Group Video Chat Coming for FaceTime?

[Paul Daniel Ash]

The discovery of a heretofore unknown key in a FaceTime property list has raised the possibility that future versions of the app will support conference video calls. A forum member over at iPodTouchFans.com [ame=http://www.ipodtouchfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=317326]spotted a key called "AllowMultipleConnections"[/ame]; it is set to 'false' by default, but setting it to 'true' doesn't seem to have any effect. Although this would be a fairly useless feature on iPhones and iPod touches, an iPad with a front-facing camera would certainly be able to benefit from the ability to talk to multiple video callers at once given its larger screen.

iPodTouchFans forum user 42395_skyline found a couple of entries in the property list /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/IMCore.framework/imagent.app/PlugIns/FaceTime.imservice/ServiceProperties.plist that raised eyebrows. The first, AllowsMultipleConnections, was the most interesting one. apparently, it's a placeholder for functionality that will exist in the future, as setting it from the default 'false' to 'true' had no effect for most users, (with the exception of a few whose devices went into a respring loop as a result of modifying the file). The second, HandlesChatInvites, suggests the idea that FaceTime might support at least text chat from iChat or other IM services. The iChat IMaccount.h header file also includes this property.

As expected, this discovery set off a round of crowing about the supposed second-generation iPad with a front-facing camera... and as usual, we are going to have to wait and see.





Source: TiPb, image via TabletCrunch

[jeffhuys]

Nice! Hope this feature will be built in.

On a side note, anyone knows something about facetime for Mac/windows?

[LSZ33]

Hopefully the 2G iPad gets all the features it deserves and Apple doesn't hold out.


Sent from my iPhone using ModMyi

[Nick Hesson]

This is great news! I was wondering about group video chat. This will be fun for sure

[zeroskater61]

This is bad ***.. me and my friend were just talking about how apple should make this a future feature a few days ago.

[brokentwice]

Saw this a few weeks back when I Was Working on my HD mod for the iphone.



but this looks even more promising



also In the same DIR








/* Default title of plug-in service's contact list. argument is the name of the service */
"%@ List" = "%@ List";

/* Alert title:login (arg: service name) */
"%@ Login" = "%@ Login";

/* Alert title: %@ password (arg: service name) */
"%@ password" = "%@ password";

/* Alert message: network error */
"A network error occurred.\n" = "A network error occurred.\n";

/* Default Away message */
"Away" = "Away";

/* Cancel */
"Cancel" = "Cancel";

/* IM Service status */
"Connected" = "Connected";

/* IM Service status */
"Connecting\\U2026" = "Connecting…";

/* IM Service status */
"Disconnecting\\U2026" = "Disconnecting…";

/* Title of firewall alert */
"Firewall is blocking iChat" = "Firewall is blocking iChat";

/* Button title: Forgot Password button */
"Forgot Password\\U2026" = "Forgot Password…";

/* Alert message:badpasslogin (arg:service) */
"iChat can\\U2019t log in to %@ because your login ID or password is incorrect.\n" = "iChat can’t log in to %@ because your login ID or password is incorrect.\n";

/* Button title: login */
"Log In" = "Log In";

/* Text label: loginid */
"Login ID:" = "Login ID:";

/* Button title: Network Diagnostics */
"Network Diagnostics\\U2026" = "Network Diagnostics…";

/* IM Service status */
"Not connected" = "Not connected";

/* OK */
"OK" = "OK";

/* Button to open Security pref panel in firewall alert */
"Open Security Prefs" = "Open Security Prefs";

/* Text label: password */
"Password" = "Password";

/* Text label: password */
"Password:" = "Password:";

/* Alert message:login (arg:service) */
"Please enter your login ID and password for %@.\n" = "Please enter your login ID and password for %@.\n";

/* Default name of a plug-in service */
"Plug-in Service" = "Plug-in Service";

/* File transfer metadata: WhereFrom */
"Received via iChat file transfer" = "Received via iChat file transfer";

/* Remember password */
"Remember this password in my keychain" = "Remember this password in my keychain";

/* Error message: Invalid Jabber account name or server */
"The account name or server is not valid." = "The account name or server is not valid.";

/* Message of firewall alert, parameters are port #, service name, name of action that's blocked */
"The Personal Firewall is currently blocking port %i. This will prevent the %@ service from %@. You can use the Firewall tab of the Security system preference panel to open the port or turn off the firewall." = "The Personal Firewall is currently blocking port %i. This will prevent the %@ service from %@. You can use the Firewall tab of the Security system preference panel to open the port or turn off the firewall.";

/* Alert message: network error */
"This computer isn\\U2019t online. Click Network Diagnostics for help connecting to the Internet.\n" = "This computer isn’t online. Click Network Diagnostics for help connecting to the Internet.\n";

/* IM Service status */
"Unexpectedly disconnected" = "Unexpectedly disconnected";

/* Alert title: You're not connected to the internet. */
"You\\U2019re not connected to the Internet." = "You’re not connected to the Internet.";

/* Delivery of a specific message failed due to a timeout or other connection issue (arg: plain text version of the message) */
"The message \\U201C%@\\U201D could not be delivered." = "The message “%@” could not be delivered.";

[zoso10]

Awesome! This will make chatroulette even better....

[kuhndsn]

Sweet now I just have to convince our CEO to purchace one for all of us.

[aperry]

Ah yes, I do like this "future" where Facetime is more than just a gimmick. And it'll stay that way until it can be used on 3G and with a large player like Skype. Heck, even a desktop app would be a good start.

[Doran]

Hopefully the 2G iPad gets all the features it deserves and Apple doesn't hold out.


Sent from my iPhone using ModMyi

As we know from the 4 generations of iDevices.... Apple is the "Hold Out" King....

[tudtran]

No way. That would be awesome.

[Aliquippakid]

When will they release a hack for multiple facetime calls on 3gs... I feel like I'm getting left behind....




Please detect my sarcasm

[whereswaldo]

This will happen when Facebook gets group chat, never

[brbortscheller]

As long as it supports all camera devices I'm fine with it.

[Carter454]

Man i cant even find one person to facetime, not even thinking about 2 yet!

[Fenderbender]

Every one of those people are smiling. Most have perfect teeth. That's pretty creepy.

[Terrelle372]

Sure they will smh

[42395_skyline]

Hey, if anyone has any idea on how to enable this please PM me on iPod Touch Fans. Thanks

[yahhcold]

Hopefully the 2G iPad gets all the features it deserves and Apple doesn't hold out.


Sent from my iPhone using ModMyi

Theres are ready a ipad 2g