LINE 3.2.1.83 (Call friends for free on any mobile device or PC)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Call friends for free on any mobile device or PC

Imagine if you could make phone calls from your PC to not just iPhones but also Android, Windows, and Blackberry devices too. That's exactly what LINE does in a slick interface that's sure to prove popular with PC users that have friends and family using different mobile devices. 

Free calling and messaging

LINE is a Japanese based app that allows you to make free calls and send free messages to iPhone, Android, Windows and Blackberry phones as well as other Macs and PCs. LINE is also available for Mac meaning PC users can communicate with friends and family that use PCs as well as Macs. However, LINE doesn't feature video calling yet although you can send short video and audio messages. 

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Your connection can affect quality

Call quality using LINE is pretty good though although this will depend on your internet connection and 3G network. LINE is also jam packed with emoticons (and with the option to purchase more elaborate "stickers") to make messaging more fun. This latter feature is particularly popular in Japan and has helped make it one of the most successful apps on the market.

An extension of the mobile app now on PC

In the first 7 months of its release in Japan, the developers claim LINE gained over 100 million users which is pretty impressive. Until now, many iPhone and Android users have resorted to using Whats App to keep in touch with friends and family but unlike LINE, Whats App has never been released for PC or Mac.

Review last updated: 19/06/13

Pros

• Call for free to any mobile device, PC or Mac
• Supports short audio and video messages

Cons

• No video calling yet
• Too many useless stickers for Western users

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Tango 1.6.14117 (The Tango app for your PC)

Tango is a video and voice chat application the lets you connect with others via their mobile phones

Free calls for Tango users

Similar to WhatsApp and Skype, Tango is used on your PC to connect with Android and iPhone users. If your friends have Tango on their smartphones with data plans or Wi-Fi, you can call their phone for free without leaving your computer. 

As simple as the mobile version

Tango's PC version interface is identical to the mobile version, with a default skin made to look like an iPhone. If that isn't to your preference, you can change this skin in the options.
Using Tango is simple. Add your phone number and the numbers of the friends you want to call. From there, you're just one simple click away from chatting. 

Great audio and video

Video and sound quality in Tango is impressive, although it might vary by device and connection. Tango's controls are also very simple. The options let you specify how you sort your contacts, let you set up the webcam, change Tango's skin and look for updates. Unfortunately, you can't do much more beyond that by way of customization. 

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Perfect for Tango users

With the ability to video and audio chat with friends' smartphones from the comfort of your PC, Tango is a welcome addition to communication apps. 

Review last updated: 19/06/13

Pros

• Makes video calls to mobile phones
• Good audio and video quality
• Simple and efficient

Cons

• Very basic options
• Video quality varies

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Nimbuzz 2.6.0 (Powerful multi-platform IM client)

Nimbuzz makes keeping in touch with all of your friends a less time consuming task.

This is where Nimbuzz comes in really handy as it's a multi-platform instant messaging client. This enables you to chat with your contacts and keep track of your friends' updates on more than a dozen different social networks and IM protocols, including Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, MSN, ICQ, Google Talk and Jabber, among others.

Nimbuzz is already quite popular among mobile platforms, where it has been around for a while. This port to PC has gone a bit unnoticed, I guess partly because Nimbuzz doesn't feature as many tools and options as other similar programs. The tool in itself is quite simple, very light on resources and does what it says on the tin. There are no custom backgrounds, animation effects or any other bells and whistles.

Besides basic text chat, Nimbuzz includes other interesting options such as the ability to organize contacts by groups and the possibility to share files with them, even if they're not online, thanks a to a temporary storage system. Being primarily a mobile IM app, Nimbuzz also allows you to keep contacts synced with your mobile phone.

 

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Despite being simpler than other similar tools, Nimbuzz is still a great app to keep in touch with friends across many different social networks and IM platforms.

Nimbuzz supports the following formats

Supported protocols: AIM, Facebook, GaduGadu, Giovani, GTalk, Hyves, ICQ, MSN, MySpace, SchuelerVZ, StudiVZ, Twitter, Jabber, Yahoo

Pros

• Supports more than a dozen differen

  

  
  t platforms

• Clean, nice interface design

• Light on resources

• Handy file sharing system

• Enables you to sync contacts with your mobile phone

Cons

• Fewer options than other similar tools

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