July 19, 2010   iPhone, News, Video

Camera phone inventor makes a FaceTime call from racing yacht

In a fitting tribute to a technology that he had a hand in creating, entrepreneur and sailing yacht racer Philippe Kahn recently used a satellite hookup and his iPhone 4 to make a FaceTime call to his office from dead-center between Santa Cruz, California and Honolulu, Hawaii.

While the video isn’t as smooth as what we’re used to via land-based Wi-Fi and broadband networks, it’s pretty incredible to see Philippe talking to a co-worker from the deck of the racing sailboat Pegasus in the Pacific Ocean.

Kahn is a pretty bright guy. He was one of the founders and former CEO of Borland, an early programming tool development company, is credited with the invention of the mobile camera phone in 1997, and is now the CEO of FullPower Technologies, the company behind the MotionX GPS apps for iPhone and iPad.

Kahn’s invention of the mobile camera phone was triggered by the birth of his daughter Sophie in 1997; he mentions during the video that he called his “camera phone baby” at home using the same setup.

Camera phone inventor makes a FaceTime call from racing yacht originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Camera phone inventor makes a FaceTime call from racing yacht originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[via | The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)]

  • TheWuster777

    So, what WIFI service did you guys use to get this from the Pacific? My colleagues and I are planning a land trip around the world and and asking around about services for WIFI in remote areas.

  • al3xband

    how did Philippe get wifi on his boat to establish face time?

  • Harmonyww

    Facetime is unreliable and generally crap. It takes me and my girlfriend about 30 minutes to get a successful connection to each other over Facetime. Whenever one of us sends an invite to the other, the invite is usually not received at all, but if it is it takes 3 or 4 minutes of waiting to actually connect. We’re also using highspeed broadband, and all of my friends get the same result too. It’s a horrible feature, and absolutely nothing like this video. Apple need to sort it out.

  • JS2393

    @Balzorosso uhhhh there ARE applications out that allow this. As someone else already mentioned, there’s Fring, and I’m pretty sure Qik allows this too. The iPhone isn’t the only phone capable of doing this. Get over it

  • gpmoo7

    @Balzorosso Because AT&T is already having a lot of trouble supporting all the traffic of all these iPhones in US … not to mention all the drop call issues.Video-chat will be way more useful and popular on tablets since they are easier to use than an computer and always on WiFi.

  • haipod123

    I agree. I also had the same thought @gpmoo7 had in mind. You saw how laggy the guy’s connection was at the middle of the Pacific.

  • Balzorosso

    @gpmoo7 Why you say mobile networks are not ready for video-chat? In italy it’s been already 3 years that telecoms offer videocalls (but very high charged).I think people would videochat more if it’s a free service, like over Wi-Fi. But until now we never had such a thing (while videocalling with skype on PCs is very very popular here).

  • gpmoo7

    @Balzorosso I think mobile networks are not ready for video-chat (that’s why FaceTime only works over WiFi right now).Most of all, I don’t think people want to video-chat with their phone.Even at home, I video-chat only with my family and my closest friends but that’s all.For sure, it’s great to call someone and show them the landscape live but I can take pictures and share them on Facebook with all my friends and family instantly.

  • gpmoo7

    @Balzorosso You can use Fring on almost every smartphone (iOS, Android, WinMo, …) but it’s no longer capable of using Skype.

  • Balzorosso

    @gpmoo7 I totally agree. What I’m trying to point out is that Nokia, Sony, Samsung or many other could have come out with a similar service before, but now they are only good to claim that “it’s nothing new”. Damn, if it’s nothing new, why you didn’t do it before??Why the Skype app has not video capabilities? We could had use it on other phones with front cam, not necessarily on the old iphone.

  • gpmoo7

    @Balzorosso Using FaceTime on iPhone 4 is “handy” but , again, it only works with other iPhones 4 (only 3 to 4 millions sold right now).You can have a netbook for half the price of an iPhone 4 and MSN+Skype+GTalk are used by way more than 500 millions people.It won’t be long before Skype/MSN/GTalk iPhone app offer video chat on the iPhone 4.The only reason this video exist and has 37680 views on YouTube is because the iPhone is popular and they want to use the buzz to become popular.

  • Balzorosso

    @JS2393 I think you are right, but then WHY nobody has done an application, proprietary or not, to make this possible? Only to not step on feet of the telecom companies that need to charge videocalls?

  • JS2393

    @Balzorosso I know he Evo supports it for sure, and i would imagine that most devices that support video calling and have wifi chips are capable of videochalling over wifi. It only makes sense…

  • Balzorosso

    Everybody keeps saying this is nothing new. So I wonder why this is the only one smartphone on the market capable of placing a video call ON WIFI. If you know others, please inform us here (I cannot think of any other phone capable of this)

  • Balzorosso

    @gpmoo7 Again, there is not other smartphone which can make video calls over WiFi (also skype for iphone don’t have any video capabilities). Of course I can use a laptop, but maybe it’s not that “handy”, what do you think?

  • Balzorosso

    @JS2393 Ok, and which other smartphone is capable of this? Nokia N900? No way. A Droid? Don’t think so. Maybe it is possible to make video calls, SUPERCHARGED video calls (at least here in europe they cost a lot). But video calls on WiFi? I don’t know any other phone that can make this.

  • JS2393

    I’m sorry, but I don’t quite see what the big deal is…it’s not like the iPhone is the only device capable of this. And it’s certainly not the only cell phone device capable of this.

  • hlondono111

    Very cool, I know there are other ways of doing this with a laptop and skype but this is cooler and simpler than walking around with a laptop

  • HarvinderDhillon85

    Well what is so futuristic? We have been having 3G Video calls for so time already

  • ihateurvid

    Who gives a sh*t if he’s using an iPhone, Evo, laptop, whatever. He’s a goddamn liar, there ARE places on earth more isolated. Like Point Nemo.

  • starax

    I notice you deliberately made the “conversation” one way because of the satellite lag…

  • wpgeek

    Big deal. The point is the portability aspect of the iPhone 4 and integrated front and back cameras tied together using an easy-to-use software interface (aka Facetime). You could always do this with a laptop or some other embedded video-chat (not as portable though). I’m wondering what their satellite upstream provider is and how much their paying (and how much bandwidth Facetime uses since the satellite providers charge by the MB).

  • gpmoo7

    Again … once you have an Internet connection, Skype/MSN/GTalk would have worked as good as FaceTime … and FaceTime only works with other iPhone 4.

  • frankthetank651

    @prostovanka Webcams stopped being 4 square inches 5 years ago. Also, wireless internet allows you to do all this without a 4-8 cable. Also, the Apple Kool Aid you have been drinking is running down the side of your face.The only thing impressive about this video is the cool satellite internet the boat has. Everything else is old news.

  • prostovanka

    Great Video. Looks like alot of fun out there. Watch out for the Orange Sharp Shark.Keep posting your experiences with us.

  • prostovanka

    @sweetgreggo yes it has. Along with a 4 square inch webcame you have to cary a 4-8 foot cable Oh and a Laptop that doesnt fit in your pocket :) This is alot easier and faster. Oh and even your cat could do it :-)