How do you use Google Helpouts?

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...And what does it have to do with Android? Well, Helpouts is radically cool, first of all. I'm excited about it; from both sides. It's Hangouts based, but the purpose is connecting someone who has a question with someone who has an answer.

The program, which is by Google, is both a website (helpouts.google.com) and an app (view in Google Play). The format is video chatting, so you need a webcam on your computer or a front-facing camera on your phone. I think it's pretty helpful (appropriate, no?) that it goes with you anywhere, on your Android.

The questioner searches on a question or keywords. A list of instructors will come up, with descriptions, ratings, and per hour and per minute rates. You schedule a time to talk with one, or you can get in a queue to talk with the instructor right away if he/she is available. Google offers a money back guarantee, in case you're dissatisfied with your session. I tried searching for musical questions and discovered a ton of options, from learn guitar classes to answers to music reading questions. I tried searching on some computer/tech-related questions and found many instructors in this area, on a variety of topics. I found, however, that searching for specific questions -- such as "How do you take a screenshot?" or "How do you send a text?" -- while it will pull up a list of instructors in the right category, doesn't find specific results. So likely you could find an approximately appropriate topic and inquire; however, it makes me think perhaps from the instructor side of things, offering straightforward answers to simple questions could be a good angle.

Google is saying this feature will grow fast and big, but is starting on the smaller side, with the categories Arts and Music, Computers and Electronics, Cooking, Education and Careers, Fashion and Beauty, Fitness and Nutrition, Health, and Home and Garden.

How do you video chat on an Android?

If your phone has a front-facing camera, as most now do, you can use it to video chat. For those Androidians who are vain and would like to remain vain, though, I do not recommend video chat. None of us looks attractive on video chat. The problem started with webcams, but was amplified when mobile video chat came laughing. I say don't sweat it, though; your yikes... I look freaky is no doubt mirroring your friend's ruminations. You don't actually think the advertising screenshots are real, do you? How could they possibly be holding their phones to get that angle? And with that glowing recommendation, let's talk about how you, too, can be startled by your own face.

The easiest option is found in your Talk app, from Google. It's almost certainly already installed on your phone, so open it up and sign in using your Google account, if it's the first time you've used it. Now touch your name, at the top, to select whether you're available for text, voice, or video chat. In the list of friends, below your name, you'll see green, yellow, or red icons; a circle for text, a microphone for voice, and a camera for video. Like on your computer, green is available, yellow is away, and red is busy. Tap on a friend's name, and then touch the video icon on the right side, to invite the friend to video chat. Your friend will receive an invitation to accept or reject, and once you're connected you'll see your friend's face in the center of the screen, with a small box showing your face, in the bottom right. A few control options, like end chat, send text chat, and mute, are on the screen. If they disappear, just touch the screen to get them back.

Talk is definitely the one I recommend starting with, because it works well and it's already there, but if you need additional options, you can try Skype, Viber, or ooVoo. Skype and ooVoo allow integration with social media sites, so your friend doesn't necessarily have to have an account in the program, but Viber does require that the friend also have a Viber account. There are a lot more options for video chatting, so if there's any specific feature you're looking for, just take a look at some Google Play descriptions to find the right one for you.

And now the elephant in the room: Apple's FaceTime was marketed as the standard for mobile video chat, but did you know many iPhone users agree FaceTime isn't all it's chalked up to be? Until late last year, when iOS 6 was released, FaceTime only worked if the iPhone was connected to Wi-Fi (which frequently means you could be using a laptop, anyway), and now that 3G/4G is (sometimes) an option, most Apple forums are full of complaints about the failures and disconnects... as they were when Wi-Fi was required, as well, actually.

So here we have another way in which Android is the way to go. I like Android so much. Supporting the one that's better is a delightful place to be. It's like a trivial version of being a Christian. I know what's true, so when others try to change my mind, I can listen comfortably, with confidence that I have the answer. A pretty significant difference is found there, though. Could be that someday I'll discover something about iPhone that is superior to Android (though all clear, so far), because humans and human creations change; but other things never change: "... I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able guard until that day what has been entrusted to me." 2 Timothy 1:12 (ESV) Pardon my tangent tendencies, in this off-topic rabbit trail.