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Coming soon to a Facebook account near you... video calling

Facebook unveils new deal with Skype.

FACEBOOK HAS announced a new deal with online phone service Skype which will see give users the opportunity to video chat via the social network.

In a post on the Facebook blog, the company announced that the agreement would facilitate improvements to the site’s chat features such as adding more people in to an instant-messaging group chat.

The video calling feature is being unrolled across all Facebook accounts in the coming weeks, but can be accessed before then from here. When added to your account, a video call button will appear at the top of a Facebook chat window.

Here’s a not-terribly-poignant video of people saying ‘I love you’ numerous ways and showing how the new video chat Facebook feature will look.

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11 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Murphy
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    Jul 6th 2011, 7:38 PM

    Google+ is already looking far more up to date. FB needs a massive overhaul, although I can’t see people mass migrating away from it. FB has critical mass…

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    Mute Sneaky Jedi
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    Jul 6th 2011, 8:07 PM

    As the services are free….. Migration or using both is feasible.

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    Mute Stewart Hand
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    Jul 6th 2011, 10:35 PM

    Google+ already has this feature and looks and feels a hell of a lot better. I would defo look at moving over…. I don’t care if someone has answered a question about me and no I don’t want to unlock more questions thank you very much facebook !

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    Mute Stephen Downey
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    Jul 6th 2011, 7:31 PM

    So what’s the point of FB? Why not just have Skype and do away with FB?

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    Mute David Higgins
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    Jul 6th 2011, 7:56 PM

    Group chat. FINALLY! Looks like that Zuckerberg guy ain’t so bad after all :D

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    Mute Paddy O'Reilly
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    Jul 6th 2011, 8:21 PM

    Group chat has been in there for a while however it was restricted to chatting to people in a Facebook Group, not an on the fly group.
    Where’s the mention of this being far from revolutionary as Gmail has had this feature for over a year in GMail.

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    Mute neuromancer
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    Jul 7th 2011, 7:39 AM

    Video chat/calling hasn’t caught on in 70 years, why do they think it would be useful now? Seriously.

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    Mute Eddie Harkin
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    Jul 7th 2011, 8:15 AM

    Yes, I can just imagine my poor auld granny back in 1941 trying to get video chat working in out in the sticks there.

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    Mute Trevor Nolan
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    Jul 7th 2011, 8:18 AM

    …because now it’s so much easier and there’s minimal effort involved. Every modern laptop has a camera and now that the service is being carried by Facebook, every user can use it at the click of a mouse. No downloading specialist software programs or making new accounts. It’s the ease of use and lack of effort needed that will allow video calling take off now.

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    Mute Nigel Kenny
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    Jul 7th 2011, 10:13 AM

    Facebook need to fix basic chat before they even start thinking about Video. Based on Facebooks current performance, i would say this won’t work very well.

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    Mute Ali Ijaz
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    May 3rd 2013, 11:15 AM

    now its easy for everyone in the world to talk to there relative and friends face to face without any cost love it???????????????????????

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