Microsoft Is Working On FaceTime Rival Service

Are you guys crazy for the smartphones bearing front facing cameras for video-call/chat ever since Apple showed its FaceTime feature on the iPhone 4. The latest manufacturer to join the flock is Microsoft. A website called Neowin has evidence of a chat application that will use front-facing camera application for the Windows Phone 7 platform. This platform is intended to compete with the Apple's FaceTime.

Recently, Skype released a new version 3.0 App for iPhone and iPad platforms. It allows to make video calls over 3G and Wi-Fi. As per Neowin, a key Windows Phone 7 employee talked about several upcoming features for the WP7 platform at a high profile event. 

An ex-Microsoft Silverlight Program Manager, Justin Angel, furnished a screenshot of a Microsoft.Phone.Media.Extended.dll file that mentions of making use of SelfPortrait Camera aka the front-facing camera. This video chat service might come as part of Microsoft Live services for the Windows Phone 7 platform.  It's unsure whether it would be shown at the Mobile World Congress 2011 or later this year. 

Microsoft needs to buckle up for introducing the Video call/chat service for Windows Phone 7. We can anticipate this feature to come along with Windows Phone 7.5 update, rumored to be codenamed as Mango. Google has already shown Video Chat feature through Android 3.0 Honeycomb meant for Tablets only.

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Pre-order Kinect From India

With the international launch of Kinect, gamers here can now pre-order the Kinect system and combos from the Microsoft India store. A call to Microsoft India confirmed that the Kinect system will be available locally by the end of this calendar year. For those who wish to secure the motion controller on the release day itself can now pre-order it for Rs.9,990. Also available on pre-order are Xbox 360 250GB with Kinect for Rs. 31,980 and the 4GB console with Kinect for Rs.22,990.

Microsoft set a precedent with the Xbox 360 console by keeping the Indian price very close to its international pricing. However, the difference between the $150 (Rs. 6,650 approx.) international and Rs. 9,990 for the Indian version of Kinect is quite substantial this time. The premium increases further over the 4GB and 250GB international versions selling for $300.00 (Rs. 13,300 approx.) and $400 (Rs. 17,700 approx.), with the Indian released being pegged higher at Rs. 22,990 andRs. 31,980 respectively. That's quite a price to pay, unless of course, you are fortunate enough to have someone bring it over from the US of A.

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