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.
