App of the Week: Live Two-Way Video Calls

Every once in a while a bit of science fiction becomes reality. Two-way TV phones have been a staple of futuristic stories since the 1800s. Now Internet communication service Fring has made two-way video calls by cellphone possible, maybe even practical.

Fring’s new video feature allows people with certain Nokia phones using the Symbian operating system to make video calls over the 3G data network, no Wi-Fi required.
If you use one of the Nokia phones with a camera on the front, like the N97, you can experience the full effect, seeing the person you are speaking to live on your handset screen as they do the same. Other phones it works with include the Nokia X6, N97 mini, 5800, and N95. Downloads are available from the Nokia Ovi store, or from Fring.
The app uses its own compression method to use minimum bandwidth, so it can work reliably even when the connection isn’t perfect, said Fring. As with any app that uses several features at once – in this case, phone, camera, screen and data transmission, expect the batteries to drain faster than egg nog at an office party.
Free video calls can be made between Fring members, and Skype can be used with Fring to make two-way video calls from a phone to a computer, or computer to phone.
An iPhone version is also available, but it isn’t as functional. Because the iPhone camera is on the back of the phone, you can’t look at the person you are talking to, and until AT&T finishes clearing the way for VoIP over 3G, a Wi-Fi connection is required.