How Facetime 'Video Calling' works on the Apple iPhone 4

Here's a quick summary on how Facetime works on the iPhone 4. Steve Jobs said that this was his childhood ream. This is what people have been watching in sci-fi movies all along. The ability to talk to each other which seeing each other's faces. Now this has become a reality and the ability to do what is know as Facetime Video Calling according to Apple is now a reality.


This post is not a look at the technical specifications but rather on just how it works. 


Firstly Facetime works right out of the box and there is no set-up needed. So if you want to start a video call with your friends, find your friend in your contacts list and just tap the Facetime button. If your all ready on a voice call and you want to shift to Facetime. Just tap the Facetime button on your screen.Once you do that an invitation pops up on your friends screen asking if they would like to join you in a video chat. If your pal clicks yes it starts working. You can also choose portrait and landscape mode.


The iPhone 4 has two cameras. One on the front above the display and one on the back next to the LED flash. The front camera has been tuned to be used for Video calling and must be held at arms length to present you in the best possible light.


During your Facetime call you can also use the back camera to share what you see.Tap a button and the phone switches to take back camera and you can share what your seeing right now. Tap a button again and it switches to the front camera. So if you on safari and a lion comes into view. Tap a button and the back camera comes on and you can share the live images with your friends. Allowing them to see what your seeing in real time.


The pic below is Apple's illustration on how this works. Talk with your friend and share your son blowing out the birthday candles in real-time. 

[Image Courtesy Apple]


This is the official ad for the iPhone 4 Facetime

An original post by

Sociolatte

Skype to offer HD video calling on TV

Skype is all set to offer HD video calling on some new TVs. 

Skype said Tuesday that its Internet phone service will be included in Panasonic's 2010 VIERA CAST-enabled HD TVs and LG's new LCD and plasma HD TVs with NetCast Entertainment Access. The televisions are expected to be available in the middle of the year.

LG and Panasonic will sell webcams that support the 720p high-definition format and are meant for making video calls with the televisions.

To use the HD conferencing feature, users will need to use the Skype 4.2 beta for Windows along with an HD webcam and a minimum 1/8ghz dual core processor.


Skype said upcoming webcams from faceVision and In Store Solutions, which are slated to be released in February and March, respectively, will support the video calls.


"Imagine being able to see the sparkle of your grandchild’s eyes or the setting of your best friend’s engagement ring," said Skype chief executive Josh Silverman.

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Sociolatte