Best instant messaging services

Messaging services can be a useful alternative to your standard SMS messaging on your smartphone. While a standard text message uses your carrier plan, a messaging app only uses WiFi and is completely independent, which means you won’t actually need a plan from a carrier to use it. These are also useful if you want to message simultaneously on your smartphone, tablet, or computer, and they often have a ton of extra features that your standard text messaging app simply won’t have.

We’ve compiled some of the best and most popular apps available to give you a few to test out.

For Android users, it’s hard to top Google’s own Hangouts app. The service is pre-installed on nearly all Android smartphones and offers some unique features that you won’t find in other apps, and it has its own video calling feature baked right in.

Hangouts is easy to use and set up because you’ll only have to know someone’s Gmail address to start chatting. Everyone with an Android phone will have a Gmail account, and there’s a good chance that users on other platforms will have one, too. While chatting, Hangouts offers full emoji support, tons of stickers, and you can even do things like share your location or video chat right from within the app. It also seamlessly handles group chats, which is a pretty big improvement over most default SMS clients.

If you don’t like having two separate apps for your messaging and SMS conversations, Hangouts will actually integrate both into its app. Your Hangouts chats will appear alongside your standard text messages so you won’t need to flip back and forth between the two, and you’ll still be able to use Hangouts features when available, like chatting on WiFi and having sent and read receipts.

Hangouts also features its own companion dialer app, too, so you can call using your carrier minutes right from within the app. This can completely replace your standard dialer app (it shows your verified Google phone number on outgoing calls) and it can integrate with Google Voice if you happen to be a user of that service.

Integrated SMS and being completely cross-platform are two of the biggest selling points for Hangouts. It should be quick and easy to start using Hangouts to chat with any of your Android buddies, and anyone on iOS can quickly download Google’s Hangouts app and go from there.

Play Store Download Link

A messaging service is only useful if your friends use it too, and that’s arguably the greatest selling point for Facebook’s own Messenger app. Facebook Messenger is a standalone app for smartphones and tablets that obviously uses your Facebook account for finding friends and sending messages. The service works seamlessly across just about any device that can access Facebook, so you can start chatting on your laptop and pick up the conversation on your smartphone or tablet on the go.

Facebook Messenger offers several pretty unique features that other apps don’t match, the biggest of which are chat heads. Chat heads were introduced a few years back as Facebook’s killer feature for its messaging platform and they’re still the coolest and most unique feature to the app. The floating bubbles sit on top of every other app on your screen and allow you to quickly jump in and out of multiple conversations, making multitasking a breeze.

The app also features standard things you’d expect from messaging clients, including group messages and read receipts, plus pretty much anything else you can find in Facebook’s desktop client like being able to send your location to friends and family. Since Facebook opened up Messenger as a platform, you’ll also find some different plug-ins, tons of different stickers, the ability to securely send money, and voice/video calling.

Even if you aren’t a frequent Facebook user, the Messenger app is fully fleshed out on its own. You also probably already have a fairly large group of contacts you can chat with, since just about everyone has a Facebook today, making it an excellent option for most people.

Play Store Download Link

WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, and although Facebook purchased the company for billions of dollars last year, it still operates independently from the social media network’s own messaging application and even offers some things that Facebook Messenger doesn’t.

The app functions pretty much like a standard instant messaging service and offers all of the normal tools and features you’d find in other apps. Group chatting with WhatsApp is quick and easy, and you can send your location, use emojis and stickers, make voice calls, and so on. Where WhatsApp excels is in its simplicity; it doesn’t use any confusing usernames or anything, and instead relies on your phone number and pulls contacts from your address book to make finding people to talk to quick and easy. It functions as close to SMS as you’ll find in an instant messaging service, but without using any of your carrier’s texting plan. This also applies to making phone calls through the WhatsApp service.

WhatsApp also natively offers a huge range of emojis that aren’t available system-wide in Android (but they are on iOS) so if you do a lot of chatting with iOS users or just like expressing yourself with tons of emojis, WhatsApp stands out. You can also change the background of your chats and do some other small customization, which might be worth investing in for some people.

The only real drawback to WhatsApp is that it’s only free for the first year. The app costs a buck per year to keep using after that, which is extremely cheap, but considering there are several other completely free alternatives, that might turn some people off from the service.

Play Store Download Link

Skype is almost synonymous with video calling, having made a name for itself several years back as being one of the quickest and easiest ways to video chat with people all over the world. While almost all messaging apps offer some way to make video calls now, Skype still offers a fantastic chat system that makes it a decent alternative to text messaging.

As a messaging client, Skype offers everything you could want. It can easily replace a text messaging service, and even excels at making phone calls, not even considering its video calling capability. Skype has the ability to make calls to phone numbers around the world, even landline phones, with some extremely aggressively priced rates for talk credit. Your carrier plan is almost definitely more expensive, so if you have any friends or family in other parts of the world that you regularly talk to, Skype could almost definitely save you money.

Since Skype is owned by Microsoft, you’ll also get some discounted Skype credit if you subscribe to any of Microsoft’s Office plans that also include OneDrive space and access to Microsoft Office applications. The Skype credit alone probably isn’t worth investing in those things, but if you’re already paying for the cloud space or Office, the free credit could definitely make Skype a solid go-to messaging app.

Skype also has extremely well-designed desktop applications, as it started as a desktop program before ever making its way to mobile. The program might come preloaded on any newer Windows device you might have, but it’s freely available in the Windows store or from their website. For cross platform use that focuses primarily on desktop usage, Skype is arguably a better choice than most other apps on this list.

Play Store Download Link

BlackBerry Messenger hit peak popularity when BlackBerries were still a viable smartphone choice. It really popularized instant messaging between mobile phones ahead of every other service, but like RIM’s business choices with BlackBerry phones, the service floundered in the face of newer competition.

While purchasing a BlackBerry right now still isn’t a technologically sound decision, BlackBerry Messenger has made a decent comeback in the world of messaging services and really narrows in on privacy-minded users. Plus, you’ll still have all your old BBM contacts. You know, in case you want to spark up some old conversations with your friends from a decade ago.

BBM still has all the staple messaging features from years ago, including the innovative read and delivered receipts, but it’s also added voice calling, quick ways to share content and notes, and location sharing that integrates with Glympse. You’ll still have group chats, emojis, and BBM profiles, plus push notifications and everything else that a messenger should have in 2015.

Where BlackBerry really makes their app stand out is in the privacy department. Instead of taking the simplistic approach and allowing others to find you by phone number or email address, BBM uses a pin number that you’ll have to give out before someone can reach out to you. There’s also a two-way opt-in setting for controlling who can and can’t message you, which is, again, very security focused.

The messenger offers a very unique take on disappearing messages that allows you to retract any message that you may have sent to someone, so when you delete your messages they’ll also disappear from the other person’s chat view, too. You can manually erase messages and photos, but they can also be set up to disappear after a specified time, Snapchat-style. Obviously this won’t prevent anyone from taking a screenshot of what you sent, but it’s better than every other messaging service or SMS where once it’s been sent there’s no taking it back.

The biggest drawback to BBM now is its dwindled user base. While some people are still on the service, without coming pre-installed on any new smartphones it’s hard to keep tons and tons of people using the app regularly. For casual chatting with friends and family, it might be a tough sell to get them to jump on board with a security-focused messaging app that requires pin numbers instead of usernames, but it does make an excellent choice for someone looking for a service that can handle communication in a work or business environment.

Play Store Download Link

These are five of the best messaging services available on Android that cover most use cases, but there are plenty of others in the Play Store, too. Are there any that you and your friends used that we passed over? Let us know in the comments.

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UK’s first driverless ‘pod’ readies itself for public trials

Britain wants to be at the forefront of driverless car technology, so it’s funding a handful of research projects that will look at different vehicle designs and how people react to them. One of those initiatives, led by Transport Systems Catapult and the RDM Group, is inching closer towards public trials today with the unveiling of a new “Lutz Pathfinder” pod. We first saw the vehicle back in February, covered with Union Jack decals, but that was actually just a prototype. The new two-seater pod unveiled this morning is far closer to completion — it just needs to visit Oxford University’s Mobile Robotics Group, where it’ll be fitted with an autonomous control system. Researchers will then do a number of calibration tests on a private test track, before it’s finally sent out for public testing in Milton Keynes.

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If all goes to plan, the Lutz Pathfinder will be the first fully automated vehicle to be trialled in a pedestrianised space in the UK. “When you consider that there wasn’t even a design in place for this vehicle less than 18 months ago, it has been a really quick turnaround,” Steve Yianni, CEO for Transport Systems Catapult said. Safety is, unsurprisingly, the project’s primary concern. When it first hits the pavement, the pods will be driven manually so they can map their surroundings. They’ll then drive autonomously, with a trained operator on board that can override the controls if necessary. Transport Systems Catapult hopes the pods will eventually be used as a mode of public transport, with the option for commuters to summon them with their smartphone. It’s a long, arduous process, but the UK government is praying that its efforts will make it an early pioneer in self-driving technology, and eventually pay dividends as car makers grow increasingly dependent on it.

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Tags: driverless, DriverlessCars, lutz, pathfinder, pod, selfdriving, SelfDrivingCar

Engadget giveaway: win a set of Playbulb lights courtesy of Mipow!

Adding a splash of color to a room is now as easy as screwing in a lightbulb. The mood altering affects don’t stop there, either. Mipow’s Playbulb line of Bluetooth Smart LED bulbs includes the flameless Candle with a lavender scent and the speaker-packing Color for illumination and music. Just connect to the bulbs with the Playbulb X app (iOS and Android) to choose from millions of color combos, set timers, adjust brightness and more. Two lucky Engadget readers will each win a set with two of the Candle, Rainbow, Color and solar-powered Garden models to bathe your home in hues both inside and out. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances a winning.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

• Entries are handled through the Rafflecopter widget above. Comments are no longer accepted as valid methods of entry. You may enter without any obligation to social media accounts, though we may offer them as opportunities for extra entries. Your email address is required so we can get in touch with you if you win, but it will not be given to third parties.
• Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so direct your anger at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
• Winners will be chosen randomly. Two (2) winners will each receive two (2) Playbulb Candle, two (2) Playbulb Color, two (2) Playbulb Garden and two (2) Playbulb Rainbow.
• If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Make sure that the account you use to enter the contest includes your real name and a contact email or Facebook login. We do not track any of this information for marketing or third-party purposes.
• This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. Engadget and AOL are not held liable to honor warranties, exchanges or customer service.
• The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here.
• Entries can be submitted until September 16th at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!

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Tags: bluetooth, bluetooth bulb, contest, engadget giveaway, engadgetgiveaway, giveaway, playbulb

You should watch GTA drama ‘The Gamechangers’ on BBC Two tonight

Later this evening, the BBC will be airing a one-off TV special about the development of Grand Theft Auto and the criticism that surrounded its portrayal of violence. It’s called The Gamechangers and stars Daniel Radcliffe as Rockstar president Sam Houser and Bill Paxton (Apollo 13, Titanic and Nightcrawler) as Jack Thompson, a former attorney that campaigned against the series. The docudrama’s first trailer showed promise and, if nothing else, we’re keen to see exactly what caused Rockstar to take legal action against the BBC. You can catch it all tonight (September 15th) from 9pm over on BBC Two.

[Image Credit: BBC]

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Tags: bbc, docudrama, documentary, drama, grandtheftauto, gta, rockstar, thegamechangers

Jeff Bezos’ space firm commits to building and launching in Florida

Blue Origins, Jeff Bezos’ private space travel company (and competitor to Elon Musk’s SpaceX), is setting up shop in Florida. Bezos announced this morning that the company is building a manufacturing facility for its reusable orbital vehicles, and that it’ll be launching from the nearby Spaceport Launch 36 complex, Geekwire reports. Blue Origin will be investing $200 million in Florida, according to Florida Governor Rick Scott, and creating 330 jobs. The news comes a week after Boeing and Lockheed’s United Launch Associates agreed to expand production of Blue Origin’s BE-4 rocket motor. While there’s still plenty of work ahead, Bezos now appears to be one step closer to making his dream of inexpensive space travel a reality. Most intriguingly, he says the company will be launching from the new site “later this decade.”

“One of the unique things about our Florida operations is that we aren’t just launching here, we’re building here,” Bezos said in prepared remarks. “At Exploration Park, we’ll have a 21st century production facility where we’ll focus on manufacturing our reusable fleet of orbital launchers and readying them for flight again and again. Locating vehicle assembly near our launch site eases the challenge of processing and transporting really big rockets.”

Blue Origins said earlier this year that it planned to begin testing the BE-4 engine in 2016, so today’s announcement is a sign that it may actually be on schedule.

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Source:
Geekwire, Blue Origin

Tags: BlueOrigins, JeffBezos, space

First UK drone pilot convicted for flying over packed football grounds

In what’s thought to be the first conviction of its kind in the UK, a Nottingham resident has been prosecuted for drone offences under the Civil Aviation Authority’s Air Navigation Order (2009). Nigel Wilson was initially arrested earlier this year, after he was caught flying a drone over Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium. It soon came to light that he was a serial rule-breaker, using his drone to film many a footy match at various UK stadia, as well as indulging in some high-flying sight-seeing at various London landmarks, including Buckingham Palace. The Metropolitan Police note that in one particular incident at Liverpool’s Anfield ground, his drone spooked the horses of several mounted officers, endangering nearby pedestrians.

Specifically, Wilson disobeyed the Air Navigation Order’s requirements that drone pilots not fly in congested areas, keep their craft within direct line of sight, and stay at least 50 metres clear of buildings. Having plead guilty to a total of seven offences, Wilson has been sentenced and ordered to pay a £1,800 fine and £600 in costs. Likely more dejecting for the enthusiast, he’s also been slapped with a Criminal Behaviour Order that prevents him from purchasing, owning, flying, or basically having anything to do with drones for the next two years. If only he’d read our handy guide on UK drone laws before he took to the skies, eh?

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Source:
Metropolitan Police

Tags: conviction, drone, metpolice, metropolitanpolice, uav