Real Time Two Way Video Communication for the Masses

12/30/2010 6:00 pm

Doug Brethower

Tags: iPhone 4 , Touch , facetime

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.

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.