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Android gets the first video calling app from Fring
By siliconindia
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Friday, 28 May 2010, 18:25 IST
Bangalore: Fring, has now come up with a new feature which would facilitate Android devices to make two way video calls over Internet with the power of VoIP. Fring will aggregate identities from Skype, GoogleTalk and SIP-based telephony services, ICQ, AIM and MS Messenger for instant messaging, but Android users can now also share the video-calling with their iPhone and Symbian contacts, reports Bill Ray from Register.
Integrated with Skype, Fring would provide an additional video to the Symbian version. Gasping for profit generation, Fring has attempted to make this service popular by making it available to people.
Using the internet connection available in one's phone, Android users can access video calls through the Fring app and it can automatically transmit videos to phones having front facing camera.
The two way video calls are compatible with all camera devices barring Nexus One, HTC EVO HG and other devices with front facing cameras, where one doesn't need to turn the phone for facing the camera.
"Our users have become accustomed to Fring providing them with the latest and most advanced mobile over Internet communication. With Android users on over 50 different devices logging into fring everyday, we leveraged the open Android platform to rapidly develop the first two-way video calls over internet on Android" said Avi Shechter, Co-Founder and CEO, Fring. "The demand for this feature has been overwhelming as more people discover richer ways to use their mobile phones. We continue making free mobile video calls widely available, satisfying the market's want for more rich communications tools that these smart phones were designed to deliver," added Shechter.
Fring's two-way mobile video calls work better on smartphones with high-performing CPUs. Since Fring uses your phone's camera as the Webcam, one can find the calling feature useful if you've got a phone with a front-facing camera, like Sprint's HTC Evo, which will arrive the markets in June.
The latest app was put under demonstration and the results received were uneven.Some felt that, calls were better over 3G than Wi-Fi, and there were problems connecting and staying connected to Skype contact, both when the recipient spoke from Fring for Android and from Skype on a laptop. Fring's Android app also didn't always broadcast contact's Webcam, though it did trigger each time.
The video capability in Fring 2.1 for Android makes it heavier, jumping from 1.64MB to 3.02MB with the upgrade. Though Fring's video calls provide a unique service for Android users to get personal in their mobile calls, there's still room to grow, particularly when it comes to customizing video options like resizing the windows and managing chats while on a call.