Posts Tagged ‘FaceTime’

Facebook and Skype Join Forces Against FaceTime

Apple’s FaceTime is getting some competition, or are they? With promises of an “awesome new product”, Facebook held an event today to announce their integration with Skype.

With the insistence that Facebook is merely a strong foundation upon which other subject matter experts can contribute and build, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO, proudly showed off the addition of video chatting to their existing chat interface.

The beauty of the integration is that there are no external apps required. You are already connected to your friends, it seems a natural extension to be able to video call them with the click of a button. This kind of simplicity should make it easy for everybody to use… in theory.

While this appears to compete directly with Apple’s FaceTime on the surface, with the additional news that this feature is currently not available for use on mobile devices, that doesn’t seem very likely. What I do believe is that this is a starting point and may indicate the potential for Facebook to survive even longer on top of the social networking world.

Along with the announcement of the Skype integration, revamps for the chat and friends list interfaces were also announced. This news just begins what Zuckerberg is calling the “launching season” of 2011. Other announcements expected soon include the addition of an iPad specific Facebook app as well as “Project Spartan” which is rumored to be an HTML5-driven mobile application platform designed to bring Flash-free, HTML 5 driven games to iOS and Android devices.

Am I the only one who finds it interesting that Microsoft recently purchased Skype, but the demonstration today was conducted on a Mac?

[via AppleInsider]

» Related posts:

• Skype Coming to iPad
• FaceTime Group Video Chat on iOS Devices?
• At Last, A Facebook iPad Native App

ClamCase for iPad 2 Now Available for Order

The ultimate in keyboard cases is now available for your iPad 2! ClamCase announced the release of its second-generation case for the iPad 2 today and promises all the bells and whistles found in the original iPad model, with a few new features added for productivity and entertainment.

This lighter, sleeker model offers users an all-in-one keyboard and stand, multiple unique viewing positions and a full Bluetooth QWERTY keyboard, sure to wow everyone from everyday consumers to business professionals. The ClamCase’s hard-cover and integrated keyboard provides users with increased functionality and portability during their on-the-go experience. Whether sitting in the food court at the mall, taking notes in class or flying off on vacation, this high quality case will support your needs in countless situations.

A patent-pending 360 hinge maintains the freedom of the tablet design and its long battery life (over 100 days of standby) increases your mobility. The hard shell case for the iPad 2 includes cutouts for side buttons and ports like the original, while adding additional cutouts for the back camera and built-in iPad speakers. Another great feature added to the new ClamCase is its ability to automatically turn your iPad 2 on when the case is open and put it to sleep when you close it, preserving the battery life of your device when its not in use.

Enhance your FaceTime, YouTube, online gaming, web surfing and many other experiences, while protecting your iPad 2 investment at the same time, when you purchase the new ClamCase. The Matte Black ClamCase is available for order now, with the Matte White and the Limited Edition Trooper coming later this summer. All units are priced at $149.

» Related posts:

• ClamCase – Turn Your iPad Into a Laptop
• Clamcase Available Now for iPad
• More Upcoming iPad 2 Accessories – Griffin, PADACS, Clamcase

iPad 3G Soon Able to Make Cellular Calls and Send Text Messages?

According to Egyptian website iPhoneIslam, 3G-enabled iPads will soon be able to place regular calls and send text messages, just like an iPhone. The video above shows a jailbroken first generation iPad 3G running an app extremely similar to the iPhone phone app, and surprisingly, the device indeed seems to work.

iPhoneIslam doesn’t offer many details about the hack, except the fact that it will “change the game”:

Can you imagine turning your iPad to a fully functional phone. With No Special Hardware all what you need is Jailbroken iPad 3G and your iPad 3G will do anything you expect from iPhone… Phone Calls, SMS, FaceTime by Phone Number… ETC

While the app shown on the video could very well be nothing more than an hoax, note that iPhoneIslam proved to be reliable in the past, as the team behind the site released the very real FaceIt3GS hack several months ago.

The app, called PhoneItiPad, will allegedly be available on the Cydia Store very soon – you will need to jailbreak your iPad if you want to give it a try.

[via iClarified]

» Related posts:

• [Jailbreak App] – Stream Your iOS Devices Videos Using Air Home Video
• Steve Jobs Calls Developer Over App Rejection
• greenpois0n RC5 Untethered Jailbreak for iOS 4.2.1 Finally Released

Apple Releases New iPad 2 Commercial

Apple introduced its latest iPad 2 commercial during primetime TV this evening. Continuing with a similar theme seen in the iPad 2 “We Believe” commercial, this TV ad describes ways in which individuals might refer to their iPad 2 and features a number of apps like Keynote, GarageBand, Alice for the iPad and FaceTime.

How do you describe the iPad 2? ”If you ask…” a parent, musician, doctor, CEO, teacher or child, everyone has their own descriptive answer. What’s yours?

If you ask a parent, they might call it intuitive. If you ask a musician, they might call it inspiring. To a doctor, it’s groundbreaking. To a CEO, it’s powerful. To a teacher, it’s the future. If you ask a child, she might call it magic. And if you asked us, we’d say it’s just getting started.

» Related posts:

• We Believe – Apple Releases First iPad 2 Commercial
• iPad is Electric – Apple Releases Latest iPad Commercial
• New Apple iPad TV Commercial

Vtok Allows Google Video Chatting from Your iPad 2, iPhone

If you like to video chat with your friends, you’re probably quite familiar with Skype, Yahoo!, Apple’s Facetime, and Tango. All of these are very popular applications amongst PC and mobile users.

However, many of my Google Talk (GTalk) friends weren’t able to video chat with me, until a very nice app called Vtolk was released onto the App Store about a month ago. Vtok’s release allowed me to video chat from my iPhone with my GTalk contacts while on business trips. And now, the latest app update allows me to video chat from my iPad 2 as well.

Vtolk’s latest update (v1.3) has made the application compatible with the iPad 2. There are no special tricks required to use the Vtok app. Simply download the app onto your iPad2 or iPhone, and sign in using your Google (gmail) username and password and start calling your GTalk contacts.

The application uses your Google credentials to authenticate you with Google via a secure connection. One thing worth noting is that you will only see the contacts who are online and that are capable of doing video or voice calls with you. But, you can always invite more contacts to use Vtok by using the “Invite Contacts” button below your contact list within the app.

In addition to iPad 2 support, the latest version of the app supports multiple orientations (portrait, landscape) when video calling with Google video chat. You can also switch between the speaker and earpiece during a call.

Vtok works quite well over WiFi and 3G connections. The application supports the iPad 2, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and the 4th generation iPod Touch.

Vtok can be downloaded now free of charge. It’s a very good download for your iPad 2 and iPhone.

» Related posts:

• SlingPlayer Mobile iPad/iPhone App Now Supports Video Out
• Google Docs Editing Finally Coming to iPad and iPhone
• Showyou – A “Flipboard” Video Experience On Your iPad

PadGadget Weekend iPad News Roundup – April 17, 2011

In case you missed them, here are some of the most popular articles on PadGadget from the past week (April 10 – 17, 2011).

1. FaceTime and 3G Issues on iPad Fixed with iOS 4.3.2
2. Ziva and Ziva Pro iPad 2 Cases from PADACS
3. Still Looking for an iPad 2? Head to Best Buy This Weekend
4. Next Gen iPad and iPhone to be Made Out of Composite Materials?
5. iPad 2 Duct Tape Folio Smart Case
6. McGraw-Hill Education Offers Free iPad Math Apps
7. Toys R’ Us Confirms iPad 2 On Sale Starting Tomorrow
8. iPad 2 New Accessories – iWah, Mivizu, Maclove

» Related posts:

• PadGadget Weekend iPad News Roundup – April 3, 2011
• PadGadget Weekend iPad News Roundup – April 10, 2011
• PadGadget Weekend iPad News Roundup – March 27, 2011

FaceTime and 3G Issues on iPad Fixed by iOS 4.3.2

Yesterday, Apple released a new version of iOS, designed to squash several bugs, including FaceTime issues, as well as 3G connectivity problems.

The new update, dubbed iOS 4.3.2, fixes some issues experienced by users during FaceTime calls, such as frozen videos, or random pictures displayed by the app.

As for the 3G version of the iPad 1/2, the update will help users to connect to 3G networks faster, especially when traveling abroad.

The update, compatible with both first generation iPad and iPad 2, as well as iPhone 3GS/4 and third/fourth generation iPod touch, also includes security updates, and should improve the battery life of iOS devices.

iOS 4.3.2 was released less than a month after the launch of iOS 4.3.1. The previous update brought a slew of fixes, including graphics and AV output improvements, memory management improvements, new authentication methods, springboard and gyroscope improvements on the iPad 2, and 3G activation improvements.

The update is available via the iTunes Software Update feature. Direct links are also available:

• First generation iPad
• iPad 2 (WiFi only)
• iPad 2 (at&t)
• iPad 2 (Verizon)

» Related posts:

• iOS 4.3.2 Update Will Fix FaceTime and Verizon iPad 2 Issues
• Apple Releases iOS 4.3.1 for iPad and iPhone Users
• Complaints of FaceTime Freezes Issues on iPad 2

iOS 4.3.2 Update Will Fix FaceTime and Verizon iPad 2 Issues

According to an Apple source, the upcoming iOS 4.3.2 update will certainly address a few critical bugs that have affected several users after the release of iOS 4.3.1.

As usual, Apple will try to address general bug fixes, but the upcoming update will concentrate mostly on the FaceTime freezing issues and the Verizon iPad 2 problems when connecting to the carrier’s 3G network.

Just in case you’re not familiar with some of the current issues, the FaceTime problem has been reported by several people that claimed to have experienced freezes and out-of-place images when using the service. At this stage, the issue seems fairly random, and is difficult to reproduce. Some reports claim the problem could be related to the iPad 2 cameras, or the software layer used to manage them.

The Verizon 3G connection issue arises when Verizon iPad 2 users turn off the 3G connection of their device via the Settings app, while on a plane, for instance. Once the 3G connection of the tablet is turned back on, the iPad 2 seems to be unable to log back into Verizon’s network.

Other fixes that may be included on iOS 4.3.2 have to do with security vulnerabilities with WebKit.

Boy Genius Report was very accurate when reporting about the release of iOS 4.3.1. If BGR’s report is accurate once again, the upcoming iOS 4.3.2 should be available approximately late next week.

[via Boy Genius Report]

» Related posts:

• 3G Connection Issues on Verizon iPad 2 to be Fixed Soon
• Complaints of FaceTime Freezes Issues on iPad 2
• 3G Connection Issues on Verizon iPad 2?

3G Connection Issues on Verizon iPad 2 to be Fixed Soon

Given the large amount of complaints coming from Verizon iPad 2 users who experience 3G connection issues with their device, Apple acknowledged the problem yesterday, and stated that the iOS team was working on a fix.

The issue mostly arises when Verizon iPad 2 users turn off the 3G connection of their device via the Settings app, while on a plane, for instance. Once the 3G connection of the tablet is turned back on, the iPad 2 seems to be unable to log into Verizon’s network.

According to AllThingsD, who discussed with Apple representatives about the issue:

“We are aware that a small number of iPad 2 customers have experienced connectivity issues with the Verizon 3G network and we are investigating it,” the company said in a statement to Mobilized. A Verizon representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Meanwhile, and based on the feedback coming directly from disgruntled users on Apple’s forum, the easiest way to fix the problem is to reboot the device by holding both Home and Sleep buttons simultaneously for more than 10 seconds – a painful, yet effective process to get the device back online.

It is still unclear whether all Verizon-compatible iPad 2s are affected by the problem, or only a subset. Thanks to the upcoming iOS 4.3.2 update, the problem might be something of the past soon.

» Related posts:

• 3G Connection Issues on Verizon iPad 2?
• Verizon CFO: Verizon-Compatible iPad 2 on its Way
• Complaints of FaceTime Freezes Issues on iPad 2

iPad 2 Camera Issues: Yet More Evidence of a Problem

Last week, we reported on camera issues experienced by several iPad 2 owners, while using FaceTime. Earlier today, CultOfMac uncovered more camera-related issues, and even manage to capture the problem while it was occurring.

At this stage, the issue seems fairly random, and is difficult to reproduce, which implies that the problem could be directly related to the cameras coming with the iPad 2. A hardware problem would be quite a challenge for Apple, as fixing it might never be possible.

I compiled some still images from a recording that I made while inside a car wash. I had my iPad 2 in my bag, and I figured that, since I’ve yet to record a video on it, I could just record my trip through the car wash. During the two and a half minutes that I was in there, I noticed that the colors were “glitching-out.” It’s happened three times now. 

The new iteration of iOS release on Friday, iOS 4.3.1, hasn’t fixed the issue, as the iPad 2 used by CultOfMac was already updated to the latest version of iOS. And until Apple communicates on the issues, and fixes it, users are not given much of a choice, except rebooting their device.

The videos below were taken with an iPad 2, inside a car wash. The camera issue can be seen several times on the first video, while the second video shows the issue frame-by-frame, in case you cannot see it in the first video.

» Related posts:

• iOS 4.2 Release Pushed Back Due to WiFi Connectivity Issues?
• iPad2 Camera Apps Discovered in iOS 4.3 beta
• Complaints of FaceTime Freezes Issues on iPad 2