Apple Patent: Video answering machine
April 9, 2009
“Apple”, “rumors” and “patents” are synonymous. Rumors about potential new products and features are so dominant and compelling that Apple didn’t seem to hestiate when they ended their participation in the famous MacWorld conventions. Apple, armed with its top brand and repeat hot sellers, is fully confident consumers, with the help of media and bloggers, will have no difficulty discovering their new exciting releases. Over the years, Apple has built a strong and loyal user base, or “fanboys”, who gladly advertise product launches. Namely, me.
Apple loves to file patents. If there’s anything they can patent, they’ll patent it. They patent anything that moves. That said, not every patent comes to reality. Patents provide curious onlookers with a glimpse of what Apple designers and engineers are working on at their secretive Campus. A number of articles excitedly clamor about recent patent filings.
This is a patent turned rumor, but an exciting one nonetheless.
An AppleInsider article, “Apple’s still working on iChat video answering machine“, reported that Apple filed a 13-page patent. Apple’s native video conferencing software is built into iChat, Apple’s version of AOL Instant Messaging (AIM). The video quality of a iChat Video conversation is unparalleled–by Skype, Oovoo or most videophones.
AppleInsider | Apple's still working on iChat video answering machine
iChat is compitable with AIM and AOL. iChat Video also works when video conferencing with someone through AIM/AOL.
Being the minimalist computer user, if there is a task or function that I can do on my computer, I prefer this as opposed to buying a separate device. Because I can make Video Relay Service (VRS) calls on my computer, that is the option I use. My five videophones are collecting dust. Video quality on videophones, with the help of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) technology, have considerably improved, meanwhile videophones stuck in the H.263 era miserably lags iChat’s superior video quality.
However the videophones I own have a feature that isn’t in iChat. Answering machines. I’ve never used it. I think answering machines are something you don’t realize you need until you use it. Do you use it on your videophone device? Share in the comments.
iChat serves as my phone. It is my phone. I use iChat to call people that have an AIM/AOL account, and hearing callers using VRS. Perhaps having an answering machine will make my phone complete. All these years, I’ve felt answering machines weren’t part of the deaf community; a function only hearing people could enjoy in their native language.
If Apple follows through with this patent, the feature will raise the bar for functional equalvacy on my computer. Apple computer, that is.
