http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/ Engadget Comments for Creative's inPerson video conferencing clam gets official http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/
In-Person quick Review:

1. Screen is difficult to view from any angle other than straight on, which means multiple people can't easily view at the same time.

2. Most people I asked to test want no part of being viewed remotely.

3. No Matter what button you press on the device you end up with a display that says "Setting up user account, Please wait..." The device will be frozen at this screen for 4 minutes before returning the error "Server Unreachable". You can click OK at this point and you have two options, Network or Setup. If you click on "Network" you can select Ethernet or wi-fi. If you select Ethernet, you can select automatic or manual. Regardless of what you select from here, there is no way to input a proxy server setting. That means this device is useless in most if not all corporate environments. Yes I could setup some reservations in our multiple DHCP servers to allocate a special IP to these devices and then create a firewall rule to allow these devices to bypass the proxy servers but what about every other corporate site the user visits? Now it gets even more irritating, if you click "Back" to get back out of the network settings page it will again try to connect to the mother ship and be frozen for 4 minutes. The screen says "This may take a few minutes". I always thought a "few" meant 3, but I guess it means 4 minutes.

4. You can use the wifi mode but be aware that the device can't connect to anything wifi that has a username login menu and it can't connect to one of those wifi networks where you have to click ok to accept usage policies. I think that means it won't work in most hotels or corporate wifi networks either...or just about any wifi network other than a home network.

5. When you connect the battery on the bottom, the device is even more bulky as the battery protrudes another 3/4" x 1" x 6" from the outside of the unit.

6. If you are frustrated with pressing the Network button and waiting 4 minutes to get into the screen and another 4 minutes to get out of the screen you can press the "Setup" button instead ... oops another 4 minutes frozen while it says "Setting up user account, Please wait..." Eventually the Setup screens gets an error and thus does not even allow you to view any setup settings because it can't connect outbound past the firewall.

7. You could use your notebook and Skype for a solution that actually works and does not require the user on the other end to have some proprietary hardware.

8. It takes 5 hours to charge 1.5 hours use, this means that you will need to take the power pack with you. Hence the illusion of no cords is not realistic.


9. I contracted Creative tech support to see if I could get this working with a proxy server and here's what they said:
"In summary, you need to open the following ports."
permit tcp any eq 80
permit udp any eq 123
permit udp any eq 3478
permit udp any eq 8743
permit udp any range 5060 5062 permit udp any range 9000 9005 permit udp any range 23000 23003 permit udp range 23000 23003 any range 60000 65535 permit tcp range 23000 23003 any range 60000 65535

...oops with all those ports to open I don't suppose it would work with a Proxy server anyway.

Summation:
This device is about the dumbest thing I have ever seen...wait...no there was that Britney Spears come back thing where she was dancing like Al Gore on Valium, but this device is a close second to that.

In generous fairness, this device could be useful at home. That way you could talk to and see a friend while conducting your business meetings from your home to their ... wait ... I mean um...give me a minute to think about this...
]]>Mar 31st 2008 5:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/
Also, all of these other people also spent $700 on this thing, and they're pretty much all in the same time zone.

All we need now is a stock ticker and some remote integration with our 22" laptops, which we accidentally left on the space station. AGAIN.]]>Jan 7th 2008 2:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/Jan 7th 2008 2:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/What Board meeting will I be joining? How much do board members get paid?
I am looking at this as an investment.]]>Jan 7th 2008 3:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/
Many years later, Motorola was talking big about the Motorola V3x which had a video conference phone camera.

Still later we get laptops with built in webcams and for the most part, I regularly never use the webcam for IM/chat because you can only use it with one person at a time (unless your in a room) and #2, some people feel weird about allowing people to see them through their computer.]]>Jan 7th 2008 2:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/Jan 7th 2008 8:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/Over 3G or what?]]>Jan 7th 2008 2:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/

What if I don't do business or know anyone in anyone of these countries? I guess it won't do me any good then...]]>Jan 7th 2008 2:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/Jan 7th 2008 2:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/Jan 7th 2008 3:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/Jan 7th 2008 3:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/Jan 7th 2008 4:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/Jan 7th 2008 5:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/Jan 7th 2008 8:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/Jan 7th 2008 8:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/

Yeah, seeing that there's not a keyboard there... but a keypad...


And maybe a portable DVD player.


Mini-laptop? A Sony Mylo competitor?


Or why not an update to the ridiculously termagant ZEN Vision W?]]>Jan 7th 2008 11:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/Jan 15th 2008 3:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/creatives-inperson-video-conferencing-clam-gets-official/Jan 15th 2008 3:39PM