Qik Incorporated has announced a public beta of its eponymous video phone broadcast service. Qik allows users to stream live videos from their Windows Mobile devices to the Qik.com website, where the content can be archived, published, or made available to specific users, the company says.
The Qik software was first made available in an invitation-only alpha version last month, but is now being offered to the public. Once Qik has been installed on a camera-equipped Windows Mobile phone, the company claims that "just two clicks" sends live audio and video from the device to the Qik website. There, registered users can make their videos available live or on an on-demand basis. The site can archive all video sent to it, effectively turning a phone into an always-available camcorder, Qik says.
Last month's alpha initially supported only two Windows Mobile devices, the Samsung Blackjack and the Motorola MOTO Q. The beta now adds support for devices including Samsung's Blackjack II and SGH-i600. Ultimately, however, the intent is to support any camera-equipped Windows Mobile device, says Qik.
Other new features and enhancements touted by Qik include:
Latency now ranging from three seconds down to half a second, depending on the user's cellular network
A website feature that allows easier creation of groups such as "friends," "family," and "colleagues" for secure video sharing
Creation of events during which an unlimited number of quests can view live video
Video overviews
An embeddable player that allows sharing videos and online conversations
In addition to the above, Qik also features new social network integration, according to the company. For example, an available Facebook application allows users to stream Qik videos directly to their profiles. Users can also embed the videos within Myspace profiles and Orkut scrapbooks, according to Qik.
Ramu Sunkara, CEO of Qik, said, "We are thrilled to be able to offer Qik to anyone who wants to stream live video from their phone or participate in the Qik community. "Now anyone anywhere can share their experiences in real time via Qik."
Qik's VP of Product Management Bhaskar Roy can be seen below in a video recorded by TechCrunch blogger Michael Arrington, and made available publicly on the Qik website.
Qik co-founder Bhaskar Roy shows off the company's new Windows Mobile version Source: TechCrunch via Qik (click to play)
Further information
Qik did not provide memory requirements or the amount of bandwidth required, although it noted that users will require an unlimited data plan. Resolution and frame rate of Qik videos was also not specified, but videos appear to be 320 x 240 pixels.
For more information, see our earlier coverage, here. To sign up or obtain a list of currently supported phones, see the Qik website, here.
