The Nokia 810 Internet Tablet will have WiMAX support in a new version expected to come out this summer.
WiMAX is a wireless broadband standard that is being rolled out by Sprint under the Xohm brand. It is capable of 2-4 Mbps download and 1 to 3 Mbps upload speeds. This compares to 3G EV-DO speeds tested recently as having an average download speed of 1.1 Mbps and an average upload speed of 511 Kbps.
The addition of high-speed WiMAX to an Internet Tablet that already has a built-in camera might make a compelling mobile video conferencing device.
It’s just a rumor but Kevin Rose of Digg puts forth that the second generation iPhone will allow video chat.
Rose claims in this video clip that the new 3G iPhone will have two cameras, including one in the front specifically for video conferencing.
I wonder how much latency and jitter will be on the AT&T 3G network.
Streaming a live two-way video conversation over a cellular telephone network will be challenging. The experience will have to be great in order to meet the expectations of iPhone users.
Maybe it will be primarily for video chatting over the iPhone’s WiFi connection. I could see that as more feasible.
Lee Aase has a cool title at his day job. He is the Manager for Syndications and Social Media at the Mayo Clinic.
In his off hours, he runs the Social Media University, Global, cheekily known as SMUG. It is essentially a blog which includes a curriculum that teaches the practical application of tools like WordPress, Twitter and Facebook to business people.
Recently he needed to plan for an upcoming videoconference at his workplace. He naturally presumed that he’d be using the traditional videoconference equipment that companies pay tens of thousands of dollars for. When he contacted the coordinator at the other end to get the IP address to connect with their video conferencing system, they said, “We just always use Skype.”
So, while still on the phone, he downloaded the latest version of Skype onto his Macbook Pro, signed into his previously created Skype account and in a matter of minutes he was face-to-face with his remote colleague.
That story is a perfect example of the power of personal videoconferencing.
There is no scheduling of a dedicated videoconferencing room or setting up specialized equipment. Two people with relatively new computers, a camera (many now come with webcams built-in) and a broadband Internet connection can set up a high-quality video chat session almost on a whim.
Lee will now be using Skype videoconference for tutoring and offering students a “Chat with the Chancellor.” Experts sharing knowledge with people all over the globe is a perfect use for Skype.
Handheld devices that let you video chat over WiFi or 3G networks are the ultimate in personal videoconferencing. So far we haven’t seen much in the way of these mobile videophones here in the US.
British Telecom and Sony have released a free service for the PSP gaming device that turns it into a wireless personal communicator with IM, Voice and Video Chat.
You need to buy an add-on Go!Cam which attaches to a slot in the top of the PSP and download the free Go!Messenger software.
The Sony PSP Go!Cam has a 1.3-megapixel sensor, a built-in microphone and it rotates 180° so that you can point at your face or shoot straight ahead to show your surroundings.
The Go!Cam and Go!Messenger lets you make free video calls to other similarly equipped PSPs and also to PCs with the free ”BT Softphone 2” software installed.
The Video below is a demo of a live video call from the Sony PSP Go!Messenger.
Apparently, Worldgate Communications and Snap!VRS has worked out what ever problems between them that led to the Ojo Videophone service being turned off for nearly a month. The message on the Ojo Phone Website promises that customers will have free service until June 1, 2008 to make up for the interruption.
According to the Service Restoration F.A.Q. new purchasers of the Ojo Phone will also enjoy free service until June 1st.
Snap VRS has updated its Website with a video of Snap!VRS general counsel Jeff Rosen announcing the return of the Ojo Service in open captioned ASL.
You may need to reboot your Ojo by unplugging it for 15 seconds then plugging it back in.
As of yet, there has been no explanation from either company on steps that are being taken to assure that the service will be reliable in the future. Much of that will depend on the financial viability of Worldgate which is a publicly traded company and presumably will have to report to its shareholders.
Director Michael Bay demonstrates how “awesome” Verizon FiOS Internet upload speeds are in this commercial.
Upload speeds are important for good videoconferencing because the quality of your two-way conversation is limited by the weakest link which is usually one party’s Internet upstream bandwidth.
I have the FiOS 15/2 Mbps plan which is 15 Mbps download speed and 2 Mbps upload which I find is plenty fast enough for Skype Video, iChat, SightSpeed and ooVoo.
I could upgrade my FiOS service to 15/15 and get the full 15 Mbps upstream but until I’m ready for a high-definition telepresence suite, I don’t think I could take advantage of that bandwidth for videoconferencing.
Propel PBM (Personal Bandwidth Manager) is a software that promises to monitor your use of Internet traffic and give network priority to VOIP and video conferencing above other bandwidth intensive applications.
One of the reasons for poor quality VOIP or video calls is that your computer may be in the midst or sending or receiving a large file and eating up all the Internet bandwidth when all of a sudden a call comes in.
There are any number of applications including automatic Windows or Adobe Acrobat updates that can eat up the bandwidth that you would rather have being used for your VOIP or videoconference application.
Propel has just introduced a PC application that runs as a background service that monitors your computer’s use of bandwidth and manages it automatically.
The network activity is tracked by the PBM Traffic Monitor will protect your Skype traffic while letting other applications through, but at a lower priority and bandwidth usage.
This is a new approach to QOS (Quality of Service) which is usually controlled at a network point outside of the PC. Propel PBM is targeted to non-technical users and requires no configuration or set-up.
Some videophones rely on an IP address as a standard way to connect with each other. This works in much the same way as a phone number. To place a video call you enter the IP address of the location you wish to reach.
Some IP addresses are static, meaning they are assigned and don’t ever change. But most home users have a dynamic IP address which may change from time to time.
Here is a Website www.whatismyip.org that will quickly and simply tell you what the current public IP address is at the computer or network you visit the site from.
Show my IP address.
On2 Technologies Inc. will be releasing the Hantro 8190 video decoder chip for use in mobile phones and devices. The On2 announcement says the Hantro 8190 will support the Adobe Flash video format, H.263, H.264, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, VC-1, Sorenson Spark and VP6 codecs.
They specifically mention video-conferencing as one of the supported applications, however it is unclear whether the chip will also be able to encode the outgoing video.
The Hantro 8190 is supposed to be powerful enough to decode full 1080p HD resolution video at 30 fps using a 165MHz low-power CPU.
On2 VP6 codecs play a big part in videoconferencing via their use in Skype Video and Adobe Acrobat Connect. Perhaps this new chip will help On2 enjoy the same ubiquity in emerging mobile videoconferencing platforms.
