For decades, we’ve been waiting for oh-so-futuristic hologram technology to make the leap from Star Wars movies to our living rooms, and it hasn’t. It sounds like it’s right around the corner, though, after Skype announced that it had developed 3D video chat technology in the lab.
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It does seem as though the world is moving towards a 3D environment where computers and consoles are concerned, but some like the recently announced Nintendo 2DS is taking a step back by doing away with 3D support. Skype, however, looks in the opposite direction by working on a possible 3D calling system, according to Mark Gillett, Microsoft’s corporate vice president for Skype.
This particular announcement from Mr. Gillett has arrived right before Skype celebrates its 10th anniversary today, and it could be a “gimmick” according to some, where they see this move as an attempt to ensure that consumers remain interested in their service, especially when consumers these days have a plethora of choices to pick from other than Skype to make highly affordable calls abroad. Mr. Gillett did warn that the technology to support 3D calling exists at the moment, but it will still require years before consumers can place 3D calls at their whim and fancy.
I would say that this has placed Skype in a very unique position – even if they do not manage to implement it successfully, it does not mean that they will falter down the road as a company on the whole. And if they happen to make 3D calls happen, then it could be huge as they pioneer yet another way to keep in touch with your loved ones across long distances.
Skype Looks Into 3D Calling System original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Skype is working on a technology that will no doubt be impressive when used once and then promptly ignored for the rest of time – 3D video calls. The project was revealed in an interview with the BBC to commemorate Skype’s 10th anniversary (which makes me feel old), but it could be another decade before we see that project bear fruit.
Microsoft’s Corporate VP for Skype Mark Gillett told BBC that Skype’s labs has been doing work on both 3D capture and 3D display of video calls, and while it’s impressed with the progress made in monitors and TVs that can produce a 3D image, the company still believes there’s a lot of work needed to be done before the 3D capture technology is where it needs to be. That’s because there’s too much tuning required to get the multiple cameras you need for producing 3D images angled as you need them for live video calls.
Gillett said in the BBC interview that Skype has the tech working in the lab, but needs the hardware ecosystem to be able to support it before it’s introduced. But he also said that 3D video chat would take longer to catch on with consumers than other 3D video tech in all likelihood, which begs the question of whether it ever really will.
3D movies and broadcast television efforts have been seen by many industry watchers as something of a flop, after all. The BBC abandoned plans to use 3DTV tech for its programming, citing weak demand and the need for glasses as part of the problem, neither of which helps encourage the massive cost related to filming and airing 3D content. Sony also seems pretty much to have discontinued (though no official proclamation has been made) its dedicated 3D display for PlayStation gaming, despite 3D gaming being one of the best use-case scenarios for the tech.
In the BBC article, Gillett says that Skype is looking in the near-term at more practical improvements, like bringing 1080p video calls to hardware beyond the upcoming Xbox One console. Building 3D calling capabilities in the unlikely event that the tech takes off in a big way may turn out to be a prescient move, but for now it seems like a case of building something no one likely wants. Maybe fix the way Skype syncs up IM conversations across platforms instead? Please?
In an interview with the BBC (which has canned making its own 3D content), Skype’s VP Mark Gillett says that the Microsoft VoIP service has been working on developing 3D calls. Don’t expect the capability to arrive soon, however, as Gillet soon added that it could be years before the tech gets to Skype users. “we’ve done work in the labs looking at the capability of 3D screens and 3D capture… we’ve seen a lot of progress… but the capture devices are not yet there.”
“We have it in the lab, we know how to make it work”, he added, saying that the company was looking into the device ecosystem and the capability to support the feature before it ever made it to a consumer launch. Also, if you liked the sound of full HD video, expect it to hit tablets and other laptops before it reaches your smartphone. The VP explained that due to the higher-level processing it entailed, it was looking into those platforms first.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Mobile, Microsoft
Source: BBC
Everybody who’s ever done a video chat has felt the frustration. You call your pal using Skype or whatever so that you can see their face and they can see yours, but whoops, you’re not even looking at each other. You’re looking at the screen so your eyes are slightly off-center. Annoying! But maybe not for long.
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They say that the world is an oyster – yours, and as we all jolly well know, an oyster ain’t all that big to begin with. Could it really be, that the vastness of the oceans as well as all the continents of the world is far too small a place for someone as great as you? Nah, not really, but this does not mean you ought to remain detached from everyone else, does it? After all, with the advent of modern day technology, keeping in touch with your family and friends across numerous continents should not be too difficult a task – there are plenty of instant messaging software and apps, not to mention the mainstay for many a long distance relationship – Skype.
With more than 200 countries worldwide, one question begs to be asked, “Is it possible to call every one on Skype?” Mark Malkoff took the bold step of finding out, and this is what he has garnered from his adventure which you can watch in the video above. Gotta love Skype compared to older technologies such as sending smoke signals across a mountain range, or perhaps to flash some light across the length and breadth of the sea with vain hope that a vessel will be able to catch your alert. [Press Release]
Skype Your Way Around The World original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Sure, we would all love to travel around the world and do stuff
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In April, Microsoft made a preview of Skype in Outlook.com available for users located in the UK, with those in the US and Germany getting their own previews a handful of weeks later. It has been a few months, but the feature is now rolling out in full to users located across the globe, bringing […]
Americans waiting for the Skype for Outlook.com preview can stop twiddling their thumbs — the test release is now available in the US, complementing existing access in Brazil, Canada, France, Germany and the UK. As in other countries, stateside users with merged Outlook.com and Skype accounts just have to install a plugin for Chrome, Firefox or Internet Explorer to make calls while checking email. Those in other regions will have to sit tight, however; Microsoft only promises worldwide access to Skype for Outlook.com sometime in the “near future.”
Filed under: Internet, Microsoft
Source: Outlook Blog
To make absolute sure you know how advanced Skype has gotten over the past few months, Microsoft has announced this week that Windows 8.1 will come with the app on user start screens right out of the box. This free upgrade to the advanced and essentially remixed bit of operating system will bring about a […]
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