Flip Mino maker eyes iPhone 4’s FaceTime

I once mentioned that the Flip Mino must be shaking in its shoes, considering the market share of the iOS 4 platform and the video capabilities of its newest device, the iPhone 4. Turns out, Cisco Systems — the company that now owns the Flip line of cheap, but popular video cameras — isn’t at all concerned. In fact, it’s actually quite excited about the gizmo, and it’s figuring out how to work with iOS’ video capabilities in the future.

And why not? Cisco has been a good friend of Apple’s, even supporting its decision to ban proprietary protocols like Adobe Flash. Cisco even licensed the name “iOS” to Apple, for the re-branding of the iPhone operating system. So naturally, the company is pretty fired up about the possibilities that this OS brings to the table.

When Computerworld spoke to Martin De Beer at Cisco Live!, the Cisco senior veep mentioned some exciting stuff that’s in the works. First, the company is looking to unveil a Wifi-enabled Flip product by Christmas. Also it’s developing a cool new product, called Media Experience Engine, which would enable Apple products to view Flash content without actually having to run Flash. And, says De Beer, Cisco will support FaceTime vid chat. The company is looking to create a video client via an iPhone app, in conjunction with its new Movi “telepresence” Mac and PC software.

It wasn’t actually stated that the Flip Mino will someday work with FaceTime, so Flip and iPhone 4 users can video chat across platforms, but in light of Steve Jobs’ promise that FaceTime would be an open standard and the Flip’s new Wifi plans, it isn’t too hard to imagine these BFFs getting their gadgets together.

This may be the beginning of some interesting sci fi–like technologies finally coming to the market. Think I’m exaggerating? Check out this tidbit from the Computerworld article:

For Cisco, video technologies “are definitely a pervasive play,” he said, noting the company’s long-term plans to use 3D video for videoconferencing and telepresence sessions, and even the use of holographic images.

“Someday we can sit around a virtual table and you will be able to walk around behind somebody and see the back of his head, but he will actually be thousands of miles away,” De Beer said. ‘It’s coming.”

This isn’t some crazy, whacked-out fringe developer, mind you. When a stalwart tech player like Cisco starts eyeballing the future and making statements, people pay attention.

So what could a mobile holographic feature look like? Well for this one, we had to go back to the past to dive into the future a bit. This fake, shot in 2008, shows off a future-forward concept of text messaging.

Looks like the iPhone may be ushering in the future. And personally, I can’t wait. Say what you will about Apple, but a lot of credit has to go to a company that can revitalize an existing technology like mobile vid chat — which has been around for a while in other parts of the world, and even here in the U.S. via other platforms — and somehow make it so fresh, exciting and popular that other companies can’t help but be inspired by it. That’s just incredible.

Via: Mobile Content Today, Computerworld, Slashgear

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