5 Apps to Use for Video Calling Between iPhone and Android Users

Smartphones revolutionized how phones are used. They are not merely used for calling and messaging, but have come a long way from what we were accustomed to from years before. Smartphones have become the ultimate gadget for everyone. Obviously you can use it to call and send messages, but also to check emails, social networking, view and/or edit work documents, listen to music, watch movies and videos, play games, and so much more. They even provide free means to call and video chat to keep you connected with your loved ones.

Apple's FaceTime is one of the apps you can use to video call for free. The only problem with FaceTime is that it can only work between iOS devices with Wi-Fi and 3G connections. So if you are trying to video chat with someone who owns an Android device, you will need to use third-party apps. Here are 5 apps that will allow your iPhone to video call an Android user and vice versa:

Fring

Fring is an app that allows you to video call any Fring user whether they are using iOS, Android, or even Symbian devices worldwide. It also supports two-way video calls over Wi-Fi and 3G, and group video calls, allowing up to 4 participants in a video call. Furthermore, it offers VOIP by enabling you to call to any landline with fringOut and keep you in touch with your family and friends across IM networks, like Google Talk, AIM, ICQ, and MSN Messenger.

You can download Fring for iOS and Fring for Android free of charge.

Movicha

Movicha offers two-way video calls to all platforms — that includes iOS, Android, Windows Phone, and Symbian over Wi-Fi, 3G, and 4G networks. It also offers group video call of up to 4 people and end-to-end encrypted calls.

You can download Movicha for iOS and Movicha for Android free of charge.

ooVoo

ooVoo offers simple interface and cross platform availability, which includes major smartphone and desktop OS. It allows free video and voice calls and text messaging. ooVoo has the highest video chat quality among all video call apps. Furthermore, ooVoo supports group video calls of up to 12 participants over 3G, 4G, LTE, and Wi-Fi. ooVoo is also advertised to have the following features:

• Group video chat - With ooVoo, you can add up to 12 people to a high quality FREE group video call just by Tap-Tap-GO!™.
• FREE voice calls - With free voice calls, you can stay in touch with your friends wherever they are. Talk with other ooVoo members for as long you want to.
• Instant Messaging - Send text messages to your friends with ooVoo - even while you're on a call.
• Cross-platform - Connect with friends on Android smartphones and tablets, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and desktop and laptop PCs and Mac computers.
• SuperClear™ video – ooVoo’s proprietary technology which adjusts for packet-loss on low-bandwidth video calls, resulting in the highest quality video chat on mobile without increasing data consumption.
• High resolution video for 1:1 video chats on wifi for the most popular Android devices
• Echo cancellation for crystal clear audio during video chats
• Video and photo messaging.
• ooVies™ — video status messages that you display on your profile or send to friends!
• Full-page profile screen featuring your ooVies, profile pic, and more!
• Fab 5 — put your five best friends on speed dial!
• Colorful, creative filters for in-call video and video recording.
• View friends’ profiles and connect in any of four ways: video call, voice call, instant text or video message.
• Search for friends on ooVoo, Facebook, Twitter, Gmail and your personal contact list.
• Review your conversation history and messages and resume them with one touch.

You can download ooVoo for iOS and ooVoo for Android free of charge.

Skype

Skype is probably the most popular video calling app with over 250 million Skype users worldwide. It offers two-way video call and low cost calls to mobiles and landlines. You can use Skype to video call from a PC, Mac, smartphones, tablets, and even Smart TVs.

You can download Skype for Android and iOS for free to enjoy all its amazing features.

Tango

Tango is a free messaging service that allows you to send text messages, make video and voice calls, share photos, play games, send music messages powered by Spotify, and much more. In addition, Tango offers mini games that can be played even during the call. You can even challenge the caller on the other end on a game. How cool is that?

You can download Tango for iOS and Tango for Android free of charge.

Android Tips: Opening Links Without Leaving an App

As an avid iOS user, I find it annoying whenever I click a link inside an app, like Facebook or Twitter, when I use my Android tablet. The thing is, in Android you will have to leave the app you are currently in to read a link in a browser. It’s a good thing there is an Android app that you can install so you can skip this interruption.

Flynx is a free Android app that allows you to click on a link from any app, and load it in the background. Thus, allowing you to stay within the app you are currently on. Flynx is incredibly handy when using an app where there are a lot of links you might want to browse, like in Facebook or Twitter. Flynx opens any link you tap and displays it as a floating icon. It even has a loading bar to let you know when the link is ready to be read, and a Reading Mode that removes unnecessary elements from the page, like ads. It also has a Night Mode that features a white-on-black color scheme for a more comfortable reading experience in the dark.

To use Flynx to open links without leaving an app, check out the steps below:

Open Links Without Leaving an App

Download and install Flynx in the Google Play Store.

Once installed, you will be asked which program you want to use to open links. Select Flynx from the list to make it your default link opener.

That's it! Now, when you open a link inside an app, a floating icon will appear on the upper-left side of your screen.

A loading or progress bar will appear on the edges of the icon to indicate if the link is ready to be read. Once it is done loading, the loading or progress bar will disappear. You can then tap on the icon to open the link in the Flynx browser.

The Flynx browser will appear halfway down the screen of the app you are currently on, making the original app show on the background.

Once you are done reading and want to close the link and go back to your app, drag the floating icon towards the middle and into the x icon that will appear.

If you clicked on multiple links, each will have a designated floating icon, and they will appear in the order that they were clicked. If they are unopened, a red number indicates how many links are loaded and ready for viewing.

You can also tap on the floating icons to switch from one link to another.

All links that you have clicked will be saved in the Flynx browser. If you want to view your browsing history, just open the Flynx app, and then go to BROWSING HISTORY. You will then get a list of all the links you have opened using Flynx on your Android device.

Apps That Will Help You Plan a Perfect Summer Vacation

People love to travel nowadays.  It is a way of getting out temporarily from the stressful reality. I also love to travel but because of the busy work schedule that I have, I just do it twice or thrice every year. Summer is the most perfect time to go on a vacation. People go to different places and countries to discover new things, eat different kinds of food, and experience new adventures. To sum it up, people go on a vacation because they want to relax and have fun.

I’m an Android user. Everytime I go on a summer vacation, I make sure that I have my Android gadgets with me. I know most of the people can relate to that; to capture the moments and to simply enjoy the sceneries.

There are a lot of apps that will help us plan a perfect summer vacation. Examples of such apps are Kayak, Google Translate, Currency, Uber, Yelp, Google Map, and a lot more. These apps will make your travel experience convenient and hassle-free.

Kayak is one of the most popular applications for most travelers. It lets you search and compare flights, hotels, and car rentals so you will know which of them offers cheaper rates. It also has an airline directory on major North American airlines and airports and has a built-in currency converter, too.

Google Translate is an app that can translate more than 70 different languages, and we can even listen to it for us to know the proper way to pronounce specific words.

Currency is very simple to use. We can easily convert one amount into several different currencies from all over the world.

With Uber, you can simply request for a taxi pickup using your phone. The app will automatically locate you and will send your request to the closest driver around your area to fetch you.

Yelp is a helpful application, especially if we visit a place for the first time. If we are clueless on what hotel and restaurants to go to, just use this app and it will give you recommendations based on people's ratings and opinions.

Google Map has always been a lifesaver to most of us. It makes the navigating of the world faster and easier. This is a very detailed app since it provides a satellite view, street view, and traffic view of different places anywhere in the world. This application will let us search by voice and in plain English. If you feel that you're lost, never worry, since this is the perfect application that you can use.

These are just a few of the many common applications for Android users. If you want to have a stress-free summer vacation, make sure to install these apps on your phones for your convenience.

Travel safely, enjoy life, and have a great summer!


By: Marie Antonette Jamera