Video Conferencing

Windows Server 2008 RDS Does VoIP

March 11, 2009

Terminal Services allows you to remotely run applications as well as perform remote administrative duties on servers. It has allowed remote audio to be streamed over IP from the remote computer to your local computer (audio redirection) but has never allowed the microphone or line-in port to be redirected. If Microsoft did, you could do VoIP. Of course, you'd have to redirect from the local PC to the remote server and not the other way around.

Posted in Microsoft, SIP, Skype, TMCnet, Unified Communications, Video Conferencing, VoIP

Polycom VVX 1500 Media Phone Game Changer?

March 9, 2009

Today, Polycom has launched the Polycom VVX 1500 touch-screen business media phone, a new VoIP phone that combines IP telephony with business-class video and the ability to integrate with business applications. Recently, Verizon make a big splash with their consumer-class Verizon Hub, a multimedia phone that combines VoIP, Internet access, color screen, video streaming, and more. One could easily make the case that the Polycom VVX 1500 is the "business-class" version of the consumer-oriented Verizon Hub phone.

Although there are many similar features and both could be classified as "media phones", the Verizon Hub does not do video conferencing, since it does not have an embedded camera. The Polycom VVX 1500 on the other hand does have a video camera embedded (2-megapixel) and is therefore more suited to video conferencing, which is more prevalent in the business world any way.

The Polycom VVX 1500 combines a personal video conferencing system with a fully featured voice over IP (VoIP) telephone along with Polycom HD Voice (wideband telephony) and an open application programming interface (API) and microbrowser for real-time delivery of personalized Web content.

Posted in Polycom, SIP, Unified Communications, Video Conferencing, VoIP

UCSniff2.0 launches

March 6, 2009

Greg Galitzine has the goods
on a new IP video sniffer/recording product called UCSniff2.0.

According to Greg, "Until now, the information has only been posted on security boards and community sites, and on the SourceForge site at http://ucsniff.sourceforge.net/". And of course, as you probably surmised, since it's on SourceForge, it's "free" under a GPL license.

According to their website:
UCSniff is an exciting new VoIP Security Assessment tool that leverages existing open source software into several useful features, allowing VoIP owners and security professionals to rapidly test for the threat of unauthorized VoIP and Video Eavesdropping. Written in C, and initially released for Linux systems, the software is freely available for anyone to download, under the GPLv3 license. Some useful features of UCSniff that have been combined together into a single package:

Allows targeting of VoIP Users based on Corporate Directory and/or extensions
Support for automatically recording private IP video conversations
Automatically re-creates and saves entire voice conversations to a single file that can be played back by media players
Support for G.722 and G.711 u-law compression codecs
Support for H.264 Video codec
Automated VLAN Hop and Discovery support
A UC Sniffer (VoIP and Video) combined with a MitM re-direction tool
Monitor Mode
Sniffs entire conversation if only one phone is in source VLAN

Read Greg's trip report from Dallas for more info.

Posted in Unified Communications, Video Conferencing, VoIP

Sony Kills Go!Messenger VoIP Application

February 25, 2009

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) announced that it plans to shut down Go!Messenger, a VoIP, video chat, and IM application that launched last February. Citing a lack of interest, Go!Messenger was an intriguing PSP app that leveraged the PSP Go!Cam camera for its video chat capabilities.

Sony explained "Although it proved a popular concept, achieving a significant number of registrations, it didn't gain the number of regular users that BT and SCEE were aiming for."

Go!Messenger will end on March 31. But all is not lost. Skype for PSP still works, but it's too bad Skype for PSP doesn't support the Go!Cam for some Skype-to-Skype video chat action.

Related articles by Zemanta

Go!Messenger VoIP app for Sony PSP goes bye bye next month (crunchgear.com)
PSP Go!Messenger No Longer Going Come April [Europe] (kotaku.com)

Posted in Gadgets, Home Entertainment, Skype, Video Conferencing, Video Games & Gaming, VoIP

Cisco TelePresence Video Conferencing Enables Fans to Interact with NBA Players

February 13, 2009

This weekend, the NBA and ESPN will utilize Cisco TelePresence technology to create an interactive "in-person" forum to allow athletes and fans to interact using Cisco's videoconferencing / telepresence technology.

According to Cisco, Cisco TelePresence has been deployed on the All-Star Jam Session floor allowing fans to interact "face-to-face" with NBA stars from the convention center's green room and backstage at the arena. On-site Cisco digital signage will provide All-Star programming content and live updates of the NBA Jam Session Trivia contest.

Additionally, ESPN will broadcast exclusive NBA All-Star Weekend reports on the network's popular news shows directly from the Cisco TelePresence system in Phoenix back to ESPN's studios in Bristol, Connecticut.

Here's the full details:

ESPN and NBA Bring Fans Closer to All-Star Game Action With Cisco TelePresence Technology

Cisco TelePresence Technology Will Be Used to Create an Interactive Experience Between Fans and NBA Players and Legends at NBA All-Star Weekend

NBA All-Star Weekend -- The National Basketball Association (NBA) and ESPN today announced that they will utilize Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) TelePresence(TM) technology to create an immersive "in-person" experience that will bring NBA players and legends closer to fans at the NBA All-Star Game in Phoenix this weekend.

Facts:
•    ESPN will broadcast exclusive NBA All-Star Weekend reports on the network's news and information shows, such as "SportsCenter," directly from the Cisco TelePresence system in Phoenix back to ESPN's studio in Bristol, Conn.
•    With the implementation of TelePresence in ESPN broadcast operations, the sports network will be able to deliver a higher level of interactive sports broadcasting for major events happening across the globe.
•    During NBA All-Star, Cisco will deploy two Cisco TelePresence units at the Phoenix Convention Center and one at U.S.

Posted in Cisco, Sports/Outdoor Technology, Unified Communications, Video Conferencing

31 Million IP Phones shipped by Mayan 2012 Doomsday, the Media Phone, & Slow Consumer Adoption

February 13, 2009

According to In-stat, nearly 31 Million Business IP Phones will ship in 2012. That's if the Mayan 2012 Doomsday Prophecy doesn't come to pass. You know, the one where the Mayan calendar ends on December 21st, 2012 - the same date as the Winter Solstice and when the Earth will be in galactic alignment with the massive black hole at the center of our galaxy, as well as our sun, resulting in a planetary shift. The date 12-21-12 reads as, A-B-B-A-A-B.

Posted in Avaya, Gadgets, Home Entertainment, Technology and Science, Triple Play, Unified Communications, Video Conferencing, VoIP

TANDBERG PrecisionHD USB Camera Sports 720p HD Video

February 6, 2009

TANDBERG's new PrecisionHD USB Camera is the first webcam to offer HD video at 720p with 30 frames per second. It is optimized for Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 Release 2 providing business-quality HD video communication. It also includes a built-in noise canceling microphone and automatic focus.

The webcam can be hooked onto a laptop (as shown above), making this an excellent mobile videoconferencing choice. It's worth noting that OCS 2007 R2 not only supports HD720p (1280x720 1.5Mbps), but it also now supports an "unlimited" video bitrate setting as seen here:

Now we just need someone to build a 1080p webcam! Of course, the bandwidth required for that might be too much to be practical.

Posted in Digital Cameras, Gadgets, Unified Communications, Video Conferencing, VoIP

Cisco Unified MeetingPlace 7.0 with WebEx integration Review

February 5, 2009

Here is a preview of the TMC Labs review of Cisco Unified MeetingPlace 7.0, which is scheduled to be published in the March issue of Internet Telephony Magazine. Enjoy!

Cisco Systems, Inc.
Web site: http://www.cisco.com

Pricing:
40 concurrent user licenses (750 users), audio conferencing, includes application server software and media server hardware for voice conferencing - $79,999 ($2000/concurrent user)

100 concurrent user licenses (2000 users), audio conferencing, includes application server software and media server hardware for voice conferencing - $127,999 ($1280/concurrent user)

In both sample pricing scenarios, it also includes 6 concurrent web and 6 concurrent video licenses (customer needs to purchase video blade to use video licenses)

Note: As seen by the two example prices the concurrent user price comes down quickly as the system size grows.
Additionally, the customer would also need to purchase a $12,000 Cisco Media Convergence Servers, which is a standard server running Linux

//////////////////////////////////
RATINGS (0-5)
Installation: 5
Documentation: Not tested
Features: 5
GUI: 5
Overall: A
///////////////////////////////////

Unified communications is all the rage these days, especially when businesses are looking to optimize productivity and reduce costs. But what really is "unified communications"? You might be surprised at the different answers you'd get from various people.

Posted in Cisco, Reviews, SIP, TMCnet, Unified Communications, Video Conferencing, VoIP

Verizon Hub Web browsing VoIP Phone Gadget Coming

January 20, 2009

Back in March 2007 I wrote about Verizon VoiceWing VoIP FiOS service with a brand new phone called Verizon One, sporting a touch-screen, stylus, Internet access, VoIP, and more. It's pictured here:

Well, according to Boy Genius Report, it appears that a new product called the Verizon Hub deskphone is launching and is even in Verizon stores with a "do not open until further instructions order". I looked at the Verizon Hub pictures and it looked identical to the Verizon One. One of my sources told me that the Verizon Hub is the same thing as the Verizon One, but apparently Verizon changed the name to the Verizon Hub deskphone. It's possible it has additional features.

Posted in Unified Communications, Video Conferencing, VoIP, Wireless

TechCrunch Touchpad - Needs 3G/4G/EVDO, Skype, and VoIP

January 19, 2009

TechCrunch has a prototype of their tablet PC featuring a touchscreen, Wi-Fi, an accelerometer, a camera and a four cell battery running on a stripped down version of Linux. Well, actually they're running the prototype on full-fledged Linux, but they promise better performance once they strip out all the extra stuff.

According to TechCrunch:

The device has a 12-inch touchscreen with a 4:3 aspect ratio (which is ideal for web browsing in my opinion). It is powered with a Via Nano processor, which has performed at par with the Intel Atom in our testing. 1 GB of ram (its more than we need) and a 4 GB flash drive to store the OS and browser and any cache.

Posted in Gadgets, Internet, Linux, PDAs & Handhelds, Skype, Video Conferencing, Video Hardware & Software

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