Verizon Hub in the wild on way to February 1 release
By Chris Ziegler 
posted Jan 20th 2009 9:58PM
posted Jan 20th 2009 9:58PM
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Almost makes me wish I had POTS so I could use one. Could be nice if it had Exchange Activesync support.
Hydrate level four, please.
videophones will NEVER WORK.
I remember years ago when AT&T had a $1000 telephone with videochat - they never caught on.
The Motorola Razr V3X for the 3G networks - never caught one.
I bought a laptop with a webcamera in it - as did numerous other people...no one uses their webcamera regularly.
#1 PEOPLE DON'T WANT OTHER PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO SEE THEM - deep down inside we all know it to be true
#2 when you video chat, you can't do other things cause PEOPLE CAN SEE YOU and you don't want them to.
Video chat is fine for talking to someone once - in like a year - but no one uses these things and I doubt anyone ever will.
sorry to burst your bubble, but I don't think this is a videophone.
The Moto RAZR V3xx (which has videocalling) has caught on very well. I have one and I see many people each day with one. The price is right for a fast and responsive 3G phone, it is also built more sturdily than the regular RAZRs. I doubt anyone uses the videocalling feature though...
@Flashpoint
Though your post is a bit off topic, I would totally agree with you. It looks like videophones will never catch up. Unfortunately.
By any means, the world becomes more and more relaxed. There were times when you had to wear a suit at home, sounds ridiculous now, isn't it? So unless the fashion changes completely, the videoconferencing will continue to be avoided.
I wish the corporate world would be the chance for wide videoconferencing adoption, but seems like nobody wants a video call from the boss at the time you chew on your messy sandwich. In our company everybody had a videocam on the desk, and nobody ever used it (ok, maybe once).
I use my webcam and mic daily to video chat with people on skype, so do numerous people i know, I don't know where you get your information from, but video chat is more popular than you think.
@Jonathan
Well, I am really glad there are groups of people who actively use video chat. Because nobody from my friends and colleagues does.
this is not a video phone
and even less Michael J. Fox, Michael J. Fox, and Michael J. Fox
I don't know why you guys ranked ED low.
He is referring to the fact that Michael J. Fox played 3 people in Back to the Future II: himself when young, himself when old and his daughter.
That's what the narrator said in the BF II trailer: "Michael J. Fox, Michael J. Fox, and Michael J. Fox".
@Electromodo:
Thanks for explaining it to the haters.
Except that by "himself" you mean Marty McFly.
... Is that... it can't be...
OH DEAR GOD THE NEAR-UNIVERSAL VERIZON CELLPHONE INTERFACE
I saw that and just shook my head........ They've gotten so much negative PR for that interface you'd think Verizon would just dump it, but now bring it to base station phones?
Need more Lea.
It still looks almost exactly like the one was saw years ago. Perhaps it's upgraded to a capacitive touchscreen, as I don't see a stylus.
YOU'RE FIRED.
Does anyone know if this device will require a contract? I've been seeing different reports saying it will require a two-year contract, but how much will it cost per month to have this? I thought it would be just the cost of a home phone in the range of $100-$200 and we'll be able to use it with our cellphone. Personally, I don't even have a landline because I just use my cellphone as my primary phone.
Except I don't work for Intel..HaHa..
I think its something around $35 a month.
Looks like a rip-off of AT&T's HomeManager. I don't fancy it.
I wonder if it has the same user tracking as the AT&T Home Manger.
hey! lea thompson was awesome. Don't be hatin'!
weak sauce...
It is not a video phone. Some of the cool features of it you are able to send navigation places directly to verizon phones using vznavigator. You can also txt to verizon customers using it. I am very excited about it and cant wait to have one. I know it will be at a great price instead of paying a home phone bill every month.
I doubt I'm the only one to notice this, but the activation phone number on the screen is the phone number to Verizon Wireless Customer Service, NOT Verizon Telecom (aka landline service). Not sure what this means, if anything.
Anyone else read "digital cockboard?"
No, you just have a sick mind.
My friend's mom has one of these, shes been testing it for about a month.
Hers was activated, I can get some shots in sooner or later.
Its actually very nice, the UI integrates a lot of Verizons features into it.
It plays TV (basic channels such as CBS, MSNBC, Cartoons, etc.), has a weather feed on its little "desktop", has the chaperon client built in, you can text from it, it has live traffic feeds, movie times, movie trailers, maps that integrate to your VZW cell phone for navigation, and much more.
The screen quality is great, it shows pictures just like any other digital photo frame.
It allows connections via WiFi or Ethernet
Sadly, there is no browser, but I'm sure somebody will manage to work around that.
As for the phone part of it, the sound quality was great, and you can use multiple headsets as with any other standard phone.
I sent in a video demonstration and pics to Gizmodo, but apparently they didnt like it.
oh and no, I didnt see any video via headset, or anything that has to do with video conferencing at all.
there are no cameras anywhere on the headsets or the hub.
& yes, it has a stylus that sits right on the top of the hub.
It should be out (latest) by the end of next month.
Funny, that phone doesn't look anything like the phone I saw today at a local Intel event. It was described to me as a "soon to be release" from Verizon so I just assumed it was the hub. Check out my photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/siriusproductions/sets/72157612768346591/
siriusproductions, those pics are cool. That device looks awesome and seems to have a lot more functionality then the "Hub" in this article.
Ha!
One of the photos you took at the Intel event says "Intel Confidential" and the reflection in the photo clearly shows the guy (siriusproductions) who snapped the shot!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/siriusproductions/3214998752/in/set-72157612768346591/
HAHA - Busted! He's in trouble now ;)
COPYCAT!
http://www.home-electronics.net/ge/pc/viewContent.asp?idpage=36