> Sign on with Google<p>Game over. Zoom requires no account to join a meeting and I just learned a couple of days ago it even works in the browser (toggle in the account settings of the one starting the meeting)<p>I even plugged a Logitech c920 webcam in my Xbox One and did a meeting this way using Edge. Sadly the audio API seems unsupported in that Edge so I had to join the audio through another means.<p>> VS Zoom<p>> Don't have to fix a schedule. Remotehour enables you to connect when you're online on the app.<p>Give someone your fixed Personal ID and they can call you anytime.
There is Jitsi (<a href="https://jitsi.org" rel="nofollow">https://jitsi.org</a> and <a href="https://meet.jit.si" rel="nofollow">https://meet.jit.si</a>) which does not need any login - this is really seamless.
In person, I have an open door policy with my students. If my door is open, it generally means I'm available to talk with them. Since all of our instruction has moved online, I'm adopting a virtual open door policy. I have a camera pointed at my door. If that door is open, students know I am there and if they announce themselves, I "let them in" by turning the camera around. When I'm in a meeting, I mute the audio and close the door so they know I'm not currently available. To be determined how effective this will be.
Not sure if this app supports it or not, but it would be very useful with a 5 second warning before being thrown into a video call. I could see all kinds of embarrassing moments happening otherwise.
People use Zoom because it's really reliable, not because it's "seamless."<p>I've been in the middle of nowhere in South Africa and could use a 3G connection on my phone to speak to people in Germany and the United States at the same time and it was reliable and useable.
When using linux, everything is "more seamless" than Zoom. This company hates linux users, everything is broken and requires root user to even start.
We use Zoom and it's great for ad-hoc video calls or screen sharing and commenting.<p>But last week we were wondering what would be a good remote alternative to sitting around at our desks and asking a quick question to the room. You know what works really well? Teamspeak. I hadn't used teamspeak in ages, but the simple fact that you can set a global push-to-talk button makes it perfect. Ask a quick question to someone in the room, they answer, if it becomes an actual convo you switch to a zoom call to not bother anyone else.
Hey, I like the idea of trying to make remote more seamless, it's certainly a need. Looks like nice work so far. I do agree with some of the other comments that some folks would like a "knock" type feature to give a warning, clearly you get the concern from your gif. Keep it up and personally I think it's great to see more options for this.
I'm not affiliated, just someone who recently started using it daily, but another "always on" video conference alternative is <a href="https://tandem.chat/" rel="nofollow">https://tandem.chat/</a> . It integrates well with Slack, and keeping it open while working with colleagues feels very natural.<p>It's the closest I've seen to recreate a coworking environment -- we even have a #lunch channel where we "eat together" at noon (that was a bit depressing to write... we're doing what we can to keep up the illusion of normalcy).
I'm so sorry that everyone's bleating about a bit of text in the header text rather than the actual product you've created. Sometimes HN is all about finding any hole to nitpick over.
Based on the comments, you can tell that trying to pit yourself against zoom is not going to work. Zoom users are loyal for a reason. You need to be clear if you solve a different problem.