"AT&T is defending its decision to limit the use of Apple's video chat feature, FaceTime, to its Mobile Share data plans by saying that the limitation does not violate the FCC's net neutrality rules. The company wrote in a blog post on Wednesday that some groups had 'another knee-jerk reaction' to AT&T's limitation, but the company argues that its decision meets all FCC requirements." You can expect Verizon to follow suit soon. Carriers don't do things like this unless they know the competition will tag along. This also happens to explain why Apple probably can't do much about it; if both Verizon and AT&T give FaceTime the boot like this, there's little Apple can do. For what it's worth - I'm happy The Netherlands (and Chile!) has unconditional net neutrality. This would not fly here, further illustrating the need for net neutrality.
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Member since:2011-05-12
This is more about webcams. FaceTime is Apple's video calling, which works only via WiFi making is already half useless.
Personally I see no reason, very most of all the time, to be able to see the other person. I'd rather hold the phone to my ear than keep it in front of me.
Also I don't find it very easy to make a FaceTime call. I'd rather make a "normal" call and have the iPhone indicate it's also possible to switch on the cam (like is switches to iMessage from text message when it finds out the target is an iPhone). Now I have no idea who has and who hasn't FaceTime.
If a FaceTime call fails it could be because they have no FaceTime or are not in WiFi range. So why bother with the hassle and not make a voice call straight away.
Member since:2005-07-06
Though webcams overall and FaceTime are so related that they both fall into the same general pitfalls - especially since FaceTime is also an OSX and iPad thing, is it not?
Anyway, multi-platform availability of Skype or Gmail video helps them only marginally...
BTW, with mobile, I remember some research into how people are actually using mobile videocalls - turns out that, after the first few "novelty calls", the primary (but even that rare, of course) usage scenario is to show the other person not yourself, but your immediate surroundings. Ironically enough, that doesn't even require a front-facing camera & actually works better with the rear one... (can you switch to the rear camera as video source in iPhone? I know of few SE "feature phones" that could do it, and had one which had only the rear camera - but still could do 3G videocalls)
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Member since:
2005-07-06
But you ignore the absolutely crucial usages of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camfecting , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camgirling , chatroulette, and general cybering!!1
Or of ~businessmen and ~politicians being able to pose for PR pictures, showing us how they're hard at work of making decisions! ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Medvedev_and_Nurgaliev_TANDBERG_T... & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Medvedev_and_Vladimir_Yakunin.jpg ). I suppose we can also use the "camwhore" term in this case, maybe even more so.
Or of students being able to pretend they get to know other cultures! ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:American,_Indonesian_Students_Lin... )
Yay & I don't think scifi authors were predicting something quite like that (but generally... http://www.osnews.com/permalink?523521 & http://www.osnews.com/permalink?525237 & http://www.osnews.com/thread?492454 & http://www.osnews.com/permalink?492991 & http://www.osnews.com/permalink?489385 ...come to think of it, videoconferencing is a very old trick of myths and storytelling: just back then via spells and magically transmitting vision/presence - but do computers work any different than magic for most people?)
...well, and there are also services, here and there, to relay & interpret telephone communication with the deaf, I suppose.
Edited 2012-08-28 11:57 UTC