“Google Inc . added a voice and video chat feature to its Gmail email service on Tuesday, launching a free Web-based service that competes with the likes of eBay’s Skype,” Jennifer Martinez reports for Reuters.

“Gmail and Google App subscribers can now choose to speak with friends on a video screen and simultaneously instant message them in a Google Chat box,’ Martinez reports. “The video screen can be popped out of the chat box and moved around a user’s computer screen. Users can also change the size of the screen and expand it to full-screen size.”

Martinez reports, “The feature is available for both PC and Apple computer users.”

MacDailyNews Take: That’s great, but we stopped using our Apple computers circa 1984. Does it work with Macs, too? (Pet peeve; just ignore us.)

Martinez continues, “A webcam and small web browser plug-in are required to use the video chat. Users who do not have a webcam will still be able to chat with friends by voice.”

Full article here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "iChat AV User Since June 2003" for the heads up.]