Newspaper article from AP today about the new FaceTime videoconferencing feature (live face-to-face realtime chat) and how the "Adult Industry," i.e., porn providers, have jumped on the feature to provide live adult fun.

Can you see hobbiests and providers using this technology as a way to ease some of the concerns we see expressed here on a regular basis? Via a phone call, you can verify that the video image  you might see on her website matches what she looks like today; she can see what you look like and thus gain an additional level of verification.

What do y'all think of the potential uses (and perhaps abuses) of such technology?

as long as Apple will allow them. Apple as been on quite the rampage lately eliminating apps they feel are inappropriate.

Now as far as using the phone to verify and teleconference is concerned. I will stick to my hobby phone, thank you very much.

As I see it, too much risk is involved. First, if you use your "everyday iphone" as a hobby phone, you are mixing your personal life with your hobby life which is a major no-no. What if your wife, friend gets a hold of it, you forget it somewhere and someone snoops. The phone is a magnet for theft.

Second I don't want to give up my identity to LE etc. I don't think it is available as a prepaid yet which means I have to register with my real name, address and have the monthly charges debited from a c.c. or checking account bearing my name. You get the idea? A very long paper trail is getting created.

Third, I simply cannot justify spending that kind of money on a gadget I do not use everyday when you factor in the cost of the phone and plan fees. Even though I could afford it, I didn't get to where I am today throwing money away.

Fourth, you are stuck with the number. What if something comes up and you need to ditch your hobby phone and number and get a new one?

would eliminate the need for apps to run audio and video in the browser. Safari is 100% HTML 5 and all standard codecs are built in for audio and video. Porn Industry has some of the very best developers and they are well paid. I work a developer who used to work for a Porn site and he is very very sharp.

They tried it for a few days then pulled it from the app store. It was called ichatr or something where you facetime with random people. Apparantly users thought you were supposed to give FACIALS to random people and started whipping out their johnsons ala chat roulette.

Cartman "penis, penis, another penis, oh here's a nice guy, nope here comes the penis"