow Facebook users to chat with anyone on their friends list. Vivox also plans on offering call-in numbers so that non-Facebook users can interface as well. That could be a big selling point for companies using Facebook to interact with their customers.
The company already has a strong position when it comes to in-app voice, providing solutions for SecondLife, Eve Online, Sony Online Entertainment, and Electronic Arts' upcoming Command & Conquer 4.
I'll have to agree with Chris Pirillo's thoughts on the app - it's going to catch on, and it's going to take users away from Skype. With a quarter billion users spending 5 billion minutes a day on the social networking Death Star, Vivox is bound to make some serious noise.
[via CNet]
Just when you thought you were going to get away from the rat race of a freeway commute and take the train, Nokia and EA have found a way to get you back into the driver's seat. A version of 
With Halloween fast approaching, it's a great time to get in some practice defending your territory against zombies. In Graveyard Shift, you take aim at zombies and other creepy-crawlies, blasting them into splatters of cartoony green guts. It's a casual first-person shooter, and it's very easy to get the hang of - use the mouse to aim, click to fire. Graveyard Shift has at least 15 levels, and it might even have some secret stages I haven't unlocked yet.
They key to getting good at Graveyard Shift is learning to use ...
