Google Helpouts Officially Goes Live; Available on Desktop or Android

dgstorm

Editor in Chief
Staff member
Jan 5, 2011
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Google is adding a whole new dimension to Google Hangouts. They just added a new service called Google Helpouts and it is already live and available on the desktop or Android platforms. Google Helpouts basically allows you to use Google Hangouts in a new way. The goal is to offer people a place to get help on a vast variety of topics using Google Hangouts. This could include topics from DIY repairs, to computer tech support, to cooking and much more. The possibilities are nearly endless.

Google Helpouts basically allows folks to help each other either for free or for a fee. What's truly unique about this is that instead of getting a random person, you actually have the power to choose from whom you get help based upon a variety of factors like availability, qualifications, ratings, price, and reviews. Here's a full quote below from Google's blog on their new Helpouts service. You can also find out more in the video above.

What if getting help for a computer glitch, a leaky pipe, or a homework problem was as easy as clicking a button? What if you could connect via real-time video to a music teacher or a yoga instructor from the comfort of your home? What if you could get someone knowledgeable to get you “unstuck” when you really need it?

Today, we’re announcing Helpouts—a new way to get and give help over live video. Our goal is simple: help people help each other. We want to use the convenience and efficiency of the web to enable everyone, no matter where they are or what time it is, to easily connect with someone who can help.

Help might be a quick answer to a problem you’re having right now, like how to fix your garage door, or how to remove a computer virus; or it might be guidance completing a project, like building a deck. It might be learning a new skill, like how to speak conversational French or how to draw cartoons; or it might be general advice on how to improve your fitness or your writing (I could use this right now).

With Helpouts, you can choose who you get help from based on their qualifications, their availability, their price, their ratings and reviews. You can connect instantly or book in advance. You can get help from individuals or from brands you already know and trust, like Sephora, One Medical, Weight Watchers, Redbeacon (a Home Depot company), and Rosetta Stone. Once you’re in a Helpout, you can do more than just talk—you can share your computer screen, collaboratively edit a presentation, or record your Helpout. And if the experience doesn’t meet your expectations, we offer a full money back guarantee.

Today is just the beginning. We’re starting small and in a few categories. The number of people giving help on Helpouts and the type of help available will grow over time. Helpouts may not be suitable for every occasion, and it will take time to get used to interactions via real time video. We hope that the efficiency, convenience and global reach of Helpouts will make people’s lives easier in the long term.

We hope you’ll give Helpouts a try and give us your feedback through ratings and reviews, or talk to us on Google+, Twitter or Facebook. And if you’re interested in giving help on Helpouts yourself, let us know.

Source: Google Blog & Google Helpouts
 
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Opt

Member
May 25, 2011
14
1
Seen this on the news.
Will it help peple or is it another way to track people. After all that's their business model.
 
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