OMG! Ubuntu!
Facebook Movie Talk Now Works in Ubuntu, No Plugin Needed
Facebook Movie Calls Now Work in Linux
Well, here’s a surprise: Facebook movie talk now works in Ubuntu and other Linux distributions out of the box, no plugin or extra download required.
The switch, which emerges to have come into effect in the past few weeks, sees the social network’s on-site movie calling feature switch to a web-based technology that “just works” for users.
Skype-based movie calling was introduced to Facebook back in two thousand eleven but required users to install a web-browser plugin to use it. That plugin, based on the archaic NPAPI architecture, was only available for Windows and Mac OS. Linux (and Chromebook) users were left in the shade.
All past tense now, of course.
Facebook Movie Talk Now ‘Just Works’…
As of writing there has been no formal or official announcement by Facebook on the switch. That said, most of Facebook’s Help Center articles have been updated to reference it, with most date-stamped as ‘Trio weeks ago’.
Those help pages have exchanged plugin download how-to’s and “not available for Linux” blurbs for a concise, if brief, rundown of how the “fresh Facebook movie calling practice” (emphasis mine) works:
“Video calling lets you make calls right from Facebook without downloading any extra programs or plugins, and works with Google Chrome, Firefox and Opera. All you need to do is click [on the movie icon] in the upper-right corner of a conversation to begin a movie call.”
Fantastic news for Facebook fans, right?
…But We Don’t Know How It Works
Annoyingly for geeks like us the social networking giant is yet to mention the nitty gritty about how the fresh web-based ‘Facebook Movie Calling’ feature works.
It is clearly based on a standard web technology as it will work out-of-the-box on an Ubuntu Live CD. That suggests it’s using the ‘Web Real-Time Communication’ (WebRTC) protocol that enables browser-to-browser applications like voice talk (and others, like instant messaging, file sending, etc.).
Adding weight to this is the list of ‘supported browsers’ in the updated help articles on Facebook. These three, Chrome, Firefox and Opera, all support WebRTC natively. Safari and Internet Explorer are not listed.
What about Skype?
Where does that leave Skype, the VoIP giant that has ‘powered’ Facebook’s voice and movie talk until now? That’s unclear. Use of WebRTC doesn’t rule out Skype’s involvement, tho’. Microsoft aims to bring its VoIP service to the browser natively using the same web standard, and launched ‘Skype for Web’ in private beta late last year.
There’s also the question how/if WhatsApp, which was purchased by Facebook last year, plays into this. Zuckerberg’s billion dollar purchase is widely expected to introduce ‘voice calls’ in the near future. Might it use similar underlying technologies?
Whatever the backend the feature works well enough for everyday use. It won’t substitute Skype, and Google Hangouts — which went plugin-free last year — remains unrivalled for group talks and overall functionality.
But for brief talks with those not integrated into your life outside of Facebook it should prove useful to have so readily at arm.
Here’s How to Use Facebook Movie Calling in Ubuntu
To use Facebook movie calling in Ubuntu you need a supported browser: Google Chrome, Opera or Firefox.
Head to the Facebook website, log in with your regular credentials and select a friend from your Talk List who is both available to talk and on a device that can accept movie calls.
Click the camera icon at the top of the talk window:
Click this icon to movie call on Facebook
The movie call session will open in a separate window. You can stir and resize this window like any other.
The very first time you attempt to make a movie you will be asked to permit Facebook access to your webcam and microphone. Since your call can’t take place until you do so, click the ‘Permit’ button or prompt that emerges to proceed.
Hover over the window to expose a petite set of button. These permit you to (in order) turn off your webcam, mute your microphone, end the call or take the entire talk full-screen.
As Facebook rings out the person you’re attempting to contact they’ll see a call alert:
Facebook call alert
As soon as the call is answered (and assuming neither party has muted their mic or webcam prior to connection taking place) you’ll be able to see and hear each other right away:
Yes, I am talking with a rammed animal
To end a call click the crimson ‘Phone’ icon in the toolbar overlay (or close the window).
And that’s literally all there is to it.
How well does it work?
For me the feature didn’t work fantastically. It connects quickly (almost seamlessly) but the call quality was crackly and the movie lagged a good number of frames behind the sound. How much of that was based on network traffic I can’t tell, but I did hop onto Skype afterwards to compare and it was a world of difference.
If you take Facebook movie talk for a spin in your distribution of choice do leave a comment on how you find the quality.
Facebook Movie Talk Now Works in Ubuntu
OMG! Ubuntu!
Facebook Movie Talk Now Works in Ubuntu, No Plugin Needed
Facebook Movie Calls Now Work in Linux
Well, here’s a surprise: Facebook movie talk now works in Ubuntu andВ other Linux distributions out of the box, no plugin or extra downloadВ required.
TheВ switch, which shows up to have come into effect in the past few weeks, sees the social network’s on-site movie callingВ feature switch to aВ web-based technology that “just works” for users.
Skype-based movie calling was introduced to FacebookВ backВ in 2011В but required users to install aВ web-browserВ plugin to use it. That plugin, based on the archaic NPAPI architecture, was only available forВ Windows and Mac OS. Linux (and Chromebook) users were left in the shade.
All past tense now, of course.В
Facebook Movie Talk Now ‘Just Works’…
As of writing there has been no formal or official announcement by Facebook on the switch. That said, most of Facebook’s Help Center articlesВ have been updated to reference it, with most date-stamped as ‘Trio weeks ago’.
Those help pages have exchanged plugin download how-to’s andВ “not available for Linux” blurbs for a concise, if brief, rundown of how the “fresh Facebook movie calling practice” (emphasis mine) works:
“Video calling lets you make calls right from Facebook without downloading any extra programs or plugins, and works with Google Chrome, Firefox and Opera. All you need to do is click [on the movie icon] in the upper-right corner of a conversation to commence a movie call.”
Fantastic news for Facebook fans, right?
…But We Don’t Know How It Works
Annoyingly for geeks like us theВ social networking giant is yet to mention the nitty gritty about how the fresh web-based ‘Facebook Movie Calling’ feature works.
It is clearlyВ based on a standard web technology as it will work out-of-the-box on an Ubuntu Live CD. That suggests it’s using theВ ‘Web Real-Time Communication’ (WebRTC) protocol that enables browser-to-browser applications like voice talk (and others, like instant messaging, file sending, etc.).
Adding weight toВ thisВ is the list of ‘supported browsers’ in the updated help articles on Facebook. These three, Chrome, Firefox and Opera, all supportВ WebRTC natively. Safari and Internet Explorer are not listed.
What about Skype?
Where does that leave Skype, the VoIP giant that has ‘powered’В Facebook’s voice and movie talk until now? That’s unclear. Use of WebRTC doesn’t rule out Skype’s involvement, however. Microsoft aims to bring its VoIP service to the browser natively using the sameВ web standard,В andВ launched ‘Skype for Web’ in private beta late last year.В
There’s also the question how/if WhatsApp, which was purchased by Facebook last year, plays into this.В Zuckerberg’sВ billion dollar purchaseВ is widely expected to introduce ‘voice calls’ in the near future. Might itВ use similar underlying technologies?
Whatever the backend the feature works well enough for everyday use. It won’tВ substitute Skype, and Google Hangouts — which went plugin-free last year — remains unrivalledВ forВ group talks and overall functionality.
But forВ brief talks with thoseВ not integrated into your life outside of Facebook it should prove useful to have so readily at mitt.
Here’s How to Use Facebook Movie Calling in Ubuntu
To use Facebook movie calling in Ubuntu you need a supported browser:В GoogleВ Chrome, Opera or Firefox.
Head to theВ Facebook website, log in with your regular credentials and select a friend from your Talk List who is both available toВ talk and on a device that can accept movie calls.
Click the camera icon at the top of the talk window:
Click this icon to movie call on Facebook
The movie call session will open in a separate window. You can budge and resize this window like any other.
TheВ very first time you attempt to make a movie you will be asked to permit Facebook access to your webcam and microphone. Since yourВ call can’t take place until you do so, click the ‘Permit’ button or prompt that emerges to proceed.
Hover over the window to expose a puny set of button. These permit you to (in order) turn off your webcam, mute your microphone, end the call or take the entire talk full-screen.
As Facebook rings out theВ person you’re attempting to contact they’ll see a call alert:
Facebook call alert
As soon as the call is answered (and assuming neither party has muted their mic or webcam prior to connection taking place) you’ll be able to see and hear each other right away:
Yes, I am talking with a plunged animal
To end a call click the crimson ‘Phone’ icon in the toolbar overlay (or close the window).
And that’s literally all there is to it.
How well does it work?
For me the feature didn’t workВ fantastically. It connects quickly (almost seamlessly) but the call qualityВ wasВ cracklyВ and the movie lagged a good number of frames behind the sound. How much of that was based on network traffic I can’t tell, but I did hop onto Skype afterwards to compare and it was a world of difference.
If you take Facebook movie talk for a spin in your distribution of choice do leave a commentВ on how you find theВ quality.
Facebook Movie Talk Now Works in Ubuntu
OMG! Ubuntu!
Facebook Movie Talk Now Works in Ubuntu, No Plugin Needed
Facebook Movie Calls Now Work in Linux
Well, here’s a surprise: Facebook movie talk now works in Ubuntu andВ other Linux distributions out of the box, no plugin or extra downloadВ required.
TheВ switch, which shows up to have come into effect in the past few weeks, sees the social network’s on-site movie callingВ feature switch to aВ web-based technology that “just works” for users.
Skype-based movie calling was introduced to FacebookВ backВ in 2011В but required users to install aВ web-browserВ plugin to use it. That plugin, based on the archaic NPAPI architecture, was only available forВ Windows and Mac OS. Linux (and Chromebook) users were left in the shade.
All past tense now, of course.В
Facebook Movie Talk Now ‘Just Works’…
As of writing there has been no formal or official announcement by Facebook on the switch. That said, most of Facebook’s Help Center articlesВ have been updated to reference it, with most date-stamped as ‘Trio weeks ago’.
Those help pages have exchanged plugin download how-to’s andВ “not available for Linux” blurbs for a concise, if brief, rundown of how the “fresh Facebook movie calling practice” (emphasis mine) works:
“Video calling lets you make calls right from Facebook without downloading any extra programs or plugins, and works with Google Chrome, Firefox and Opera. All you need to do is click [on the movie icon] in the upper-right corner of a conversation to commence a movie call.”
Fantastic news for Facebook fans, right?
…But We Don’t Know How It Works
Annoyingly for geeks like us theВ social networking giant is yet to mention the nitty gritty about how the fresh web-based ‘Facebook Movie Calling’ feature works.
It is clearlyВ based on a standard web technology as it will work out-of-the-box on an Ubuntu Live CD. That suggests it’s using theВ ‘Web Real-Time Communication’ (WebRTC) protocol that enables browser-to-browser applications like voice talk (and others, like instant messaging, file sending, etc.).
Adding weight toВ thisВ is the list of ‘supported browsers’ in the updated help articles on Facebook. These three, Chrome, Firefox and Opera, all supportВ WebRTC natively. Safari and Internet Explorer are not listed.
What about Skype?
Where does that leave Skype, the VoIP giant that has ‘powered’В Facebook’s voice and movie talk until now? That’s unclear. Use of WebRTC doesn’t rule out Skype’s involvement, however. Microsoft aims to bring its VoIP service to the browser natively using the sameВ web standard,В andВ launched ‘Skype for Web’ in private beta late last year.В
There’s also the question how/if WhatsApp, which was purchased by Facebook last year, plays into this.В Zuckerberg’sВ billion dollar purchaseВ is widely expected to introduce ‘voice calls’ in the near future. Might itВ use similar underlying technologies?
Whatever the backend the feature works well enough for everyday use. It won’tВ substitute Skype, and Google Hangouts — which went plugin-free last year — remains unrivalledВ forВ group talks and overall functionality.
But forВ brief talks with thoseВ not integrated into your life outside of Facebook it should prove useful to have so readily at palm.
Here’s How to Use Facebook Movie Calling in Ubuntu
To use Facebook movie calling in Ubuntu you need a supported browser:В GoogleВ Chrome, Opera or Firefox.
Head to theВ Facebook website, log in with your regular credentials and select a friend from your Talk List who is both available toВ talk and on a device that can accept movie calls.
Click the camera icon at the top of the talk window:
Click this icon to movie call on Facebook
The movie call session will open in a separate window. You can stir and resize this window like any other.
TheВ very first time you attempt to make a movie you will be asked to permit Facebook access to your webcam and microphone. Since yourВ call can’t take place until you do so, click the ‘Permit’ button or prompt that shows up to proceed.
Hover over the window to expose a petite set of button. These permit you to (in order) turn off your webcam, mute your microphone, end the call or take the entire talk full-screen.
As Facebook rings out theВ person you’re attempting to contact they’ll see a call alert:
Facebook call alert
As soon as the call is answered (and assuming neither party has muted their mic or webcam prior to connection taking place) you’ll be able to see and hear each other right away:
Yes, I am talking with a wedged animal
To end a call click the crimson ‘Phone’ icon in the toolbar overlay (or close the window).
And that’s literally all there is to it.
How well does it work?
For me the feature didn’t workВ fantastically. It connects quickly (almost seamlessly) but the call qualityВ wasВ cracklyВ and the movie lagged a good number of frames behind the sound. How much of that was based on network traffic I can’t tell, but I did hop onto Skype afterwards to compare and it was a world of difference.
If you take Facebook movie talk for a spin in your distribution of choice do leave a commentВ on how you find theВ quality.
Facebook Movie Talk Now Works in Ubuntu
OMG! Ubuntu!
Facebook Movie Talk Now Works in Ubuntu, No Plugin Needed
Facebook Movie Calls Now Work in Linux
Well, here’s a surprise: Facebook movie talk now works in Ubuntu and other Linux distributions out of the box, no plugin or extra download required.
The switch, which shows up to have come into effect in the past few weeks, sees the social network’s on-site movie calling feature switch to a web-based technology that “just works” for users.
Skype-based movie calling was introduced to Facebook back in two thousand eleven but required users to install a web-browser plugin to use it. That plugin, based on the archaic NPAPI architecture, was only available for Windows and Mac OS. Linux (and Chromebook) users were left in the shade.
All past tense now, of course.
Facebook Movie Talk Now ‘Just Works’…
As of writing there has been no formal or official announcement by Facebook on the switch. That said, most of Facebook’s Help Center articles have been updated to reference it, with most date-stamped as ‘Trio weeks ago’.
Those help pages have exchanged plugin download how-to’s and “not available for Linux” blurbs for a concise, if brief, rundown of how the “fresh Facebook movie calling practice” (emphasis mine) works:
“Video calling lets you make calls right from Facebook without downloading any extra programs or plugins, and works with Google Chrome, Firefox and Opera. All you need to do is click [on the movie icon] in the upper-right corner of a conversation to commence a movie call.”
Fantastic news for Facebook fans, right?
…But We Don’t Know How It Works
Annoyingly for geeks like us the social networking giant is yet to mention the nitty gritty about how the fresh web-based ‘Facebook Movie Calling’ feature works.
It is clearly based on a standard web technology as it will work out-of-the-box on an Ubuntu Live CD. That suggests it’s using the ‘Web Real-Time Communication’ (WebRTC) protocol that enables browser-to-browser applications like voice talk (and others, like instant messaging, file sending, etc.).
Adding weight to this is the list of ‘supported browsers’ in the updated help articles on Facebook. These three, Chrome, Firefox and Opera, all support WebRTC natively. Safari and Internet Explorer are not listed.
What about Skype?
Where does that leave Skype, the VoIP giant that has ‘powered’ Facebook’s voice and movie talk until now? That’s unclear. Use of WebRTC doesn’t rule out Skype’s involvement, tho’. Microsoft aims to bring its VoIP service to the browser natively using the same web standard, and launched ‘Skype for Web’ in private beta late last year.
There’s also the question how/if WhatsApp, which was purchased by Facebook last year, plays into this. Zuckerberg’s billion dollar purchase is widely expected to introduce ‘voice calls’ in the near future. Might it use similar underlying technologies?
Whatever the backend the feature works well enough for everyday use. It won’t substitute Skype, and Google Hangouts — which went plugin-free last year — remains unrivalled for group talks and overall functionality.
But for brief talks with those not integrated into your life outside of Facebook it should prove useful to have so readily at mitt.
Here’s How to Use Facebook Movie Calling in Ubuntu
To use Facebook movie calling in Ubuntu you need a supported browser: Google Chrome, Opera or Firefox.
Head to the Facebook website, log in with your regular credentials and select a friend from your Talk List who is both available to talk and on a device that can accept movie calls.
Click the camera icon at the top of the talk window:
Click this icon to movie call on Facebook
The movie call session will open in a separate window. You can budge and resize this window like any other.
The very first time you attempt to make a movie you will be asked to permit Facebook access to your webcam and microphone. Since your call can’t take place until you do so, click the ‘Permit’ button or prompt that shows up to proceed.
Hover over the window to expose a puny set of button. These permit you to (in order) turn off your webcam, mute your microphone, end the call or take the entire talk full-screen.
As Facebook rings out the person you’re attempting to contact they’ll see a call alert:
Facebook call alert
As soon as the call is answered (and assuming neither party has muted their mic or webcam prior to connection taking place) you’ll be able to see and hear each other right away:
Yes, I am talking with a slammed animal
To end a call click the crimson ‘Phone’ icon in the toolbar overlay (or close the window).
And that’s literally all there is to it.
How well does it work?
For me the feature didn’t work fantastically. It connects quickly (almost seamlessly) but the call quality was crackly and the movie lagged a good number of frames behind the sound. How much of that was based on network traffic I can’t tell, but I did hop onto Skype afterwards to compare and it was a world of difference.
If you take Facebook movie talk for a spin in your distribution of choice do leave a comment on how you find the quality.
Facebook Movie Talk Now Works in Ubuntu
OMG! Ubuntu!
Facebook Movie Talk Now Works in Ubuntu, No Plugin Needed
Facebook Movie Calls Now Work in Linux
Well, here’s a surprise: Facebook movie talk now works in Ubuntu and other Linux distributions out of the box, no plugin or extra download required.
The switch, which emerges to have come into effect in the past few weeks, sees the social network’s on-site movie calling feature switch to a web-based technology that “just works” for users.
Skype-based movie calling was introduced to Facebook back in two thousand eleven but required users to install a web-browser plugin to use it. That plugin, based on the archaic NPAPI architecture, was only available for Windows and Mac OS. Linux (and Chromebook) users were left in the shade.
All past tense now, of course.
Facebook Movie Talk Now ‘Just Works’…
As of writing there has been no formal or official announcement by Facebook on the switch. That said, most of Facebook’s Help Center articles have been updated to reference it, with most date-stamped as ‘Three weeks ago’.
Those help pages have interchanged plugin download how-to’s and “not available for Linux” blurbs for a concise, if brief, rundown of how the “fresh Facebook movie calling practice” (emphasis mine) works:
“Video calling lets you make calls right from Facebook without downloading any extra programs or plugins, and works with Google Chrome, Firefox and Opera. All you need to do is click [on the movie icon] in the upper-right corner of a conversation to commence a movie call.”
Fantastic news for Facebook fans, right?
…But We Don’t Know How It Works
Annoyingly for geeks like us the social networking giant is yet to mention the nitty gritty about how the fresh web-based ‘Facebook Movie Calling’ feature works.
It is clearly based on a standard web technology as it will work out-of-the-box on an Ubuntu Live CD. That suggests it’s using the ‘Web Real-Time Communication’ (WebRTC) protocol that enables browser-to-browser applications like voice talk (and others, like instant messaging, file sending, etc.).
Adding weight to this is the list of ‘supported browsers’ in the updated help articles on Facebook. These three, Chrome, Firefox and Opera, all support WebRTC natively. Safari and Internet Explorer are not listed.
What about Skype?
Where does that leave Skype, the VoIP giant that has ‘powered’ Facebook’s voice and movie talk until now? That’s unclear. Use of WebRTC doesn’t rule out Skype’s involvement, however. Microsoft aims to bring its VoIP service to the browser natively using the same web standard, and launched ‘Skype for Web’ in private beta late last year.
There’s also the question how/if WhatsApp, which was purchased by Facebook last year, plays into this. Zuckerberg’s billion dollar purchase is widely expected to introduce ‘voice calls’ in the near future. Might it use similar underlying technologies?
Whatever the backend the feature works well enough for everyday use. It won’t substitute Skype, and Google Hangouts — which went plugin-free last year — remains unrivalled for group talks and overall functionality.
But for brief talks with those not integrated into your life outside of Facebook it should prove useful to have so readily at mitt.
Here’s How to Use Facebook Movie Calling in Ubuntu
To use Facebook movie calling in Ubuntu you need a supported browser: Google Chrome, Opera or Firefox.
Head to the Facebook website, log in with your regular credentials and select a friend from your Talk List who is both available to talk and on a device that can accept movie calls.
Click the camera icon at the top of the talk window:
Click this icon to movie call on Facebook
The movie call session will open in a separate window. You can budge and resize this window like any other.
The very first time you attempt to make a movie you will be asked to permit Facebook access to your webcam and microphone. Since your call can’t take place until you do so, click the ‘Permit’ button or prompt that emerges to proceed.
Hover over the window to expose a puny set of button. These permit you to (in order) turn off your webcam, mute your microphone, end the call or take the entire talk full-screen.
As Facebook rings out the person you’re attempting to contact they’ll see a call alert:
Facebook call alert
As soon as the call is answered (and assuming neither party has muted their mic or webcam prior to connection taking place) you’ll be able to see and hear each other right away:
Yes, I am talking with a jammed animal
To end a call click the crimson ‘Phone’ icon in the toolbar overlay (or close the window).
And that’s literally all there is to it.
How well does it work?
For me the feature didn’t work fantastically. It connects quickly (almost seamlessly) but the call quality was crackly and the movie lagged a good number of frames behind the sound. How much of that was based on network traffic I can’t tell, but I did hop onto Skype afterwards to compare and it was a world of difference.
If you take Facebook movie talk for a spin in your distribution of choice do leave a comment on how you find the quality.
Facebook Movie Talk Now Works in Ubuntu
OMG! Ubuntu!
Facebook Movie Talk Now Works in Ubuntu, No Plugin Needed
Facebook Movie Calls Now Work in Linux
Well, here’s a surprise: Facebook movie talk now works in Ubuntu andВ other Linux distributions out of the box, no plugin or extra downloadВ required.
TheВ switch, which emerges to have come into effect in the past few weeks, sees the social network’s on-site movie callingВ feature switch to aВ web-based technology that “just works” for users.
Skype-based movie calling was introduced to FacebookВ backВ in 2011В but required users to install aВ web-browserВ plugin to use it. That plugin, based on the archaic NPAPI architecture, was only available forВ Windows and Mac OS. Linux (and Chromebook) users were left in the shade.
All past tense now, of course.В
Facebook Movie Talk Now ‘Just Works’…
As of writing there has been no formal or official announcement by Facebook on the switch. That said, most of Facebook’s Help Center articlesВ have been updated to reference it, with most date-stamped as ‘Three weeks ago’.
Those help pages have interchanged plugin download how-to’s andВ “not available for Linux” blurbs for a concise, if brief, rundown of how the “fresh Facebook movie calling practice” (emphasis mine) works:
“Video calling lets you make calls right from Facebook without downloading any extra programs or plugins, and works with Google Chrome, Firefox and Opera. All you need to do is click [on the movie icon] in the upper-right corner of a conversation to commence a movie call.”
Fantastic news for Facebook fans, right?
…But We Don’t Know How It Works
Annoyingly for geeks like us theВ social networking giant is yet to mention the nitty gritty about how the fresh web-based ‘Facebook Movie Calling’ feature works.
It is clearlyВ based on a standard web technology as it will work out-of-the-box on an Ubuntu Live CD. That suggests it’s using theВ ‘Web Real-Time Communication’ (WebRTC) protocol that enables browser-to-browser applications like voice talk (and others, like instant messaging, file sending, etc.).
Adding weight toВ thisВ is the list of ‘supported browsers’ in the updated help articles on Facebook. These three, Chrome, Firefox and Opera, all supportВ WebRTC natively. Safari and Internet Explorer are not listed.
What about Skype?
Where does that leave Skype, the VoIP giant that has ‘powered’В Facebook’s voice and movie talk until now? That’s unclear. Use of WebRTC doesn’t rule out Skype’s involvement, tho’. Microsoft aims to bring its VoIP service to the browser natively using the sameВ web standard,В andВ launched ‘Skype for Web’ in private beta late last year.В
There’s also the question how/if WhatsApp, which was purchased by Facebook last year, plays into this.В Zuckerberg’sВ billion dollar purchaseВ is widely expected to introduce ‘voice calls’ in the near future. Might itВ use similar underlying technologies?
Whatever the backend the feature works well enough for everyday use. It won’tВ substitute Skype, and Google Hangouts — which went plugin-free last year — remains unrivalledВ forВ group talks and overall functionality.
But forВ brief talks with thoseВ not integrated into your life outside of Facebook it should prove useful to have so readily at arm.
Here’s How to Use Facebook Movie Calling in Ubuntu
To use Facebook movie calling in Ubuntu you need a supported browser:В GoogleВ Chrome, Opera or Firefox.
Head to theВ Facebook website, log in with your regular credentials and select a friend from your Talk List who is both available toВ talk and on a device that can accept movie calls.
Click the camera icon at the top of the talk window:
Click this icon to movie call on Facebook
The movie call session will open in a separate window. You can stir and resize this window like any other.
TheВ very first time you attempt to make a movie you will be asked to permit Facebook access to your webcam and microphone. Since yourВ call can’t take place until you do so, click the ‘Permit’ button or prompt that emerges to proceed.
Hover over the window to expose a puny set of button. These permit you to (in order) turn off your webcam, mute your microphone, end the call or take the entire talk full-screen.
As Facebook rings out theВ person you’re attempting to contact they’ll see a call alert:
Facebook call alert
As soon as the call is answered (and assuming neither party has muted their mic or webcam prior to connection taking place) you’ll be able to see and hear each other right away:
Yes, I am talking with a rammed animal
To end a call click the crimson ‘Phone’ icon in the toolbar overlay (or close the window).
And that’s literally all there is to it.
How well does it work?
For me the feature didn’t workВ fantastically. It connects quickly (almost seamlessly) but the call qualityВ wasВ cracklyВ and the movie lagged a good number of frames behind the sound. How much of that was based on network traffic I can’t tell, but I did hop onto Skype afterwards to compare and it was a world of difference.
If you take Facebook movie talk for a spin in your distribution of choice do leave a commentВ on how you find theВ quality.
Facebook Movie Talk Now Works in Ubuntu
OMG! Ubuntu!
Facebook Movie Talk Now Works in Ubuntu, No Plugin Needed
Facebook Movie Calls Now Work in Linux
Well, here’s a surprise: Facebook movie talk now works in Ubuntu and other Linux distributions out of the box, no plugin or extra download required.
The switch, which emerges to have come into effect in the past few weeks, sees the social network’s on-site movie calling feature switch to a web-based technology that “just works” for users.
Skype-based movie calling was introduced to Facebook back in two thousand eleven but required users to install a web-browser plugin to use it. That plugin, based on the archaic NPAPI architecture, was only available for Windows and Mac OS. Linux (and Chromebook) users were left in the shade.
All past tense now, of course.
Facebook Movie Talk Now ‘Just Works’…
As of writing there has been no formal or official announcement by Facebook on the switch. That said, most of Facebook’s Help Center articles have been updated to reference it, with most date-stamped as ‘Three weeks ago’.
Those help pages have interchanged plugin download how-to’s and “not available for Linux” blurbs for a concise, if brief, rundown of how the “fresh Facebook movie calling practice” (emphasis mine) works:
“Video calling lets you make calls right from Facebook without downloading any extra programs or plugins, and works with Google Chrome, Firefox and Opera. All you need to do is click [on the movie icon] in the upper-right corner of a conversation to commence a movie call.”
Fantastic news for Facebook fans, right?
…But We Don’t Know How It Works
Annoyingly for geeks like us the social networking giant is yet to mention the nitty gritty about how the fresh web-based ‘Facebook Movie Calling’ feature works.
It is clearly based on a standard web technology as it will work out-of-the-box on an Ubuntu Live CD. That suggests it’s using the ‘Web Real-Time Communication’ (WebRTC) protocol that enables browser-to-browser applications like voice talk (and others, like instant messaging, file sending, etc.).
Adding weight to this is the list of ‘supported browsers’ in the updated help articles on Facebook. These three, Chrome, Firefox and Opera, all support WebRTC natively. Safari and Internet Explorer are not listed.
What about Skype?
Where does that leave Skype, the VoIP giant that has ‘powered’ Facebook’s voice and movie talk until now? That’s unclear. Use of WebRTC doesn’t rule out Skype’s involvement, tho’. Microsoft aims to bring its VoIP service to the browser natively using the same web standard, and launched ‘Skype for Web’ in private beta late last year.
There’s also the question how/if WhatsApp, which was purchased by Facebook last year, plays into this. Zuckerberg’s billion dollar purchase is widely expected to introduce ‘voice calls’ in the near future. Might it use similar underlying technologies?
Whatever the backend the feature works well enough for everyday use. It won’t substitute Skype, and Google Hangouts — which went plugin-free last year — remains unrivalled for group talks and overall functionality.
But for brief talks with those not integrated into your life outside of Facebook it should prove useful to have so readily at palm.
Here’s How to Use Facebook Movie Calling in Ubuntu
To use Facebook movie calling in Ubuntu you need a supported browser: Google Chrome, Opera or Firefox.
Head to the Facebook website, log in with your regular credentials and select a friend from your Talk List who is both available to talk and on a device that can accept movie calls.
Click the camera icon at the top of the talk window:
Click this icon to movie call on Facebook
The movie call session will open in a separate window. You can stir and resize this window like any other.
The very first time you attempt to make a movie you will be asked to permit Facebook access to your webcam and microphone. Since your call can’t take place until you do so, click the ‘Permit’ button or prompt that shows up to proceed.
Hover over the window to expose a petite set of button. These permit you to (in order) turn off your webcam, mute your microphone, end the call or take the entire talk full-screen.
As Facebook rings out the person you’re attempting to contact they’ll see a call alert:
Facebook call alert
As soon as the call is answered (and assuming neither party has muted their mic or webcam prior to connection taking place) you’ll be able to see and hear each other right away:
Yes, I am talking with a wedged animal
To end a call click the crimson ‘Phone’ icon in the toolbar overlay (or close the window).
And that’s literally all there is to it.
How well does it work?
For me the feature didn’t work fantastically. It connects quickly (almost seamlessly) but the call quality was crackly and the movie lagged a good number of frames behind the sound. How much of that was based on network traffic I can’t tell, but I did hop onto Skype afterwards to compare and it was a world of difference.
If you take Facebook movie talk for a spin in your distribution of choice do leave a comment on how you find the quality.
Facebook Movie Talk Now Works in Ubuntu
OMG! Ubuntu!
Facebook Movie Talk Now Works in Ubuntu, No Plugin Needed
Facebook Movie Calls Now Work in Linux
Well, here’s a surprise: Facebook movie talk now works in Ubuntu andВ other Linux distributions out of the box, no plugin or extra downloadВ required.
TheВ switch, which emerges to have come into effect in the past few weeks, sees the social network’s on-site movie callingВ feature switch to aВ web-based technology that “just works” for users.
Skype-based movie calling was introduced to FacebookВ backВ in 2011В but required users to install aВ web-browserВ plugin to use it. That plugin, based on the archaic NPAPI architecture, was only available forВ Windows and Mac OS. Linux (and Chromebook) users were left in the shade.
All past tense now, of course.В
Facebook Movie Talk Now ‘Just Works’…
As of writing there has been no formal or official announcement by Facebook on the switch. That said, most of Facebook’s Help Center articlesВ have been updated to reference it, with most date-stamped as ‘Three weeks ago’.
Those help pages have exchanged plugin download how-to’s andВ “not available for Linux” blurbs for a concise, if brief, rundown of how the “fresh Facebook movie calling practice” (emphasis mine) works:
“Video calling lets you make calls right from Facebook without downloading any extra programs or plugins, and works with Google Chrome, Firefox and Opera. All you need to do is click [on the movie icon] in the upper-right corner of a conversation to begin a movie call.”
Fantastic news for Facebook fans, right?
…But We Don’t Know How It Works
Annoyingly for geeks like us theВ social networking giant is yet to mention the nitty gritty about how the fresh web-based ‘Facebook Movie Calling’ feature works.
It is clearlyВ based on a standard web technology as it will work out-of-the-box on an Ubuntu Live CD. That suggests it’s using theВ ‘Web Real-Time Communication’ (WebRTC) protocol that enables browser-to-browser applications like voice talk (and others, like instant messaging, file sending, etc.).
Adding weight toВ thisВ is the list of ‘supported browsers’ in the updated help articles on Facebook. These three, Chrome, Firefox and Opera, all supportВ WebRTC natively. Safari and Internet Explorer are not listed.
What about Skype?
Where does that leave Skype, the VoIP giant that has ‘powered’В Facebook’s voice and movie talk until now? That’s unclear. Use of WebRTC doesn’t rule out Skype’s involvement, tho’. Microsoft aims to bring its VoIP service to the browser natively using the sameВ web standard,В andВ launched ‘Skype for Web’ in private beta late last year.В
There’s also the question how/if WhatsApp, which was purchased by Facebook last year, plays into this.В Zuckerberg’sВ billion dollar purchaseВ is widely expected to introduce ‘voice calls’ in the near future. Might itВ use similar underlying technologies?
Whatever the backend the feature works well enough for everyday use. It won’tВ substitute Skype, and Google Hangouts — which went plugin-free last year — remains unrivalledВ forВ group talks and overall functionality.
But forВ brief talks with thoseВ not integrated into your life outside of Facebook it should prove useful to have so readily at forearm.
Here’s How to Use Facebook Movie Calling in Ubuntu
To use Facebook movie calling in Ubuntu you need a supported browser:В GoogleВ Chrome, Opera or Firefox.
Head to theВ Facebook website, log in with your regular credentials and select a friend from your Talk List who is both available toВ talk and on a device that can accept movie calls.
Click the camera icon at the top of the talk window:
Click this icon to movie call on Facebook
The movie call session will open in a separate window. You can stir and resize this window like any other.
TheВ very first time you attempt to make a movie you will be asked to permit Facebook access to your webcam and microphone. Since yourВ call can’t take place until you do so, click the ‘Permit’ button or prompt that emerges to proceed.
Hover over the window to expose a puny set of button. These permit you to (in order) turn off your webcam, mute your microphone, end the call or take the entire talk full-screen.
As Facebook rings out theВ person you’re attempting to contact they’ll see a call alert:
Facebook call alert
As soon as the call is answered (and assuming neither party has muted their mic or webcam prior to connection taking place) you’ll be able to see and hear each other right away:
Yes, I am talking with a slammed animal
To end a call click the crimson ‘Phone’ icon in the toolbar overlay (or close the window).
And that’s literally all there is to it.
How well does it work?
For me the feature didn’t workВ fantastically. It connects quickly (almost seamlessly) but the call qualityВ wasВ cracklyВ and the movie lagged a good number of frames behind the sound. How much of that was based on network traffic I can’t tell, but I did hop onto Skype afterwards to compare and it was a world of difference.
If you take Facebook movie talk for a spin in your distribution of choice do leave a commentВ on how you find theВ quality.
Facebook Movie Talk Now Works in Ubuntu
OMG! Ubuntu!
Facebook Movie Talk Now Works in Ubuntu, No Plugin Needed
Facebook Movie Calls Now Work in Linux
Well, here’s a surprise: Facebook movie talk now works in Ubuntu andВ other Linux distributions out of the box, no plugin or extra downloadВ required.
TheВ switch, which emerges to have come into effect in the past few weeks, sees the social network’s on-site movie callingВ feature switch to aВ web-based technology that “just works” for users.
Skype-based movie calling was introduced to FacebookВ backВ in 2011В but required users to install aВ web-browserВ plugin to use it. That plugin, based on the archaic NPAPI architecture, was only available forВ Windows and Mac OS. Linux (and Chromebook) users were left in the shade.
All past tense now, of course.В
Facebook Movie Talk Now ‘Just Works’…
As of writing there has been no formal or official announcement by Facebook on the switch. That said, most of Facebook’s Help Center articlesВ have been updated to reference it, with most date-stamped as ‘Trio weeks ago’.
Those help pages have exchanged plugin download how-to’s andВ “not available for Linux” blurbs for a concise, if brief, rundown of how the “fresh Facebook movie calling practice” (emphasis mine) works:
“Video calling lets you make calls right from Facebook without downloading any extra programs or plugins, and works with Google Chrome, Firefox and Opera. All you need to do is click [on the movie icon] in the upper-right corner of a conversation to commence a movie call.”
Fantastic news for Facebook fans, right?
…But We Don’t Know How It Works
Annoyingly for geeks like us theВ social networking giant is yet to mention the nitty gritty about how the fresh web-based ‘Facebook Movie Calling’ feature works.
It is clearlyВ based on a standard web technology as it will work out-of-the-box on an Ubuntu Live CD. That suggests it’s using theВ ‘Web Real-Time Communication’ (WebRTC) protocol that enables browser-to-browser applications like voice talk (and others, like instant messaging, file sending, etc.).
Adding weight toВ thisВ is the list of ‘supported browsers’ in the updated help articles on Facebook. These three, Chrome, Firefox and Opera, all supportВ WebRTC natively. Safari and Internet Explorer are not listed.
What about Skype?
Where does that leave Skype, the VoIP giant that has ‘powered’В Facebook’s voice and movie talk until now? That’s unclear. Use of WebRTC doesn’t rule out Skype’s involvement, however. Microsoft aims to bring its VoIP service to the browser natively using the sameВ web standard,В andВ launched ‘Skype for Web’ in private beta late last year.В
There’s also the question how/if WhatsApp, which was purchased by Facebook last year, plays into this.В Zuckerberg’sВ billion dollar purchaseВ is widely expected to introduce ‘voice calls’ in the near future. Might itВ use similar underlying technologies?
Whatever the backend the feature works well enough for everyday use. It won’tВ substitute Skype, and Google Hangouts — which went plugin-free last year — remains unrivalledВ forВ group talks and overall functionality.
But forВ brief talks with thoseВ not integrated into your life outside of Facebook it should prove useful to have so readily at palm.
Here’s How to Use Facebook Movie Calling in Ubuntu
To use Facebook movie calling in Ubuntu you need a supported browser:В GoogleВ Chrome, Opera or Firefox.
Head to theВ Facebook website, log in with your regular credentials and select a friend from your Talk List who is both available toВ talk and on a device that can accept movie calls.
Click the camera icon at the top of the talk window:
Click this icon to movie call on Facebook
The movie call session will open in a separate window. You can stir and resize this window like any other.
TheВ very first time you attempt to make a movie you will be asked to permit Facebook access to your webcam and microphone. Since yourВ call can’t take place until you do so, click the ‘Permit’ button or prompt that emerges to proceed.
Hover over the window to expose a puny set of button. These permit you to (in order) turn off your webcam, mute your microphone, end the call or take the entire talk full-screen.
As Facebook rings out theВ person you’re attempting to contact they’ll see a call alert:
Facebook call alert
As soon as the call is answered (and assuming neither party has muted their mic or webcam prior to connection taking place) you’ll be able to see and hear each other right away:
Yes, I am talking with a tucked animal
To end a call click the crimson ‘Phone’ icon in the toolbar overlay (or close the window).
And that’s literally all there is to it.
How well does it work?
For me the feature didn’t workВ fantastically. It connects quickly (almost seamlessly) but the call qualityВ wasВ cracklyВ and the movie lagged a good number of frames behind the sound. How much of that was based on network traffic I can’t tell, but I did hop onto Skype afterwards to compare and it was a world of difference.
If you take Facebook movie talk for a spin in your distribution of choice do leave a commentВ on how you find theВ quality.