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Google Hangouts!
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Hangouts is a video conferencing tool in Google+ that will allow us to meet as a whole
class, in small groups, or with instructors during office hours.  You will need a webcam
and a mic to use Hangouts. You may find a noise-canceling headset useful as well. We
would also recommend plugging into the internet via an ethernet cord as wireless is
often noticeably slower.  Hangouts will also allow us to watch videos, work on
documents in Drive, and to share screens for presentations.  There is a bit of setup so
please be sure to get setup and comfortable with the features before your first class
session. !

Hangouts is better with Google+ so you’ll need a full Google+ account to get access to
all of Hangouts’ features including group video calls, sharing photos, and using
Hangouts with Google+ circles. (See Google + resource for help setting up your Google
+ account.) !

All students (even those meeting on campus) will need access to Hangouts throughout
the term. Online (MAST) students will use Google Hangouts to join class meetings, and
all students will use Hangouts for group meetings and conferencing. !

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How to start a Hangout!
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How to prepare for your first video Hangout:!
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! •! Before you start your first video call, check your system requirements for
Hangouts to work. !
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! •! Make sure you have the latest drivers for your webcam.!
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! •! For the best video quality, put a light source behind you so you’re well-lit.
Webcams don't work well in low light situations.!
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! •! Connect your headset to your device. Headphones with a built-in microphone will
dramatically improve your audio during the call.!
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! •! Download and install the latest version of the plugin.!
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With Google +!

1. Open your Google + page and select the Hangouts tab in the upper right corner. !

2. Select the people you want to have a Hangout with.!

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Click the + button at the top of your Hangouts list
and type a name, email address, phone number, or
Google + circle using the search box at the top of
your Hangouts list. !
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3. Click the grey checkmark next to the person’s name or the
circle.!
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4. Repeat steps two and three to add additional people.!
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5. Click the message button or the video call button .!
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6. Hangouts started in Gmail or Google+ will open in a new
browser window.!
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With Gmail!
Enable Hangouts in Gmail!
You can also use Hangouts from your NAU Gmail account. !

! 1.! Click your profile photo at the top of your Chat list.!
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! 2.! Click ‘Try the new Hangouts’. !
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! 3.! Gmail will refresh, and you’ll be able to start using
Hangouts.!
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To start a Hangout type a name, email address, phone number, or Google + circle. !
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Turn off Hangouts and start using the old chat!
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! 1.! In Hangouts in Gmail, click on your name.!
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! 2.! Select Revert to old Chat.!
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! 3.! Gmail will refresh and you can start using Google Chat.!
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Firefox: If you have Firefox 26, you’ll need to enable the Hangouts
plugins for your computer in order for video calls to work.!

! 1.! A message will appear asking you if you’d like to allow the Google Talk plugins to
run for the video call. Click Allow.!
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! 2.! To the left of the address bar, click the blue brick icon. !
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! 3.! When you try to initiate a video call for the first time with the updated Firefox
browser, you’ll see an error message underneath the address bar.!
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Safari: If you have Safari 6.1 and above, you’ll need to enable the Hangouts plugins for
your computer in order for video calls to work.!

! 1.! When you try to initiate a video call for the first time with the updated Safari
browser, you’ll see a loading error pop-up message.!
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! 2.! The message will ask if you want to trust the Google website to run the Google
Talk plugins for the video call. Click Trust to allow it.!
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! 3.! If you click Not now, you can enable it at another time.!
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! 4.! If you do want to enable it later, in Safari, go to Preferences -> Security ->
Manage website settings -> Choose each of the Google Talk plugins and
click Allow.!
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Start a video call:!
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! 1.! Select the people you want to have a Hangout with.!
! ◦ Click the + button at the top of your Hangouts list and type a name, email
address, phone number, or Google + circle using the search box at the top
of your Hangouts list.!
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! 2.! Click the grey check mark next to the person’s name or the circle.!
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! 3.! Repeat the first two steps to add additional people.!
! 4.! Click the video call button .!
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You can also add people by typing a person’s name and then pressing Tab to select the
person. Repeat this process until you’ve selected everyone you want to add and then
press Enter.!
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The video call for Hangouts is available in To view the apps that allow you to do
full-screen view. To view the toolbar for things like sharing your desktop during
options like muting sound and turning off the video call, hover over the left side of
the video feed during the video call, hover the screen.

over the top center of the screen. !
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Add people after the video call has started:!
Anyone in the Hangout can add more people after the video call starts.!

! 1.! Click the invite people button at the top of the video call window.!
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! 2.! Type someone's name or the name of a circle.!
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! 3.! Click Add people to send the notifications to the people you chose.!
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While you can invite as many people as you want to join a Hangout, you can't have
more than 10 people in a Hangout at once. If additional people try to enter, they'll be told
the Hangout is currently full. !
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Tips for Using Hangouts:!
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Microphone:!
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• If you join a hangout that has several people already in it, you will come in
muted (Microphone icon will be red). When you are ready to say something
you will need to un-mute yourself to talk.!
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• It is also helpful to mute yourself in large hangouts so that ambient noise
isn’t distracting. !
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Chat:!
• Chat can be helpful if audio isn’t working properly and is
also great for sharing links. When you click the chat icon on
the left of your hangout screen, a chat box will appear on the
right side. !
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Screen share:!
• Screen share allows you to share your computer screen
with others in the Hangout. You can work on your computer
screen and allow anyone in hangout to see what you’re
doing.!
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 • This is great for showing presentations
and examples to the class.!
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• You can choose which window to share
(so participant view is limited to that
window), or share your entire desktop (so
participants can see everything you see). !
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Leave a Hangout:!
• If you need to leave a Hangout, click the telephone icon on the top of your
Hangout screen. !
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YouTube:!
• To watch YouTube videos with others in a Hangout, open the YouTube app
found on the tool bar on the left. Everyone in the video call will also have to add
the app.!
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Finding videos to play:!
• Click on the blue ‘Add videos to playlist’ button to find videos. To find videos you can
either search for a specific video or copy and paste the URL of a specific YouTube
video.!
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• Once you have found a video, click the green “+” button(s) to add one or
more search results to the shared playlist. Once added to the playlist, the
button(s) will turn red. Click the red button to remove the corresponding
video from the shared playlist.!
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• Recommended videos will appear below the shared playlist in a separate
section. You can add them to your playlist by clicking the green “+” button.!
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Playing videos:!
• The first video added to the playlist starts playing automatically. The controls below
the player allow you to pause, play or skip to the next or previous video. Anyone in
the video call can play, pause, or change a video but doing so affects what everyone
sees.!
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• You can also seek within the video. Seeking (rewinding, fast-forwarding) affects
everyone. Seeking excessively could cause problems for other participants.!
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• The volume control of the YouTube player is specific to each person. That means you
can set what volume you are comfortable with without affecting other
people in the video call.!
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• To make the video larger, click the large-player icon on the player control
bar. This hides the playlist and maximizes the video size. To show the
playlist again, click the small-player icon.!
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• To share an individual video with others click on the Google+ share
button. YouTube is unable to play personal videos. !
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• To cut down on noise, everyone is muted by default when a video is playing. To talk to
others, press the Push to talk button underneath the video and hold until you are
finished talking.You can either hold the button down until you are finished talking or
click the button to toggle Talking Mode on or off. Remember that when you are in
talking mode, the video volume is lowered so be sure to toggle it off when you’re
done talking.