With the future release of the iphone we are getting one step closer to a world of video chatting almost everywhere we go. This is a major step to bring a face to digital communication as the capabilities of the cellphone are continually enhanced.
But Apple isn’t the only one focused on bringing video chat into the mainstream. Microsoft recently announced Kinect (formerly known as Project Natal). Aside from the gaming features of Kinect, Microsoft takes control of your gaming media center and turns into a point of contact with the ability to video chat with not only your friends on xbox live, but those with live messenger on their pc as well.
Webcams have been readily available at your local electronic shop for almost a decade, although the recent adaptation of bringing the experience away from the computer and to the living room or even on the go greatly changes the way that friends and family can communicate.
Thanks to skype and setting a macbook up on the coffee table, last year my wife and I were able to enjoy the holidays with our families living several states away. This year can be even simpler with video calls straight from the TV or anywhere I go (where there is a wifi connection anyway).
I am not looking at video chat technology as a complete replacement for voice calls. Not entirely. But the practicality of video calls has so much potential to grow into a mainstream way of life. At least keep this in mind, next time you call in sick to work you can show your boss how sick you really are. Or maybe with a bit of camera work, fake it good enough to get a weekend off for that beach trip you have been planning for.
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