Feature Request

**ccrobin** · 03-24-2006, 09:18 AM

Since most IM's today are offering support for VOIP and video-conferencing...what is the chance of integrating MSN Messenger or Skype (for those of us with 3G internet capabilities). I am thinking it could be set up where someone sending a chat request to the Centrafuse PC would cause a pop-up "incoming video request" button, and if you push it, it would mute the radio and switch to a 2-way video conference or VOIP call. When done, you end the "chat" and it returns to the Media or Video playing before the chat.

**Maeveth** · 03-24-2006, 08:19 PM

The only service that I can think of off the top of my head that would be directly integratable into CF would be AIM/ICQ since AOL has opened the protocol.

MSN and Skype both I belive have closed protocols. Though both apps could im sure be used as an "embedded" app for CF.

Thats not to say other services cant be integrated but Im pretty sure it would require either some reverse engineering. Or at the very least a long long look at an open source chat client such as GAIM. Though I think using GAIM's dlls in a commercial product would be a violation of GPL so the entire interface would likely have to be rewritten.

I could be totaly wrong. Im just bored so I posted. 8 )

**P3rv3rt B3ar** · 03-24-2006, 10:42 PM

Originally Posted by Maeveth

The only service that I can think of off the top of my head that would be directly integratable into CF would be AIM/ICQ since AOL has opened the protocol.

MSN and Skype both I belive have closed protocols. Though both apps could im sure be used as an "embedded" app for CF.

Thats not to say other services cant be integrated but Im pretty sure it would require either some reverse engineering. Or at the very least a long long look at an open source chat client such as GAIM. Though I think using GAIM's dlls in a commercial product would be a violation of GPL so the entire interface would likely have to be rewritten.

I could be totaly wrong. Im just bored so I posted. 8 )

Ive remember seeing some third party MSN clients... so should be possible indeed... But im interested if we could actually take a short cut here... does anybody know IM-client which software logic is based on one window, which could be easily embedded? :P

**Maeveth** · 03-25-2006, 04:41 AM

Trillian supports container windows for IMs but I dont belive you can put the contact list in that container. Though I think having your full contact list in your car may be a bit... hazardous?

**ccrobin** · 03-27-2006, 08:42 AM

Yes, I agree. My thinking was not to instigate conversaitons, rather to accept incoming requests for Video/Audio chats.

It could just pop up a button for "accept" or "reject".

At least that is how it works in my dreams.

**Maeveth** · 03-27-2006, 11:59 AM

Ive never seen something that would be similar to that. You might want to check out trillian plugins though. There may be one that will adaquetly serve your purpose. However my bet is that to do this youd need to either write it your self or get somebody to write it.

Good luck.

On a side note, I like the idea however I think that a very neccesary feature would have to be text-to-speech support so drivers do not attempt to read the IM off the window while driving. Last thing I want to see on the 10o'clock news is that somebody got into an accident while trying to read an IM in their car lol. I would see this as a potential task flow for such an application

When the user recives and Im they are prompted with large buttons to accept or reject the IM with the senders name clearly visible(or possibly read to the user). If the user rejects the system just stops there and maybe has an auto response to the sender. If the user accepts the system beings to dictate the IM but does not show the text so as to not distract the drivers with additional text on the screen. However there would be a button that would allow a user, say the passenger to display the text.

Just my $.02