Apple's still working on iChat video answering machine

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 41
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by teckstud View Post


    Too bad it can't handle it already like Verizon. I record and message videos all the time - no problem. And that's not even on a 3G network. Pathetic AT&T.



    Don't be a TeckTurd! AT&T already handles plenty of video so they could easily handle the low grade Verizon video that you speak of.
  • Reply 22 of 41
    utsavautsava Posts: 53member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hillstones View Post


    Wow, now that would be stupid. I don't think people are going to wait for Gigabytes of data just to see a video message, especially since the iPhone will never have a 720 resolution display. Nor would the cellular network be able to handle it. If people think it is slow now, video will make it even slower.



    Voice messages do just fine, like they always have.



    I wasn't suggesting transferring 720p video of cellular. rear-facing camera records video (potentially 720p) and front facing records video conferencing at a typical low resolution/bit-rate. Only the forward facing video would be streaming over the cellular network....Besides the video now going upstream as well as downstream, how is this different from the already existing cellular streaming video apps such as youtube? Youtube was supported on edge. I would think a 7.2mbps connection could potentially handle 2-way low res video streaming.
  • Reply 23 of 41
    I have been a reader for like 10 years! I never really checked, but I found out how to ignore other members! So great, that teckstud was getting on my darned nerves!



    Anyway, back on topic.



    I think the iPhone having any video recording capabilities would allow people to post videos to YouTube for "on-the-scene" scoops.
  • Reply 24 of 41
    elmsleyelmsley Posts: 120member
    No doubt a lawsuit. Patent holders always come out of the woodworks when Apple make something cool.



    Anyone know why skype is still more reliable (for connections). I also find quality poor for ichat, especially when sharing photos/videos.
  • Reply 25 of 41
    kerrynkerryn Posts: 87member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jpellino View Post


    Great. Video spam.

    The mind boggles.



    Well I hope we won't have to suffer a demonstration of all those "mail enhancement" pills that get pushed as spam... Ick!
  • Reply 26 of 41
    nceencee Posts: 857member
    Haven't I seen some Verizon commercial lately with a phone / answering machine that has some pretty neat features?



    - Live traffic reports

    - Weather

    - video messaging



    And it's ALL hooked up to your cell phone, so you can get traffic reports and such as they happen?



    This sounds a lot like the Apple item, different, but still pretty cool.



    - http://news.vzw.com/news/2009/01/pr2009-01-23a.html



    Skip



    PS YES I know it's a lot different, but it's still cool, and may have the ability to be up-graded with new features as they become available.
  • Reply 27 of 41
    kerrynkerryn Posts: 87member
    Edited: Opps, replied to wrong post/
  • Reply 28 of 41
    kerrynkerryn Posts: 87member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by palegolas View Post


    Cool, I'd like to use iChat more.

    Anyone out there actually using iChat? Is it just in the states where people use AIM? I don't know anyone using AIM (I'm living in Norway). Around here people are using Messenger. I tried with Jabber and iChat but it just wasn't very solid, nor supporting file transfer.. I just ended up using Adium.



    You can also use iChat with GoogleTalk accounts now as well. Just learned that myself today. I don't know about file transfer though...
  • Reply 29 of 41
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by themoonisdown09 View Post


    What about this being on the iPhone if a front facing camera gets added. It would add another meaning to visual voicemail.



    I have always wondered why so few people bring this up. The front-facing camera essentially turns the iPhone into the greatest communication device since the Communicator on Star Trek. Especially if they could work out the eye-contact issue (which is sounds like they plan to do.)
  • Reply 30 of 41
    mcdavemcdave Posts: 1,927member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by palegolas View Post


    Cool, I'd like to use iChat more.

    Anyone out there actually using iChat? Is it just in the states where people use AIM? I don't know anyone using AIM (I'm living in Norway). Around here people are using Messenger. I tried with Jabber and iChat but it just wasn't very solid, nor supporting file transfer.. I just ended up using Adium.



    I use it to chat with family on the other side of the world but I think Apple should walk before they can run:-
    • The set-up for an non-technical person is still a bit onerous (jumping out to Safari to get an Apple_ID or not automatically activating after a MobileMe trial sign-up) with open at login as default

    • There seems to be no dynamic interaction with the address book (I have to add buddies manually)

    • The IM compatibility needs to be extended & integrated ( Jabber, Buddy & Bonjour lists need to be amalgamated - who cares about the protocol, just chat)

    • Being able to close all windows is fine but still allows newbies to get lost

    • Hello? Media browser? Where is it? iChat theatre is clumsy

    iChat's amazing for other Mac users but I find myself with Skype & Adium running as well out of unfortunate necessity.



    McD
  • Reply 31 of 41
    lostkiwilostkiwi Posts: 639member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by McDave View Post


    I use it to chat with family on the other side of the world but I think Apple should walk before they can run:-
    • The set-up for an non-technical person is still a bit onerous (jumping out to Safari to get an Apple_ID or not automatically activating after a MobileMe trial sign-up) with open at login as default

    • There seems to be no dynamic interaction with the address book (I have to add buddies manually)

    • The IM compatibility needs to be extended & integrated ( Jabber, Buddy & Bonjour lists need to be amalgamated - who cares about the protocol, just chat)

    • Being able to close all windows is fine but still allows newbies to get lost

    • Hello? Media browser? Where is it? iChat theatre is clumsy

    iChat's amazing for other Mac users but I find myself with Skype & Adium running as well out of unfortunate necessity.



    McD



    Hi McDave, have you tried Chax? Really nice little program that supplements iChat.



    A lot of people have problems trying to get iChat to work with port problems. I recommend using Lighthouse (shareware) as it is great for port issues. If you have a cheap router with poorly implemented uPnP you might still have problems though.



    Why can't Apple make iChat as easy to set up and use as Skype? When you do get iChat to work on both ends, the performance is very good. Maybe it will make a great comeback in the next iPhone. Here's hoping...
  • Reply 32 of 41
    gregalexandergregalexander Posts: 1,400member
    I really can't get excited by an answering machine that uses video. And the idea that recording on my home device (like an old tape-based answering machine) needs to be separately mentioned in a patent application to recording on a server (like a standard telco supplied voicemail) ... just doesn't make sense. The whole patent seems to be obvious.



    That doesn't make the idea of video voicemail bad... just why bother with a patent?

    (Then again, I am not a lawyer and the idea of McDonalds patenting a ham and cheese sandwich also seemed absurd).



    Apple has sat around doing nothing with iChat (& the AppleTV) while the industry has steadily moved forward with VoIP technologies. Perhaps this will change - a kitchen communication device with a touch screen (like a big iPhone), a phone, video phone, email/web, recipe app, food ordering app etc.



    ie: a new home communication device that does to home phones what the iPhone did for mobile phones.



    Short of that, I don't care about iChat having a recorded message.
  • Reply 33 of 41
    amoryaamorya Posts: 1,103member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by CoolHandPete View Post


    I have always wondered why so few people bring this up. The front-facing camera essentially turns the iPhone into the greatest communication device since the Communicator on Star Trek. Especially if they could work out the eye-contact issue (which is sounds like they plan to do.)



    No, video chatting is lame and no-one uses it. It's standard on most 3G phones here in the UK, but most people try it once, decide it's fairly cool, then never use it again.



    Amorya
  • Reply 34 of 41
    dfilerdfiler Posts: 3,420member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Amorya View Post


    No, video chatting is lame and no-one uses it. It's standard on most 3G phones here in the UK, but most people try it once, decide it's fairly cool, then never use it again.



    I'd agree that voice calls will always be preferred for quite a few if not most conversations.



    But video chat is unpopular partially because of its poor user experience in its current form. Once done right, there are certain conversations where video would be popular. If your husband or wife is out of town for extended periods of time, video chat will most certainly be valued and used.
  • Reply 35 of 41
    dfilerdfiler Posts: 3,420member
    I understand why Apple patented this concept. But it is still disturbing that such a thing is necessary or even allowed. In my opinion, the concept is completely obvious. But apparently the patent office thinks differently, hence things like the patent on 1-click ordering.
  • Reply 36 of 41
    Or instead of patenting Apple could just download and install SightSpeed (available for Windows & OSX) Which has had this feature for years.

    If a contact you want to video chat to is offline you just record a message for them which they can watch next time they log on.

    Apple just as original as ever.........,.
  • Reply 37 of 41
    amoryaamorya Posts: 1,103member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dfiler View Post


    I'd agree that voice calls will always be preferred for quite a few if not most conversations.



    But video chat is unpopular partially because of its poor user experience in its current form. Once done right, there are certain conversations where video would be popular. If your husband or wife is out of town for extended periods of time, video chat will most certainly be valued and used.



    The thing is, it's not a particularly poor experience. We have about 70% of the UK covered by 3G. Lots of phones these days are 3G and support video calls. I can (or could, before I bought an iPhone) enter a phone number of a friend, have a reasonable chance of their phone supporting video calls, and if they do, you get about 15fps video from a front-mounted camera.



    When 3G was launched in the UK, video calling was touted as the killer feature. In all the advertisements, they told consumers that 3G means video calls. It was designed to be the next big thing... but the trouble is, no-one wanted to do it. It's not how video calling is implemented that's the problem, rather that the activity itself is meeting a need that most folk don't have.



    Amorya
  • Reply 38 of 41
    dfilerdfiler Posts: 3,420member
    15 fps would cause people to not watch TV too.



    The difference between having not-bad video chat and TV-quality video chat is pretty significant. When the quality, convenience and price improve, people will end up using it occasionally or in specific niche scenarios in the very least.



    Though I get what you're saying about video chat being over-hyped. My flying car was supposed to have video chat and I'm pissed that it doesn't.
  • Reply 39 of 41
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Amorya View Post


    The thing is, it's not a particularly poor experience. We have about 70% of the UK covered by 3G. <snip>



    When 3G was launched in the UK, video calling was touted as the killer feature. In all the advertisements, they told consumers that 3G means video calls. It was designed to be the next big thing... but the trouble is, no-one wanted to do it. It's not how video calling is implemented that's the problem, rather that the activity itself is meeting a need that most folk don't have.



    I think Apple could certainly make a difference. At the moment video calling hasn't taken off for several reasons IMO

    1) from a 3G phone, you can't be sure the other person has video or would want to answer using video

    2) there's no landline/mobile integration of video calling

    3) the quality isn't brilliant - small screen size and stutter vision (it's okay though).

    4) it means learning something new for many people.

    5) it's inconvenient, requiring handsfree operation and holding the phone to point the camera at yourself



    A first step would be for someone to release something that entirely replaces a regular home phone and looks very similar - but with a video screen on it. Something where it's possible to still pick up the handset, dial the same way, perhaps with a picture of the person you're calling shown on screen with an option to switch to video if the other person has a compatible system. It must be simple to use, and be able to call anyone the regular way too. Market it to grandparents who want to see their grandchildren, and make it interoperable so while the grandparents use the new "Video Phone", their kids can just use iChat or Skype on a PC or whatever (or their 3G cell phones of course).



    Apple could make something far better of course - the home video phone screen could be a touch screen with all the functionality of an iPhone. That way the contact address book is available instead of dialing a number, etc. Make it work handsfree so you don't have to pick up the handset to make the call. It's easy to see a couple of steps that could be made.



    All of which has nothing to do with the patent I guess.
  • Reply 40 of 41
    mcdavemcdave Posts: 1,927member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Amorya View Post


    No, video chatting is lame and no-one uses it. It's standard on most 3G phones here in the UK, but most people try it once, decide it's fairly cool, then never use it again.



    Amorya



    Yup, wrong angle. Too much nose hair!
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