Voice boxes
Internet services allow users to chat globally with a $20 microphone
George Hinkes lives in Elgin, but he plays cards with people from all over the country. Hinkes and his fellow card sharks joke as they play by hopping on the Internet and using the latest in whiz-bang technology to "voice chat."Voice chat and video chat_where users can see each other via tiny cameras mounted on computers_both have the potential to revolutionize communication by humanizing technology, Internet experts say.Unlike text chat, where chatters can...
Video referee,
Don't Panic
Nigel Powell answers your techie questions Q. I use MSN Messenger for video chat, but is there a better service, perhaps with a full-screen display?Anselm Kuhn, via e-mail A. A number of factors govern the quality of video-chat systems, including the speed of your connection, the power of both computers and bandwidth. If you have a 512kbps connection and a medium-powered PC, you will not improve the audio and video much by switching programs. If you have 2Mbps ADSL and a good-spec...
Video chat rooms hit anonymity of Internet
Live, video chat rooms are starting to make noise in cyberspace, challenging the silent, faceless anonymity that marks much of Internet communication. Thousands of people are flocking to the interactive chat rooms that let participants see each other on their computer screens and talk live to each other in real time.Joe Naughton, spokesperson for the Cu-SeeMe Company, said response has been incredible to its U.S.-based Web site, billed as the first with built-in video chat rooms, even...