Pegasus-MotionX, Philippe Kahn, Pacific Cup 2010 - FaceTime

[TheWuster777]

So, what WIFI service did you guys use to get this from the Pacific? My colleagues and I are planning a land trip around the world and and asking around about services for WIFI in remote areas.

[al3xband]

how did Philippe get wifi on his boat to establish face time?

[Harmonyww]

Facetime is unreliable and generally crap. It takes me and my girlfriend about 30 minutes to get a successful connection to each other over Facetime. Whenever one of us sends an invite to the other, the invite is usually not received at all, but if it is it takes 3 or 4 minutes of waiting to actually connect. We're also using highspeed broadband, and all of my friends get the same result too. It's a horrible feature, and absolutely nothing like this video. Apple need to sort it out.

[haipod123]

I agree. I also had the same thought @gpmoo7 had in mind. You saw how laggy the guy's connection was at the middle of the Pacific.

[Balzorosso]

Everybody keeps saying this is nothing new. So I wonder why this is the only one smartphone on the market capable of placing a video call ON WIFI. If you know others, please inform us here (I cannot think of any other phone capable of this)

[gpmoo7]

@Balzorosso You can use Fring on almost every smartphone (iOS, Android, WinMo, ...) but it's no longer capable of using Skype.

[JS2393]

I'm sorry, but I don't quite see what the big deal is...it's not like the iPhone is the only device capable of this. And it's certainly not the only cell phone device capable of this.

[Balzorosso]

@JS2393

Ok, and which other smartphone is capable of this? Nokia N900? No way. A Droid? Don't think so. Maybe it is possible to make video calls, SUPERCHARGED video calls (at least here in europe they cost a lot). But video calls on WiFi? I don't know any other phone that can make this.

[JS2393]

@Balzorosso

I know he Evo supports it for sure, and i would imagine that most devices that support video calling and have wifi chips are capable of videochalling over wifi. It only makes sense...

[Balzorosso]

@JS2393

I think you are right, but then WHY nobody has done an application, proprietary or not, to make this possible? Only to not step on feet of the telecom companies that need to charge videocalls?

[JS2393]

@Balzorosso

uhhhh there ARE applications out that allow this. As someone else already mentioned, there's Fring, and I'm pretty sure Qik allows this too. The iPhone isn't the only phone capable of doing this. Get over it

[hlondono111]

Very cool, I know there are other ways of doing this with a laptop and skype but this is cooler and simpler than walking around with a laptop

[HarvinderDhillon85]

Well what is so futuristic? We have been having 3G Video calls for so time already

[ihateurvid]

Who gives a sh*t if he's using an iPhone, Evo, laptop, whatever. He's a goddamn liar, there ARE places on earth more isolated. Like Point Nemo.

[starax]

I notice you deliberately made the "conversation" one way because of the satellite lag...

[wpgeek]

Big deal. The point is the portability aspect of the iPhone 4 and integrated front and back cameras tied together using an easy-to-use software interface (aka Facetime). You could always do this with a laptop or some other embedded video-chat (not as portable though). I'm wondering what their satellite upstream provider is and how much their paying (and how much bandwidth Facetime uses since the satellite providers charge by the MB).

[gpmoo7]

Again ... once you have an Internet connection, Skype/MSN/GTalk would have worked as good as FaceTime ... and FaceTime only works with other iPhone 4.

[Balzorosso]

@gpmoo7

Again, there is not other smartphone which can make video calls over WiFi (also skype for iphone don't have any video capabilities). Of course I can use a laptop, but maybe it's not that "handy", what do you think?

[gpmoo7]

@Balzorosso Using FaceTime on iPhone 4 is "handy" but , again, it only works with other iPhones 4 (only 3 to 4 millions sold right now).

You can have a netbook for half the price of an iPhone 4 and MSN+Skype+GTalk are used by way more than 500 millions people.

It won't be long before Skype/MSN/GTalk iPhone app offer video chat on the iPhone 4.

The only reason this video exist and has 37680 views on YouTube is because the iPhone is popular and they want to use the buzz to become popular.

[Balzorosso]

@gpmoo7 I totally agree. What I'm trying to point out is that Nokia, Sony, Samsung or many other could have come out with a similar service before, but now they are only good to claim that "it's nothing new". Damn, if it's nothing new, why you didn't do it before??

Why the Skype app has not video capabilities? We could had use it on other phones with front cam, not necessarily on the old iphone.

[gpmoo7]

@Balzorosso I think mobile networks are not ready for video-chat (that's why FaceTime only works over WiFi right now).

Most of all, I don't think people want to video-chat with their phone.

Even at home, I video-chat only with my family and my closest friends but that's all.

For sure, it's great to call someone and show them the landscape live but I can take pictures and share them on Facebook with all my friends and family instantly.

[Balzorosso]

@gpmoo7 Why you say mobile networks are not ready for video-chat? In italy it's been already 3 years that telecoms offer videocalls (but very high charged).

I think people would videochat more if it's a free service, like over Wi-Fi. But until now we never had such a thing (while videocalling with skype on PCs is very very popular here).

[gpmoo7]

@Balzorosso Because AT&T is already having a lot of trouble supporting all the traffic of all these iPhones in US ... not to mention all the drop call issues.

Video-chat will be way more useful and popular on tablets since they are easier to use than an computer and always on WiFi.

[prostovanka]

Great Video. Looks like alot of fun out there. Watch out for the Orange Sharp Shark.

Keep posting your experiences with us.

[hi2ukfj]

so what service are you guys using to have internet?

[TheMoitah]

Way more fluid at home with a real internet connexion.

That's bad press, it doesn't represent real-world performance.

[twittervlog]

Very cool - but not much in the way of back and forth conversation! Pretty much a monologue, which could've been delivered as a recorded video file or a one-way live stream via something like Qik. It's the idea of good two-way video calls to remote locations via mobile that seems particularly futuristic. Perhaps the questions/conversation from this end were edited out, but it would've been nice to see if there's a lag, or if the reception at the other end was too bad or it was too noisy.

[lin2log]

Get ready for a loooooooong list of mindless, jealous Apple/iPhone-Hater comments repeating the same old shibboleth over and over and over again "I could do this YEARS ago with my N95/laptop/toaster/[enter favorite appliance here]!!!" and so on, merely showing that they have NO clue what they're talking about...

[sweetgreggo]

Hasn't this been doable with webcams for like, ever?

[prostovanka]

@sweetgreggo yes it has. Along with a 4 square inch webcame you have to cary a 4-8 foot cable Oh and a Laptop that doesnt fit in your pocket :)

This is alot easier and faster. Oh and even your cat could do it :-)

[frankthetank651]

@prostovanka Webcams stopped being 4 square inches 5 years ago. Also, wireless internet allows you to do all this without a 4-8 cable. Also, the Apple Kool Aid you have been drinking is running down the side of your face.

The only thing impressive about this video is the cool satellite internet the boat has. Everything else is old news.

[Viper007Bond]

Technically this has been doable for quite a while with a laptop and Skype for example, but that was big, bulky, and annoying. This is way cooler. :)

[ollywright]

That may have just put a bunch of expensive ship communications companies out of business

[nzcrusty]

Amazing technology!