French Apple site Mac4Ever reported Friday (Google translation) that Apple is working on FaceTime clients for both Mac and PC. The site claimed that the Mac version of FaceTime will be built in to its existing iChat software.
In addition, the site reiterated its belief that a new version of iLife will debut soon without iDVD. The site reported in July that a 64-bit version of iLife '11 would include a new "mystery" application in the place of iDVD. It also claimed the iLife update would arrive in August, which was incorrect.
iLife is, however, due for an update. The last update, iLife '09, launched in January of 2009, with major upgrades to all of its applications, including the Faces and Places features in iPhoto, and the addition of the Precision Editor to iMovie.
FaceTime is an open standard for video chat introduced by Apple this summer. Its first compatible device was the iPhone 4, which has a forward facing video camera.
The new iPod touch unveiled last week also sports a camera for FaceTime, which allows for video calls over Wi-Fi.
Apple plans to open up FaceTime to third parties for development, allowing compatibility with non-Apple devices. This summer, Chief Executive Steve Jobs said that FaceTime will be on tens of millions of devices shipped in 2010.
80 Comments
Inevitable
Skype is somehow deficient?
Inevitable maybe, but great news.
Now we need the holy grail - full integration with the windows live servers so we can video chat to msn users on windows - without them needing to download more software.
The lack of video integration between windows live messenger/MSN for mac and windows is a major factor for a lot of younger people considering the switch. If msn integrates facetime, another obstacle is removed.
Would be very welcome news, however unlikely. I've completely given up on messenger for mac - it's a mess and it's years behind windows live messenger.
Skype is somehow deficient?
Nope, but what does that have to do with anything?
There are many options available, all of them locked down/proprietary - i'd like to see all of the existing providers incorporate the new facetime standard so that skype users can video chat to msn users and aol, yahoo chat etc. etc...
Nothing new here folks.... move along....
Anyone could have started the "rumor" that FaceTime is coming to the computer end of it...