Tag: making-it-easy

Slack now has built-in video calling

Slack’s quest to become a do-it-all chat app continues. The company is trotting out video calling support in the Mac, Windows and Chrome versions of its client, making it easy to see a coworker or catch up with a friend. Anyone can start a one-on-one chat, while those on paid plans can have calls with as many as 15 people at once — handy for virtual meetings where your voice isn’t enough. This isn’t exactly a revolutionary feature by itself, but Slack adds its signature emoji responses to let you raise your hand or offer approval without interrupting the discussion. You can still tell the app to default to using third-party video services like Google Hangouts, so you’re not locked into Slack’s software. The feature should reach desktop users in the “next few days.” Mobile users aren’t left completely in the lurch, but they won’t get the full experience, unfortunately. They can join an active video call, but only on the audio side. There’s no mention of whether or not video calls are coming to mobile, but that’s likely given Slack’s tendency to mirror features across platforms whenever it can. The upgrade isn’t exactly coming out of left field. Facebook already has a Slack competitor in Workplace , and Microsoft has been signalling that it’s eager to take on Slack with a Skype upgrade. Video calling could keep you from considering rival apps, whether it’s just for video chats or for a wholesale switch. Via: The Next Web Source: Slack

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Slack now has built-in video calling

BitTorrent reportedly fires its CEOs, gets out of the media game

BitTorrent has had a big interest in making it easy for creators to distribute and sell music and films, but it looks like that initiative might have just ground to a screeching halt. Variety is reporting that the company has fired its two CEOs, laid off an unknown number of staffers and is shutting down BitTorrent Now , its recently-launched ad-supported video and music streaming platform. If this is all true, it would mark a pretty dramatic change of pace for the company, which has sought to build an identify as a champion for an open internet. Not through piracy, for which the company is still closely linked thanks to the peer-to-peer sharing technology the company developed, but through more legit means. In addition to shuttering BitTorrent Now, the company has also reportedly closed a Los Angeles studio that served as the headquarters for the initiative. While BitTorrent Now was a bit of an update and rebrand, the company had been offering “bundles” of content from indie artists for years now. According to Variety , the company was bleeding money on the venture; one source said that spending was “out of control.” BitTorrent had also recently launched a live streaming platform, hired a news director and started its own news network. While today’s report didn’t have any details on what will happen with those initiatives, it’s not unreasonable to imagine they’re also in jeopardy. With both CEOs Robert Delamar and Jeremy Johnson out, CFO Dipak Joshi has apparently stepped in as interim CEO. All the turmoil reportedly started a few weeks ago, with layoffs kicking off in the second half of September. We’re reaching out to BitTorrent and will update this story with more details as we learn them. Source: Variety

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BitTorrent reportedly fires its CEOs, gets out of the media game