When entering the BlogHaus suite over three years ago at CES 2008, I quickly learned I had to be careful with my activities as Robert Scoble was running around with a Nokia N95 recording short video clips(and sometimes “instant” interviews) using a newly launched service called Qik. The basic idea was that (1) you could record a video on a smartphone for archiving on the web and (2) during the recording period the video was also being live streamed via the Qik website.

Fast forward three years later when Qik supported a broad range of smartphones, had probably millions of video clips archived and was developing an comprehensive iPhone offering.  At the Skype press conference at CES 2011, Skype announced the acquisition of Qik. This past two weeks has seen the launch of two iPhone apps: the premium ($2.99)  Qik Connect Video PLUS (at SXSW 2011) and, last week, the free app Qik Video Connect.

Over the past couple of days I have been checking out Qik Video Connect PLUS with Dan York and Phil Wolff. Basically the (Free) Qik Video Connect  offers three services:

• Video Chat: a one-to-one video calling service over WiFi, 3G and 4G
• Video Streaming: Live stream a video to the net via the Qik website with promotion via Twitter and Facebook
• Video Mail: record and email a video message.

All videos are also archived at Qik for private or public viewing. And, within the iPhone app, their availability can be sent out over Twitter and Facebook; they can also be sent to the iPhone’s Camera Roll (video/photo library). In fact, there is even an option to send it to YouTube.

Qik Connect Plus adds:

• Real-time effects: Customize and enhance video chat and live video streaming with seven effects and filters.
• Video editing: Use simple video editing tools directly from your device to share the best moments.
• HD quality: Upload and share true HD quality videos captured on your phone.

The Real-time effects are created by using the image bar at the bottom of the picture to turn the video being seen to full color, black and white, sepia and five other “effects”. When you End a Video Chat session, an editing bar appears across the top of the screen; it can also be recalled for later editing from the My Videos icon on the Home screen menu.

Some screen shots:

Qik Video Connect Contacts are those amongst your iPhone Contacts who have the same mobile or iPhone number as they have registered with their Qik account; a green webcam indicates that the Contact has Qik Video Connect installed and is available to receive a call. (You can receive a call while in another iPhone application.) Note that as I already had a Qik account, I did not have to use the registration procedure available on the application yet I could pull up and view previously archived videos.

In the center image, Phil Wolff was receiving the call and used his rear facing camera to catch our simultaneous Skype video conversation on his PC screen. I was using the “front” facing camera on my iPhone 4. The right image shows not only the option to do further editing but also the many ways a video can be shared or distributed.

And a short clip on YouTube:

If there is one concern, it’s about the user interface, not for the screens, but rather for the random way in which some screens come up. For instance, sometimes when I asked for the Connect screen (showing the Contacts) I would get a screen asking me to Invite contacts – and it would act as if I had no Contacts. Touching other Home menu items and then going back to the Connect screen would bring up the Contacts but there appeared to be no logic as to why this was happening. Also the process of showing webcam presence in the Contacts screen was sometimes not in accord with what I knew Phil was doing at the other end (for instance, I knew he was trying to call me, yet I would see his webcam as gray). Also I have yet to discover what is meant by “HD Quality”; certainly the video was not 720p HD resolution (1280 x 720).

Bottom line: While Qik certainly has developed an appealing application that demonstrates not only video messaging, streaming and archiving but also the video technology that Skype acquired with the Qik acquisition.  Questions have to arise as to where Skype will apply the technology. Will it be used to improve the resolution of Skype video calling on the iPhone and Android? Will Qik Video Connect add Skype contacts to its “Connect” contacts list? What does Skype gain in terms of transmitting video at top quality over 3G and 4G networks? Will Qik’s technology be used for recording Skype video calls? (And I’m sure there lots of other questions.)

And one other note: There are now at least three video calling offerings for the iPhone: Facetime (calls over WiFi to other iPhone, iPod Touch and Mac users); Skype for iPhone (calls to Skype clients on multiple platforms over WiFi and 3G but at lower resolutions than Facetime) and Qik Video Connect’s video chat (calls over WiFi and 3G/4G between iPhones and iPod Touch where also video “mail” messages can be left and calls are archived).

Related articles

• Qik Free available in the US iTunes store (skypejournal.com)
• Handheld HD with Qik Video Connect Plus (insideview.ie)
• Qik unveils Qik Video Connect for iPhone, offers real-time filters and effects (thenextweb.com)
• Qik technologies should flow to Skype users (skypejournal.com)

The opening day of CES 2011 was a banner day for Skype announcements and activity. It started with a morning press conference where new Skype CEO Tony Bates built his message around the themes of “Universal, Useful. Wonderful”:

He covered recent Skype activity and accomplishments:

• From the recent Skype outage, they learned much about Skype’s pervasiveness and users’ reliance on Skype as a critical real time communications service in addition to addressing the technical issues that led to the outage.
• In its annual report on international long distance minutes by service provider, Telegeography had reported earlier in the day that, in 2010, Skype had increased its market share of international calling minutes from 12% in 2009 to 24.7% in 2010. This represents an average of 520 million minutes per day and over 190 billion minutes for the year.
• Video calling has increased to 40% of all calls in 2010.
• When Skype for iPhone 3.0 launched last week, it triggered over 4 million downloads on the Apple app store and over 1 million Skype mobile video calls on the first day.

Tony then went on to make some announcements:

• Completion of an agreement earlier in the day to acquire Qik, a popular live video streaming service, to complement its video technology resources; from Tony’s blog post linked above:
  

  Skype and Qik share a common purpose of enriching communications with video, and the acquisition of Qik will help to accelerate our leadership in video by adding recording, sharing and storing capabilities to our product portfolio.

  Through this acquisition, we’ll also be able to take advantage of the engineering expertise that is behind Qik’s Smart Streaming technology, which optimizes video transmission over wireless networks.

• Launch of Group Calling on Skype. Group calling on Skype for Windows 5.1 has gone “Gold”. It’s being offered as part of a Skype Premium offering that includes Live Chat Support for a monthly $8.99 subscription fee (with discounts for 3 and 12 month subscriptions). While group video calling supports up to ten participants on a call, only the call host requires a subscription.
• More Skype access from the living room involving Skype for TV becoming available later this year on newly introduced Skype-enabled Sony BRAVIA and VIZIO VIA TV’s; Skype has also announced a partnership with Panasonic and Sony to introduce Skype-enabled Blu-ray Players in the near future.
• Opening up SkypeKit beta to any legitimate developer for building third party applications embedding Skype.

Early Thursday afternoon Skype CEO Tony Bates appeared at the Verizon 4GLTE press conference to announce Skype mobile Video that will be appearing within the main feature set of four Android smartphones that will be amongst the initial featured devices supporting Verizon’s new 4G/LTE network. Whereas the current Skype mobile on Verizon uses Skype’s thin-client architecture, the Skype mobile Video will use a true Skype IP client.

For the first time in several years, Skype has a small booth at the rear of the Upper South Hall featuring video calling on iPhones as well as group video calling. But it’s been drawing crowds for the presentations.

Bottom line: speculation can abound as to what new services the Qik acquisition will bring and how they can complement existing Skype services. While the Skype’s user base continues to grow, usage has accelerated significantly when it comes to Skype’s key feature: free international calling. The introduction of a Skype Premium service  with a fee encompassing group video calling and live chat support adds the first potentially significant new revenue stream since the launch of Skype Out and Skype Online numbers many years ago. (Coincidental that it comes at the time of filings for a new IPO?)

Note that coincidental with the Group Video calling announcement Skype released Skype for Windows 5.1 that also address a couple of related issues.

Here’s the full morning press conference video:

Related articles

• TNW Interview with Skype at CES: The next generation of video and why the Kinect is so cool (thenextweb.com)
• Skype Buys Qik Mobile Video Streaming Service (pcworld.com)
• Skype Soon To Be On Sony BRAVIA and VIZIO VIA TVs (socialtimes.com)
• Skype buys Qik mobile video streaming service (macworld.com)
• WATCH: Skype To Acquire Qik (huffingtonpost.com)
• At CES, Skype gets serious about video with Qik buyout (e27.sg)

While ZDNet has named BlackBerry Bold the most influential biztech product of 2008, RIM has not been neglecting the millions of owners of older 8xx0 series BlackBerries. Earlier this week their BlackBerry Connection Newsletter announced that version 4.5 upgrades to all 8xx0 Series BlackBerries (using BIS servers via carriers) are now available.

Why upgrade? To bring along, where practical and feasible, several features now found on the newer Bold, Storm, and 8900 Curve such as:

• HTML email
• View and edit email MS Word and MS PowerPoint attachments.
• Download, save and edit files from the Internet
• Enhanced video support for both recording and streaming: required to run Qik.Com and the forthcoming SlingPlayer Mobile for BlackBerry.
• Record and Send a Voice Note which can be sent via email or MMS
• Improved music management

Note that:

• These updates only apply to BlackBerry Internet Server (BIS) users; BES users need to upgrade through their BES host enterprise.
• Updates are carrier specific; early in the process you are asked for your PIN and taken to download files specific to your carrier.
• Updates may also require an update of the BlackBerry Desktop Manager
• MS Excel spreadsheet viewing and editing did not make the cut; they are only available for newer BlackBerry Bold, Storm and 8900 Curve.

Over the past few days I have successfully upgraded a Pearl 8100, a Pearl 8110 and an 8820. Provided you have BlackBerry Desktop Manager (preferably 4.7) installed on a Windows PC, it’s a three to five click process (depending on whether you just follow the basic steps or want to change some parameters) to do the upgrade. While your BlackBerry data and applications are preserved after the upgrade, you may need to log into some services or applications again. The final step “Connecting to the Device” may take five to ten minutes – be patient.

One key feature is not in the list above but the new firmware includes new default fonts which are significantly more easily readable. Also, on the Pearls, there are changes to make using the SureType keyboard much easier, especially when it comes to suggested “word completion”.

Definitely worth the upgrade – and required for video streaming applications.

A detailed description of the BlackBerry firmware upgrade process can be found at CrackBerry.com.

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If I ever had any doubt about the value of Twitter as a commercial social networking tool, it evaporated this weekend as a result of following some Tweets on the subject of smartphones that appeared this weekend. They certainly provide an independent perspective on issues that I’m sure others are wondering about:

Mark Evans acquired an iPod Touch back in August after deciding he did not need an iPhone; as a result of his recent employment status change, he is now debating the merits of having a smartphone – in particular, an iPhone

Luca Filigheddu has just gone through the process of evaluating the BlackBerry Bold and iPhone over the past few weeks. Yesterday he sent me a Twitter direct message to say that he had acquired a BlackBerry Bold; after he had had a few hours experience Saturday I see this on his Twitter feed:

And when I came home yesterday evening I see that my acquaintance Olivier Chaine has put up this Tweet (earlier yesterday I had suggested, in response to his request for smartphone Twitter client recommendations, that he look at Slandr.Net as a mobile platform Twitter client):

First I would suggest that the mini-computer industry died many years ago, to be replaced by the microcomputer era, especially server banks. Trust me, I spent a major part of my career relying on mini-computers. I think I would need a backpack to be mobile with a mini-computer.

So I’ll assume Mark is really looking to have a mobile microcomputer or PC experience on a smartphone. Having had several months’ experience with both an iPhone and a BlackBerry Bold, here are my criteria for a mobile microcomputer or, more aptly, a “Laptop for the Hip or Purse”:

• Minimum 480 x 320 graphics display.
• Full QWERTY keyboard.
• Web browser capable of supporting PC-type browsing.
• Supports “Cut & Paste” (of significant value more often than one would initially imagine until it’s not available)
• View and edit MS Office documents (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) with potential to add document creation.
• Supports video recording and MMS
• Background processing (especially after experiencing both Truphone for BlackBerry and Truphone for iPhone)
• Supports true Instant Messaging in background while running other applications
• A very high speed processor (>500 MHz)
• Runs applications such as Qik.com, SlingPlayer Mobile and iSkoot (for voice and chat conversations with Skype contacts).
• Bluetooth stereo audio support.
• Removable battery
• Equipped for memory upgrades through a removable memory card.
• Supports both Both WiFi and 3G wireless protocols

A nice set of specifications but the key question here is: “How does it change the user experience?”. In particular does it eliminate the “urge” to turn on, or always carry, a laptop to keep up-to-date with real time activities?

As I have mentioned elsewhere, after a month’s experience with the BlackBerry Bold, I found I had lost that tugging “urge” to turn on my laptop for keeping current with real time (and often mission critical) information. This change did not just involve email and web browsing but also Instant Messaging, Twitter and attached document editing.. RIM would do well to position Bold as a “Laptop for the Hip or Purse”, bypassing all the technical comparisons and moving on to succinctly promoting Bold based on the actual user experience.

I like my iPhone for many of its personal information delivery features; it gives me a feel for what is appealing about the iPhone. I can find Toronto Transit streetcar times, do unit conversions, find the nearest Tim Horton’s or Starbucks; it has lots of great information delivery features. On the media side it’s definitely an extension of the iPod although it does not have the full audio performance of the Bold.

However, a mobile microcomputer the iPhone is NOT! I find myself turning to my Bold much more often than my iPhone for real two way interactivity. And just as important as the keyboard is the ability to track instant messaging sessions, whether on iSkoot (for Skype chat), Palringo or BlackBerry Messenger in background while carrying out other activities. On the subject of low cost international calling I find I can make much more use of Truphone for BlackBerry than Truphone for iPhone (that’s the subject of a future post).

I am encountering more and more acquaintances who have no use for a touch keyboard; certainly my typing error rate is much worse on the iPhone. For this reason alone I consider the iPhone to be a very good one-way information delivery device whereas BlackBerry is a true two-way communications device.

As for applications, suffice it to say that over the next six months, where feasible business savvy developers will publish applications running on both devices. For instance, The Hockey News has just released mobile applications for both the BlackBerry and iPhone. I mentioned Truphone above; Mobile Google apps are another example.

Keeping up with iTunes music via BlackBerry MediaSync is a trivial operation. Frankly from some video and audio streaming experiences I have had, BlackBerry Bold provides superior stereo audio performance even without earbuds or a headset.

Bottom line: when I leave my home office or hotel room with my Bold, I no longer have to take my laptop to keep current.

Yes, at the moment, the iPhone browser a superior user experience but rest assured RIM is not ignoring the issue.At this point the Bold’s browser issues have sometimes been frustrating but they not been an inhibition to my browsing activities in any major way – I still get the information I am seeking. The critical parameter here is the 480 pixel display width, which is sufficient to view most websites and weblogs without the need for horizontal scrolling via a ribbon bar. When RIM releases carrier-specific versions of their upgraded operating system – including browser enhancements, the Bold will live up to its full potential as “A Laptop for the Hip or Purse”.

(As for pricing on Rogers, both the Bold and iPhone are C$199 with a three year contract.)

In future posts I’ll cover in more detail some of the issues mentioned above, including my Truphone evaluation on each device, some very interesting real time video and audio experiences, the range of third party applications available on each device and why both background processing and WiFi is becoming critical to any smartphone.

And, Mark, if you’re looking for a mobile microcomputer, I would suggest serious consideration of the BlackBerry Bold.

In closing, can we expect Skype to include BlackBerry as one of their supported platforms for Skype for Mobile? Or will iSkoot improve on their user interface to take advantage of some new BlackBerry developer tools? (Most Skype executives I meet are sporting a BlackBerry – it’s supported by eBay IT.)

Update: Luca published a post this afternoon, A Bold New Experience, and asks about his Tweet above: “Why Did I Say That?”

1) Always on Experience: the BB is offering me a realtime always-on experience never found in any device I used before
2) Multitasking – It lets you receive IMs while writing an email or making a phone call, for example
3) Stunning display
4) Wide availability of apps
5) Crazy speed
6) Great usability

Update #2: (Dec. 23) ZDNet names BlackBerry Bold as #1 most influential biztech product of 2008; iPhone is #3.

Other posts:

• Om Malik: Review: BlackBerry Bold is Beautiful
• Web Worker Daily: BlackBerry Bold: Upgrading Your Mobile Experience.

Global IP Solutions today announced a white paper on Desktop Video Conferencing, providing a background for their video infrastructure technology that has the potential to make video calling and video conferencing available to a much broader user base beyond Skype’s (even though it is quite large) and SightSpeed.

Many of you will recall that Skype’s original voice engine came from Global IP Solutions (formerly Global IP Sound) and contributed to Skype’s initial adoption through both its ease of use and voice quality. In April 2006, Skype acquired Camino Networks whose voice engine provided improved features such as echo cancellation. Camino’s President and CEO was Jonathan Christensen, Skype’s current General Manager for Audio and Video.

Global IP Sound went on to supply their voice engine to other players, such as Oracle and Yahoo but, as a company, they have been struggling; their most recent quarterly report demonstrated the extent of the revenue drop-off after loss of the Skype royalties.

This past April, GIPS announced the appointment of a new CEO, Emerick Woods (see full disclosure below). Since joining GIPS Emerick has led a reorganization of the company that included dropping their professional services offerings due to not only lackluster revenue but also the channel conflicts that operation created for their core audio and video infrastructure technology business. They have also closed a Tokyo office and settled outstanding customer lawsuits, including one with Skype where GIPS’ previous claims were denied in an arbitration resolution. As indicated in this interview with iLocus, they are moving to extend their customer base for their Voice Engine product line. As an initial move in August there was the announcement of Voice Engine for iPhone accompanied by a white paper.

In my interview with Emerick at that time, he pointed out that, while GIPS offers, through its various Voice Engine products, a total solution linking the Internet inbound/outbound connection to the user’s microphone/speakers, customers can also customize the voice engine, particularly when it comes to codecs. Customers can use either the GIPS codecs available with the voice engine or any other standard codec. Another feature he emphasized was their independence from operating system restraints and their support for various mobile platforms.

One additional focus has been on working with their current customer base to build stronger customer relationships that can extend their various Global IP Solutions implementations. And, going forward, GIPS will be investing in innovation with video as a key focus.

Today GIPS released a Desktop Video Conferencing (DVC) white paper, authored by analyst Jon Arnold, outlining “the value proposition behind desktop video conferencing, especially in conjunction with other solutions, such as telepresence. Supporting this is an analysis of the trends that create the momentum we believe will make desktop video conferencing as ubiquitous as PCs themselves, and even mobile phones in the years to come.”

Jon talks about the spectrum of video conferencing solutions from telepresence systems employing large “real life” HD video displays, such as offered by Cisco and Polycom, to boardroom systems that provide the basics of teleconferencing via standard display monitors, to desktop conferencing where the user does not have to leave his/her desk to participate in a video conversation.

In short, compared to other video conferencing solutions, the value proposition for DVC is based on three variables: quality, cost and flexibility. Today’s DVC solutions can deliver a high-quality experience, at an affordable price point, and across a wide variety of environments. Aside from complementing the other types of video conferencing solutions, DVC can be deployed in a host of scenarios that are simply not practical any other way.

Jon goes on to provide tables comparing the three scenarios and then goes into details on potential market size for DVC as well as enabling trends that will help provide an appropriate infrastructure for DVC. On a SquawkBox conference call this morning (recording will be linked once posted) we discussed one aspect: support for HD video. Its minimum 720p resolution will require higher bandwidth upload speeds (> 1.5 Mbps) that I have been told will be coming to Rogers Internet next year with an implementation of the DOCSIS 3 infrastructure and probably to other cable Internet services; recall that the widespread availability of broadband Internet was one factor in the rapid adoption of Skype back at its launch in 2003.

He then goes on to discuss the complexities of the providing and adopting the underlying technologies starting with video quality. Synchronization of audio and video, a consistent user experience, the variability of DVC end point configurations and support for a wide range of camera devices are other factors.

And, now for the commercial: GIPS is offering four products, Voice Engine and Video Engine for the PC client side and Voice Conference Engine and Video Conference Engine for the server side, that will allow ready embedding of desktop video conferencing into their customers’ services. Basically GIPS is providing platforms that allow developers, enterprises, service providers and end users to have a high quality DVC experience. Jon concludes:

With GIPS, they have a complete engine that handles all the complexities of IP communications, and with that, a clear path for allowing DVC to reach its full potential, not just at the desktop, but in the mobile world as well.

GIPS has put up two demonstration videos for comparison: one “Traditional Video Conference” and the other “Video Conference Using Global IP Solutions”.

The only current customers using these services are Oracle and Baidu, the Chinese portal; however, discussions are being carried out with several prospective customers, probably including many in their current customer Most interesting is their potential for mobile video; the only North American carrier supporting video to date has been Rogers; however, its most obvious problem is finding other users who can take video calls. Introduction of the Nokia N95 8GB was supposed to expand the video calling-enabled user community; however, iPhone and BlackBerry Bold have stolen the 3G phone market.

Skype’s High Quality Video, SightSpeed’s acquisition yesterday by Logitech, Qik on Blackberry and Nokia N-Series combined with news of GIPS platform offerings are all precursors to a much broader adoption of user-friendly video in both business and personal conversations in the future. (Yes, we all know users have been looking for Skype video conferencing; when?)

Skype Journal: On2 Powers Skype High Quality Video

Full disclosure: GIPS CEO Emerick Woods was the Vice-President, Internet of Quarterdeck Corporation in the mid-1990′s with whom I worked on several business development projects involving partnerships with ISP’s of the time. Over the past 12 years, Emerick, in his capacity as CEO of several startups, which have gone on to be sold, has hired the author at various times for his business development services. The author, however, has no business relationship with Global IP Sound. One more clarification: Emerick has the same initials as a well known Tiger and loves golf just as much.

Tags: Global IP Solutions, GIPS, Emerick Woods, Jon Arnold, Skype High Quality Video, Polycom, Cisco, Nokia, BlackBerry, Qik.com, Logitech, video conferencing, video calling, video, Jonathan Christensen, Desktop Video Conferencing, Voice Engine, Video Engine

I spent yesterday at a Nokia marketing event in Toronto and decided to only take my three mobile devices to see how I would deal with maintaining essential contacts and information flow (email, Twitter, Facebook, voice calls, web browsing) without having a full laptop available. The devices: a Blackberry 8820 (GSM/EDGE/WiFi), a Nokia N95 (WiFi only) and an iPhone 3G (3G HSPA and WiFi). For about 2 hours we were in a studio where there was video shooting. During this time I had to turn off the carrier radio as it could cause interference with the video equipment; yet all three devices continued to have WiFi access. So what did I accomplish during the entire day?

• Blackberry 8820: read and sent email via both GMail and Blackberry mail, received a Skype call via iSkoot, followed and submitted Twitter messages via Twitter4Skype running as a Skype chat session in iSkoot, checked out and tracked the Blue Jays game, used Google Maps to get to the Nokia event, made a couple of local phone calls.
• Nokia N95 (first model): demonstrated SlingPlayer Mobile and Qik.com to Nokia personnel; made a Truphone call to Minnesota, took photos of the event with 5 MP camera.
• iPhone: lots of high quality web browsing; follow Facebook activity, read GMail.

Each has its own virtues – especially the Blackberry QWERTY keyboard, the N95′s video applications and the iPhone’s web browsing experience; yet I could not have done all these activities on a single device. Having WiFi on all three devices helped maintain contact while not able to use the carrier’s wireless services. Just as important is that I am still getting used to not having to worry about mobile data plan usage with Rogers’ new 6GB/month data plan rates as a result of the iPhone launch three weeks ago – at a $30/month lower cost than my plans for 25MB/month two months ago.

But the “convergence” coup d’état of the day was carried out by iotum CEO Alec Saunders. He had to host his daily SquawkBox call from the hotel lobby using iotum’s CalliFlower service. He followed the web page activity on his iPhone that had a WiFi connection to his Nokia E71 using Joiku and the Rogers Wireless data service; he made the voice call into the session using his Blackberry over the GSM voice channel. Key here is the need to follow the web page while talking on, and listening to, the call.

Seems like there’s still many paths to follow before we see total convergence on a single device.

Tags: Mobile life, Blackberry, Nokia, iPhone, Rogers, Alec Saunders, CalliFlower, SquawkBox, Joiku, twitter4skype, iSkoot, GMail, Facebook, Truphone, Qik.com, SlingPlayer

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