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lotusleaf writes
"According to an article at PCWorld, "Google Inc. has bought video conferencing software from Marratech AB", "The client software runs on Windows 2000 or XP, Mac OS X 10.4, or versions of Linux". Could this provide a cross-platform video conferencing boost to gTalk?"
Skype (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Skype (Score:5, Interesting)
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Re:Skype (Score:5, Insightful)
Windows, Mac OS and Linux are not the only platforms. Its really funny to hear people complain about software support on their platform. Windows users complain if it does work on every version of windows, or at least the one they like. Mac users complain about windows only software but tout their platform as superior if they happen to get a Mac only product. Linux users try to say Windows and Linux or Windows, Mac, Linux without remembering they are an open source platform. I remember when we were all in this together. Now that linux has commercial support from IBM and other firms its now OK to ignore every other open source OS on the planet. From my perspective, the only thing Linux is missing is games. You already have the video drivers to play them.
If google were smart, they'd take the approach Netscape did years ago and port to everything possible. Remember Netscape shipped for linux, solaris, irix, hp-ux, windows, mac os, and a slew of other platforms. There was even an OS/2 version. I can't think of a single company that is not open source that ships on that many platforms today.
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However, who says that their video extension to the protocol will be an open standard?
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The fact that the existing systems from the company they have bought this from are based on SIP and H.264 should give you a clue.
sightspeed (Score:2)
PC and Mac. The interface is terrible but the video codec is by far the best thing out there. The problem I have with iChat and Skype is that though they may claim 30fps video, it feels like it's much less. When I'm using sightspeed, it feels like I'm seeing the other person on TV (natural motion and lip sync but admittedly snowier). I can't say the same for the codecs in ichat and skype; to me they are reminiscent of the the 'live' footage we saw during operation enduring freedom.
Re:Skype (Score:5, Informative)
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Look in the m4m casual sex section.
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Re:Skype (Score:5, Informative)
However, the Mac implementation is rather buggy and one have to restart Skype occasionally when the video stops working, but it is working more or less. Despite this, it is actually the only realistic alternative to cross platform video conferencing at the moment.
OpenWengo (Score:1, Informative)
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Mod Parent Up! (Score:2)
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There was recently a discussion [sourceforge.net]on the gaim-devel ML (before it was called pidgin) about the status of the project. It seems its basically stalled because work on it is not as easy as people imagine it to be and that major work on it will begin after the 2.0.0 release [sourceforge.net] of Pidgin.
There was also talk of having it as a GSoc project, but turns out it was too complicated for it.
All in all,
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Google must be doing something right (Score:5, Insightful)
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Wait a minute.. We're on to something. So Google has one single core business which makes it profits, and keeps spending R&D on other initiatives, and entering late in markets by buying other companies which are already there.
Where the heck is this familiar from.. Anyone help?
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However, a lot of Google's recent history consists of buying other businesses, not of developing cool stuff themselves. They bought youtube, blogger, jotspot, writely, measure map, and now Marratech and of course Doubleclick.
This is not reminiscent of a "skunkworks" full of geniuses producing cutting edge technology. Rather, it is more reminisce
Actually, you are spot on! (Score:3, Informative)
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Perhaps, if you have cash to burn, acquiring startups is simply the most efficient means of getting hold of more smart people..
</advocate>
SIP/H.264 (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:SIP/H.264 (Score:5, Insightful)
While a number of scenarios have dinged their "Do no evil" approach, I'll take Google over any day.
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Ummm.... (Score:3, Informative)
I added my gTalk account to iChat, and I can video chat with other Mac users using the same setup.
Hey! Google even has a help page about this!
http://www.google.com/support/talk/bin/answer.py?
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Congrats Marratech (Score:5, Interesting)
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Although being a geeky developer is often a good thing, the academic world somethimes clashes hard with the 'real world'.
However the product has evolved, and now we have gotten our
But it costs money! (Score:1)
It would be interesting to know if Google employees could transfer to Sweden, though.
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Google Should've Bought Camfrog (Score:3, Interesting)
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About the problems you mentioned, I can't comment on them as anything I say about them right now will be mere conjectures and speculations.
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So soon? (Score:3, Interesting)
Doesn't anyone else think this is a little strange?
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Oh, Ekiga? The one that claims to work in 99% of cases but somehow won't go through open NAT firewalls or businesses with port-restricted firewalls? Yeah, what else you got?
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Agreed.
Even more disturbing is the fact that this technology is only to be used internally... ie google talk stays in the year 2000.
It seems odd that with such a huge amount of grey matter in that company that their IM application is not up to scratch. I really expect more from Google, maybe they should stop buying technology and write decent applications themselves, or at least improve the technology they buy so it includes the same features that their competitors have included for years.
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I use Gtalk all the time, its small, lightweight, and not bloated with crap, it takes up at max 40 megs of memory, wheras MSN idles at 80mb.
Great... (Score:2)
LibJingle (Score:2, Interesting)
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Multiplatform support (Score:1)
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In other words, they are working to integrate their work into existing projects, rather than create a close-source monolithic client for linux.
RTFA : This is for internal Google use! (Score:2, Informative)
TFA [pcworld.com] reports For now, Google plans to use the software internally, as a tool for its employees, the spokesman said, declining to speculate whether Google might later try to market the technology or integrate it into one of its commercial products. Should Google decide to market or integrate the technology into its products, the move would be seen as another in a string of recent steps taking Google into the sphere of collaborative work tools.
They're only then saying maybe for regular users!
file transfer (Score:1, Offtopic)
(For users on all side of filewalls.)
Maybe Google can kickstart this by using one way of doing it.
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http://www.xmpp.org/extensions/inbox/jingle-ft.ht
Would be great to see this happen
The old file transfer:
http://www.xmpp.org/extensions/xep-0096.html [xmpp.org]
Misleading Summary (Score:4, Insightful)
1. SIP client protocol has been implemented for every desktop. Windows/Mac/Gnome-ekiga/kde-twinkle and kphone.
2. Multiple SIP servers are open, and Free AND integrate with Google's IM platform. (openser being generally excellent, there are a number of others)
3. Conference bridges are open and Free and work nicely through most clients.
4. Nortel-style phone systems are still absurdly priced.
The SIP protocol should revolutionize communication. The thing holding everyone back in the U.S. is the telco patent portfolio. The message waiting indicator has been litigated, the claims AT&T successfully made against Vonage are ridiculous.
I predict Google will be in court with AT&T over VOIP-related patents in very short order.
Video? Is that really necessary? (Score:1)