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.
Antenna's technology was a big problem area when Apple introduced its iPhone for 6 months ago. Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple did clarify the issue pertaining to the new Antennae technology used in iPhone 4. We also got a glimpse of Apple's Antenna Design and Test Labs - Apple. At these Labs, Apple Engineers are now working on a new Antenna design to place it behind the Apple Logo of portable devices. Patently Apple spotted a patent that describes a filing about Logo Antennas in Apple's portable products.
The Apple iPad has its antenna just behind the logo, which clearly shows what Apple's hardware engineers have been aiming to do. Apple Hardware Engineers are now working to place the Antennas behind the Apple Logo to gain stronger signal without intervening metal or interference from other conductive housing walls. Antenna won't be limited just to Wi-Fi but would cover cellular telephone bands such as GSM 850/900/1800/1900/2100MHz data bands. Apart from the multi-band telecommunications, the antennas would also support Global Positioning System capabilities.
Apple's Patent calls the new antenna technology as Logo Antenna and hardware engineers state that it's possible to cram behind the logos of mobile devices such as iPhone or iPod touch. Even laptops such as MacBooks can have this antenna behind the logo and hence might offer telephony option. In addition to that, these antennas can be placed in desktop machines like iMacs and Mac Minis.
Logo Antennas would be placed Apple products within housing machined from precision unibody aluminum block or other metals. The walls of housing might be used to hold conductive components such as displays. So the conductive antenna cavity might help isolating the Logo Antenna from other circuit inside the housing.
Year after year Apple aims at offering slimmer products and thereby increasing the challenge for hardware engineers to place the antenna in the best location in the product. It would be interesting to see future Apple products carry the Logo Antenna technology.
Square Enix has announced that the release of Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light game for Apple iPad, iPhone and also for iPod touch. When we reviewed the PC version of Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light , we found it quite enjoyable as well as addictive. The 9th game in the Tomb Raider series, Lara Croft is available in two versions for the iOS platform - iPad HD edition and other for iPhone as well as for iPod touch.
Lara Croft and her partner Totec - the 2,000-year old Incan warrior, are set out on the question. Just like the PC version, the iOS version too carries a static isometric view. Addictive game play comes with loads of co-op action involved in puzzle solving, more amazing graphics and better touch controls.
Square Enix has priced the iPad version of the game at $9.99 and iPhone, iPod touch version at $6.99.
