Qik Archive

  • iPhone 4 vs. EVO 4G… fight!

    iPhone 4 vs. EVO 4G… fight!

    Posted on June 7, 2010 | No Comments
    If you put your ear up to the screen, you can hear these two beasts snarling at one another. Hit up the gallery for more shots, along with some iPhone 3G for good measure. Let's see how they stack up on the big stats, shall we?

    iPhone 4

    		 EVO 4G
    Screen 960 x 640, 3.5-inch 800 x 480, 4.3-inch
    Thickness 0.37-inch 0.47-inch
    Primary camera 5 megapixel 8 megapixel
    Secondary camera VGA 1.3 megapixel
    Video chat FaceTime Qik

    Not enough for you? We'll have a big comparison of all the "majors" for you shortly.

    Now, there's a lot left to learn about Apple's FaceTime video chat service. For instance, they called it "open," but they also only mentioned a zero-configuration iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 calling setup. Meanwhile Qik can make calls between EVO 4Gs, but also stream video live to the web (while the iPhone needs to record and then upload to get "social" using its official apps). No mention was made of the FaceTime call resolution, but given the fact that the front camera is merely VGA, it's probably streaming at the same 640 x 480 that Qik is constrained to in the free service. However, a premium version of Qik for $5 a month lets you go beyond that resolution, using the EVO's higher resolution cameras. Perhaps the largest distinction is the fact that the EVO can stream video calls over 3G or 4G, while the iPhone 4 is constrained to WiFi for the time being. Naturally, we expect other video calling apps (Skype, please?) to crop up on both platforms and give these initial offerings a run for their money.

    iPhone 4 vs. EVO 4G... fight! originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • QIK admits Evo 4G launch problems after 20x increase on server load

    QIK admits Evo 4G launch problems after 20x increase on server load

    Posted on June 7, 2010 | No Comments
    While record sales are generally a desireable thing, that one-time spike in demand can leave service providers scrambling to cope on launch day. Evo 4G owners are well aware of this after noticing one of the handset's flagship features -- Qik video calling -- was unavailable in the Android Market on Friday. After correcting the issue, Qik then had to pull the app after users experienced intermittent service failures resulting from what Qik calls "an unprecedented 20x" workload increase on its servers. The Qik team is scrambling to provision more capacity and expects to have things under control "shortly."

    QIK admits Evo 4G launch problems after 20x increase on server load originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 07:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Qik details its premium service tier, free until July 15 (video)

    Qik details its premium service tier, free until July 15 (video)

    Posted on June 4, 2010 | No Comments
    Qik details its premium service tier, free until July 15
    Remember how we said Qik was going to rock your world (and your credit card) with its premium-tier offerings for the Evo 4G? Well, as promised, June 4 is here and we now know exactly what you'll be getting for your extra $5 a month. The full table of goodies is after the break, but highlights include video conferencing at resolutions greater than 640 x 480, unlimited archiving of video, the ability to send video mail, and of course "priority support" should you have a problem handling the Qikening. The updated version of the app, demonstrated in a video below, is available today for the Evo 4G and users can get a taste of those sweet, exclusive features for free until July 15. After that, it's time to pay up or take the trip back to VGA Chatsville. Don't have an Evo? There's also a new version of Qik in the Market for lesser Android smartphones, but video chat is still not on offer.

    Continue reading Qik details its premium service tier, free until July 15 (video)

    Qik details its premium service tier, free until July 15 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 07:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Qik two-way video calling on the Sprint EVO 4G is free, premium service is not

    Qik two-way video calling on the Sprint EVO 4G is free, premium service is not

    Posted on May 29, 2010 | No Comments
    Qik has lived up to its name in clarifying some leaks indicating that future EVO 4G owners on Sprint will be charged $5 a month to make use of its video chat services. As it turns out, that subscription fee will be for a new range of "advanced premium features," which will be elucidated on June 4 alongside the EVO's retail launch. The core two-way video calling will come absolutely free, we're promised, and only those yearning for extra features will have to pay up. It seems clear from the wording of that statement that multi-party conversations will figure prominently in the premium set, though we're left guessing at what other ways Qik has for seducing us to part with our cash. Either way, good news if you wanted to keep things simple... and cheap.

    [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

    Qik two-way video calling on the Sprint EVO 4G is free, premium service is not originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 29 May 2010 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • TwitCasting lets you stream live video and tweet simultaneously from your iPhone

    TwitCasting lets you stream live video and tweet simultaneously from your iPhone

    Posted on March 5, 2010 | No Comments
    Late last year, Ustream and qik launched iPhone applications that let you stream videos from the iPhone to the web and allow others to watch them as they're being recorded. And now there is an iPhone app called TwitCasting Live (iTunes link), which offers the same basic functionality, but is - as the name suggests - much deeper integrated into Twitter. The free app is essentially a live streaming app and Twitter client rolled into one. TwitCasting Live splits the iPhone screen in half, allowing you to view your Twitter timeline, update your status, access the web etc. on the bottom half, while recording (broadcasting) video on the top.

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  • The iPhone Finally Gets Live Video Streaming With Ustream Live Broadcaster

    The iPhone Finally Gets Live Video Streaming With Ustream Live Broadcaster

    Posted on December 9, 2009 | No Comments
    Services like Ustream and Qik have long offered the promise of live streaming video from your mobile phone to the web — except if you had an iPhone. For those devices, that was only possible if you jailbroke your phone. Not anymore. The Ustream Live Broadcaster has just gone live in the App Store tonight and yes, it allows you to stream live video from the iPhone to the web. And yes, it even works over a 3G connection. And yes, it's awesome.

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  • iPhones rejoice as Ustream Live Broadcaster hits App Store, other smartphones wonder what all the ruckus is

    iPhones rejoice as Ustream Live Broadcaster hits App Store, other smartphones wonder what all the ruckus is

    Posted on December 9, 2009 | No Comments
    iPhones rejoice as Ustream Live Broadcaster hits App Store, other smartphones wonder what all the ruckus is
    When it comes to streaming live video from a smartphone, there's an app for that and there has been for a long, long time -- unless you're an iPhoner. With Qik for the iPhone a delayed broadcast was possible, but it took months for the thing to break out of its WiFi-only shackles. Now you, like Bill O'Reilly, can do it live courtesy of the Ustream's Live Broadcaster, newly available in the App Store. It's not the first to stream live video from Apple's handset, an app called Knocking gets that distinction after getting the nod last week, but it is the first to allow live broadcasting, it works over 3G, and it's available for free right now for iPhone 3G and 3GS models running OS 3.1 and above. So go ahead, start those cameras rolling and tell all your friends how great it is -- just don't be heartbroken if they're not all that impressed.

    P.S. It's worth noting that Ustream also works in local record mode thus turning the iPhone 3G into a video camera like its newer 3GS sibling. Videos (stuck at 320 x 240 pixels) can then be easily viewed in the Broadcaster app or uploaded to Ustream, YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter.

    iPhones rejoice as Ustream Live Broadcaster hits App Store, other smartphones wonder what all the ruckus is originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Qik to come preloaded on the Samsung Omnia II

    Qik to come preloaded on the Samsung Omnia II

    Posted on November 25, 2009 | No Comments
    We like to keep an eye on the adoption of mobile video broadcasting applications around these parts. It’s a mighty competitive space, with Qik, Kyte, Flixwagon, UStream and a number of others all taking a stab at what is essentially the same idea. While the idea as a whole has yet to really take off [...]

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  • Qik gets rebuilt for Droid, 480p streaming is upon us

    Qik gets rebuilt for Droid, 480p streaming is upon us

    Posted on November 10, 2009 | No Comments

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    Qik had already been available on Android, but when you bring a monster like the Droid into the mix, it warrants a rewrite -- and that's what the company has put together this week. Qik's new Droid-specific build brings a wealth of new features into play, chiefly Android 2.0 support and an impressive 720 x 480 streaming video resolution, perfect for the Droid's expansive display and 5 megapixel (albeit questionably usable) camera. The version also includes an improved version of what Qik calls the "Speed Sharing Ribbon," an area at the bottom of the display that allows users to drop frequent contacts for sharing recorded videos. There's no word on when the new version hits Droids around the nation, but it's already in an invite-only beta stage, so hopefully it'll be available soon enough. Follow the break for a quick video of that wild 480p support in action -- you ready for the data onslaught, Verizon?

    Continue reading Qik gets rebuilt for Droid, 480p streaming is upon us

    Qik gets rebuilt for Droid, 480p streaming is upon us originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Qik Bumps Up The Recording Resolution For The Droid

    Qik Bumps Up The Recording Resolution For The Droid

    Posted on November 10, 2009 | No Comments
    As the number of Android-powered handsets on the market continues to expand, so do the technical capabilities of the applications that run on the platform. The Droid, for example, is the first handset to introduce video recording at a resolution 720x480 (more than double that of the 320x240 recording found on most other handsets), and app makers are already swooping in to take advantage of it. The first off the bat is the mobile video broadcasting service Qik, who will later tonight be announcing beta support for the increased resolution.

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  • Weekend Rewind: August 17th to August 23rd

    Weekend Rewind: August 17th to August 23rd

    Posted on August 23, 2009 | No Comments
    The mobile industry moves forward incredibly fast. While we here at MobileCrunch try our damnedest to cover the important news exhaustively, we only have so many hands. To make sure you don’t miss any stories that may have slipped through the cracks, we’ve accumulated a handful of stories from the past week that we didn’t [...]

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  • Qik finally makes it to the App Store, live streaming not included

    Qik finally makes it to the App Store, live streaming not included

    Posted on August 13, 2009 | No Comments
    I want live streaming video recording apps on the iPhone. You want live streaming video recording apps on the iPhone. Everyone wants live streaming video recording apps on the iPhone - except for Apple. Though such applications have been available through unofficial means for over a year now, Apple remains mum on the matter. There [...]

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  • Qik for Android gets video editing, “Speed sharing”

    Qik for Android gets video editing, “Speed sharing”

    Posted on August 5, 2009 | No Comments
    Just over a month back, an Alpha version of Qik found its way into the Android Market. As the Alpha tag implies, it was a bit of a rough cut; it lacked a number of features found on other ports, and plenty of bugs were abound. Still, it was an important release. As the first [...]

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  • Qik For Android Alpha leaks, Immediately Hits The Market

    Qik For Android Alpha leaks, Immediately Hits The Market

    Posted on June 23, 2009 | No Comments
    Uh-oh. Looks like the race for live video streaming on Android is on. When we got footage of Kyte running on Android last week after hearing next to nothing on the matter from the competitors, we guessed that it might be the first mobile streaming app to go live on the platform. Turns out, Qik has had something up their sleeve - and it just slipped right out. We're not quite clear on all of the details yet, but an early Alpha version of Qik's Android application has become available.

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