iPhone Secrets

Chapter 6

Taking FaceTime (and Those Other Video Calling Solutions) to the Next Level

In This Chapter

• Getting comfortable with FaceTime
• Friending and finding
• Understanding connection requirements
• Integrating Skype
• Tying Google Voice into the equation
• Avoiding traditional communication charges

The cameras on the iPhone have long since been world-class, and while many people use them primarily for Instagram, far-flung family members can use them for something more special. The concept of video calling itself isn’t hard to understand, but the primary issue that has kept it from hitting critical mass is the difficulty in finding and organizing contacts. The conventional phone number, for all of its faults, still excels at being easy to distribute, catalog, and reference. A username, however, is vastly more flexible. Internet-based chatting applications such as FaceTime, Skype, and Google Voice are infinitely more approachable, and anything with access to the World Wide Web can join in. In this chapter, I discuss the ins and outs of using the iPhone as a video communication tool, and I point out the intricacies of getting (and staying) connected inexpensively via video while traversing the globe.

Making FaceTime Your Go-To Video Calling App

Desktop owners can dive in as well, thanks to Apple's 27-inch Thunderbolt Display with FaceTime HD camera ($999), but you'll need a Mac with DisplayPort in order to use it.

In a way, Apple took video calling to a mainstream audience in a ...