A couple of interesting FaceTime tidbits this weekend as it looks like group video chats might be available in the future, but only on iPod touch in the Middle-East.

First up, while FaceTime is still missing from certain Middle-Eastern iPhone 4 carriers, it appears to be working fine on iPod touch (2010). So it's not a government restriction, which just leaves the carriers asking for it to be removed, or Apple worrying about the carriers and pre-emptively removing it. This begs the question, just what's going on?

Next up, Jailbreakers have struck again and found the following string in iOS firmware:

<key>AllowsMultipleConnections</key>

<false/>

Apple already provides this functionality in iChat for Mac. If they bring FaceTime to Mac having the best of both worlds makes sense. Likewise, with Skype adding multiple video calls in their Windows version, this would appear the next step for Apple to take to try and get people to start using their product over Skype. Also with the iPad 2 coming next year with most likely a front facing camera, this would be a logical feature to throw in considering the large real estate on the iPad’s screen.

If you are jailbroken and have the knowledge in editing program strings feel free to try this out at your own risk. To enable it all you have to do is navigate to:

/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/IMCore.framework/imagent.app/PlugIns/FaceTime.imservice/ServiceProperties.plist and change the false value to true. If you try it out let us know how it works!

[9to5Mac, iPod Touch Fans]

by Brian Tufo and George Lim

Steve Jobs brought back a doozy of a "One more thing..." for his WWDC 2010 keynote today -- the awkwardly named but awesome-looking FaceTime video calling for iPhone 4.

Apple says it requires zero setup, works landscape or portrait, front or back camera, and supports h.264, AAC, SIP, STUN. It's Wi-Fi only in 2010 but they're working with carriers to support it over 3G in the future.

Update: Video after the break!

[Apple.com FaceTime page]

YouTube link

Apple patent applications and awards are so voluminous they could fill an entire blog all by themselves -- enter Patently Apple, just such a blog, which brings word of several new and interesting iPhone and iPad patents including near field communication, multipoint screen, video conferencing, and multitouch bezels.

Near field communication would allow incredibly simple, incredibly fast data transfer from an iPhone to a MacBook. It also looks like it would allow an iPhone to control a Mac or unlock a door.

Multipoint screen is all about allowing an iPad to detect multiple touches at the same time via a "transparent capacitive sensing medium".

Video conferencing has been teased for a long -- long -- time, but now it's also being looked at in the context of a location aware social network.

The touch sensitive bezel, when added to the previous touch sensitive back casing patent and the current touch sensitive screen would make a fully capacitive iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad! It could also add Palm Pre and Pixi-style gesture areas.

As always, Apple files for and obtains a large amount of patents, and we never know when, if ever, we'll see them in actual products. That being said, any of these make your want list?

[Thanks to Duvi for the tip!]

Engadget reports -- based on the tear-downs we've seen -- that the iPhone 3G S' ARM Cortex A8 processor is capable of a wee bit more than Apple has thus far enabled.

Currently running at 600MHz, it actually supports a top clock speed of 833MHz and here are the kickers: 720p video recording and real-time video conferencing.

We'll likely not see the clock speed ramped up for power-saving reasons, nor the video conferencing due to the lack of front-facing camera. But the 720p video recording?

Apple, flip the switch!

Another day, another leaked picture.  These pictures add another layer to the already interesting pie that is the iPhone 3G. The leaked images show that there will be a front facing camera used for video conferencing on the iPhone. iPhone-to-iPhone video calls would be made possible with the 3G network while iPhone-to-iChat video conferencing will require WiFi.

As the images say, "The video calling revolution has begun".

Other interesting tidbits from these leaked photos is the back-facing speakers, the tapered edges, and the color selection (black or (product)red). The tapered edges make a lot of sense with the thicker vs thinner rumor battle: thicker in the middle and thinner on the edges (guess we should have seen that coming). The speakers were probably moved because of the edge's thinness. And for the color choices, Apple has always been in line with the (Product)Red campaign, so it's not too surprising. Also of note, iChat is supposed to be released for Windows (XP2 or Vista), so everybody can join in on the fun.

Personally, I don't think mobile video conferencing has matured enough in the US for Apple to include it in the iPhone 3G. What do you think? Let's start a manhunt for Carlos Rodriguez? Or should we RUMOR SMASH this already? 

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