Google Babel..cross platform messaging

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Red Storm

Red Storm

Lifer
Oct 2, 2005
14,233
234
106
About time. :thumbsup:

And the nice thing is that it's not Android exclusive. Wife has an iPhone so we have to use What's App to chat, hoping Babel is better.
 
dlock13

dlock13

Platinum Member
Oct 24, 2006
2,806
2
81
The only thing that makes me extremely sad about this is the fact that it probably won't incorporate texting seamlessly like Chat/iChat/whatever the hell it's called on iOS does. I mean think about it, all they have to do is tick a box, and it works for them.

I'm just really, really hoping Google makes this as seamless as possible. Microsoft does this with their chat app on WP8. It even goes as far as letting you send it directly to certain services, but it'll still combine all messaging to that inbox perfectly. I'm hoping I can replace every SMS app with this.

Also, what's going to suck is that when new devices that aren't Nexus come out and try their own thing. Samsung will probably try and integrate ChatOn with their SMS app. HTC will be left floundering about and probably just stick to their own SMS app instead of making Google Babel the default. I'm just really hoping this pushes for a more integrated place in the OS.
 
gorcorps

gorcorps

aka Brandon
Jul 18, 2004
30,739
454
126
Thank god

I wonder if it'll be able to figure out how to do group messaging between Android and iOS properly
 
S

s44

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 2006
9,427
16
81
Please fix the subject line: it's Babel (like the tower, fish, and Altavista tool), not Babble (like a child).
 
P

pm

Elite Member Mobile Devices
Jan 25, 2000
7,419
22
81
I fixed the title.

One question that I have is how well it will run on iOS. The problem that I have on iOS will all messaging apps is that they can't run in the background for very long. So you can try to have a conversation with someone but the OS kills it for you if the screen locks after a little while. I see this all the time with MS Lync (which my company uses for corporate IM) on my iPhone... if I don't leave app up all the time, I get logged out after a while and the conversation ends. I guess they could use notifications though...
 
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bearxor

Diamond Member
Jul 8, 2001
6,605
3
81
Without being able to replace the messaging app on an iPhone, I don't quite see the point. But I also don't see the point of things like WhatsApp so that shows how informed I am. I'm also not one of those people trying to duck an unlimited texting plan.

I might install it and kind of use it as a Google Talk app, but unless it starts accepting messages via my phone number (not my Google Voice number either, though I understand that, in the end, that's Google's master plan anyways) or there's just a dramatic shift in usage that I can't foresee, it's going to be just another messaging app.

pm, the messaging apps I use all use push notifications, so even if the app dies, you still get notifications of new messages. Haven't had a chance to use the lync app yet, as we're still on ocs2007 without external access, but if it didn't do that it would seem like a huge oversight on Microsoft's part.
 
dlock13

dlock13

Platinum Member
Oct 24, 2006
2,806
2
81
pm said:
I fixed the title.

One question that I have is how well it will run on iOS. The problem that I have on iOS will all messaging apps is that they can't run in the background for very long. So you can try to have a conversation with someone but the OS kills it for you if the screen locks after a little while. I see this all the time with MS Lync (which my company uses for corporate IM) on my iPhone... if I don't leave app up all the time, I get logged out after a while and the conversation ends. I guess they could use notifications though...
Click to expand...

bearxor said:
pm, the messaging apps I use all use push notifications, so even if the app dies, you still get notifications of new messages. Haven't had a chance to use the lync app yet, as we're still on ocs2007 without external access, but if it didn't do that it would seem like a huge oversight on Microsoft's part.
Click to expand...

I was just about to say that. When the app gets released, I'm assuming Google will use push to send any kind of message your way which leads me to wonder if it will incorporate text messaging or not. Are there any applications on the iPhone that can use your number to text? What I mean is, if you use a 3rd party app, can you text with your number from it?

Regardless, I can see it catching on if released with the proper features. Some times Google likes to step on it's own toes because it doesn't include all the features it should.
 
I

iahk

Senior member
Jan 19, 2002
707
0
76
bearxor said:
Without being able to replace the messaging app on an iPhone, I don't quite see the point. But I also don't see the point of things like WhatsApp so that shows how informed I am. I'm also not one of those people trying to duck an unlimited texting plan.

I might install it and kind of use it as a Google Talk app, but unless it starts accepting messages via my phone number (not my Google Voice number either, though I understand that, in the end, that's Google's master plan anyways) or there's just a dramatic shift in usage that I can't foresee, it's going to be just another messaging app.

pm, the messaging apps I use all use push notifications, so even if the app dies, you still get notifications of new messages. Haven't had a chance to use the lync app yet, as we're still on ocs2007 without external access, but if it didn't do that it would seem like a huge oversight on Microsoft's part.
Click to expand...

I don't use whatsapp either, but we're from the US so that explains a bit of it. Whatsapp is quite big outside of the US. I do duck a text messaging for 2 reasons. I'm on ATT so my only option is to go all in for $20/month unlimited messaging, but I don't text much at all as I primarily do instant messaging. I use Google Voice to sms.

For someone like me who uses Google Talk a lot along with google+ messenger, Babel would become very useful. Remember that Google+ messenger still does not have a web client to this day. Meanwhile, Facebook Messenger, which came out after google+ messenger has been updated so much that it makes google+ messenger look pathetic now. Plus it syncs conversations perfectly in the web client.

Coming from webos, this was a feature i was longing for.
 
lopri

lopri

Elite Member
Jul 27, 2002
13,312
687
126
Google needs to simplify its messaging services on Android. Messaging, Google Talk, Google Voice all mingle together on a device and it gets really confusing. Maybe it's just me and I know Google Voice isn't part of Android, but they needlessly confuses users. Add in Gmail integration of Google Voice, and things get even more weird.
 
P

pm

Elite Member Mobile Devices
Jan 25, 2000
7,419
22
81
bearxor said:
pm, the messaging apps I use all use push notifications, so even if the app dies, you still get notifications of new messages. Haven't had a chance to use the lync app yet, as we're still on ocs2007 without external access, but if it didn't do that it would seem like a huge oversight on Microsoft's part.
Click to expand...

Well, I'm looking at it now, and I do have notifications enabled for it in the notification center under settings. And I do get a notification when it logs me out. It might be a security thing though... maybe my company thinks that the notification system is insecure but logging in directly isn't... I don't know.
 
S

s44

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 2006
9,427
16
81
gorcorps said:
That doesn't make any sense. Doesn't Google already have something called hangout?
Click to expand...
They do. I think the idea is that it will swallow the other stuff.

This rumor guy called last fall's announcements 100% a month ahead of time, so...
 
R

Roland00Address

Platinum Member
Dec 17, 2008
2,196
260
126
Do we have an eta for babel or hangout (whatever it is called)?

Possibly (this is me guessing) during the google i/o?
 
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