Google voice and video v1.4.2 and v1.4.3

Today, we released the 1.4.2 (Windows) and 1.4.3 (Mac) updates for the Google voice and video chat software. All current installations will automatically update within the next day or two. If you do not want to wait, you can visit http://www.google.com/chat/video and re-run the installer.

You can use your Gmail account to find out what version is currently installed. Simply go to the Gmail Settings page and look under the "Chat" tab. You will see the plugin version under the "Learn more" link, in small type.

Here's what's new:

• All-new, hardware-accelerated video rendering subsystem (more on this later).
• Fixed a crash when processing RTCP packets.
• Fixed a crash on Windows when ending a call.
• Fixed an issue on new MacBook Pros where loading Gmail (and starting the Google Talk Plugin) would cause a switch to the high-performance GPU and cause the battery to drain more quickly.
• Several minor fixes and improvements.

The 1.4.3 release for Mac also resolves issues identified by some early users of 1.4.2 on Mac OS 10.4. Note that when running on Mac OS, Google voice and video requires QuickTime 7.2.1 or later (the current version is 7.6, so almost all Macs should have this.)

If you're on 1.4.2 on Windows or 1.4.3 on Mac and still having a problem, please take a look at the Google Chat Help Center, or report the issue on the Google Voice and Video Help Forum. You can also tweet @GoogleChat or @juberti, or email me using the "Email Justin" link above.

CNET TV: Google Voice vs. Skype Prizefight

For some reason, they don't even mention Google video chat, but I'm still happy with the result :-)

Google voice and video RPM packages now available

Following up on my earlier post, we've now released a new version of Google voice and video for Linux that includes both Debian and RPM packages. As usual, it can be downloaded from www.google.com/chat/video; upon visiting this page, you'll be given the option of which package you want to download.

This new version also includes fixes for some top crash issues seen since release. If you've already installed the plugin, you'll be notified through the typical package update mechanism that a new version is available.

Also a quick followup regarding some of the PulseAudio questions: while PulseAudio is supported, it's not required. If PulseAudio is not detected, the plugin will fall back and use ALSA.

Lastly, we're also working on resolving the issues reported with upside-down ASUS cameras and a debug.log file appearing for a few users. If you encounter other issues, please report them in the Google Voice and Video Help Forum.