The Facetime app marks the first mass market video communication capabilities not tied to a specific carrier.
All that was needed was a vision and a device.
Requirements:
- either an iPhone 4, 4th generation Touch, or snow leopard Mac computer
- wifi connection
- Facetime application on both ends of the communication <free download direct from Apple >
Capabilities:
- Basic video communications, well advertised
- From a mobile device, switch between front or rear facing camera for view of person or persons surroundings as shown below
- From mobile device, switch from portrait to landscape mode as shown below simply by orienting the device.
- Automatic start/stop remote viewing sessions .
- Automatically logs time spent in facetime sessions. See below.
Uses:
- Most emotionally compelling form of real time communication, face to face
- Most efficient way to communicate complex design and pattern information
- Most effective way to insure integrity of communication, visual reality including surroundings
- Augmented reality to improve situational awareness , see theodolite picture below.
- On demand remote surveillance with authorization from surveilled location
- Remote viewing applications at a cost/benefit ratio pennies on the dollar compared to past choices
- There is no longer any need to run a continuous video channel to the Web just for periodic viewing of remote locations. Phone home, remote viewing , with no intervention required on the receiving end to start or stop.
- Facetime logs the call history, track what users are doing with their time.
More:
While Facetime officially works only over wifi connections, Skype release of late December 2010 does video calls on 3G (cell) networks.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/skype/id304878510?mt=8
Just in case local cell traffic is not already bogged down without new video overload.
Video camera on the 4G touch is capable of 1280x720 at 30 fps, complete specs . Video quality that must be seen to be believed from a device that can always be with you.
Forward facing landscape view
Forward Facing Portrait
Rear facing Landscape
Rear Facing Portrait
Tricks with Mirrors
Theodolite Situational Awareness Augmentation
Facetime session logging displayed on right pane
How much Apple can a shoe box hold?
A lot. Apple is a devices and innovation company above all else.
First in is the Mini Server
A terabyte of storage and full server capabilities including file, database, email, Web serving, and podcast producing all on an unlimited client access license.
http://www.apple.com/macmini/server/
Next the Touch and Nano
The Touch can do about 95 percent of what most people need in the way of information technology, and is easily slipped into a pocket. Unlike the iPhone, no camera is included. Also no long term service contracts! Other than that, much the same device. At least until the new iPhone starts shipping.
-- http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/
The Nano is an engineering feat that any manufacturer would be hard pressed to match.
8 or 16 gigs of digital media storage for music, video, photos, and podcasts. Also:
- Voice memos
- A pedometer
- Built in microphone and speakers
- Video camera with special effects
- FM radio tuner with live pause and resume
- Stop watch
- Alarms
- Calendar
- World Clocks
- Address book
- Notes
And a real pretty little screen in a package that weighs less than two ounces.
-- http://www.apple.com/ipodnano/
The inevitable iPad
A pretty good stack of them can fit in a shoebox with Touches and Nano's and Mini. In this setting, it becomes obvious how well an iPad fits where nothing else does, device-wise. Big enough, but small enough. -- http://www.apple.com/ipad/
Cloud computing with server and clients, within the form factor of a shoe box.
Macbook Pro is a Monster
Pictured is a 15" model. It will not fit. Laptops are kind of taking over the old roles of workstations. They are a nice form factor with a real keyboard and major processing power.. Carry it in one arm, a shoe box in the other, and be ready for just about any information challenge or just having fun.
