Looks like Microsoft Research in China has released the newest version of Portrait for Pocket PC and the desktop. What is Portrait? It’s basically a “mobile video conferencing” tool allowing you to communicate via voice/video/chat over a variety of network connections. You can download the latest version here or check out what’s new here.

Now don’t get me wrong, I think this is a pretty cool idea. Back in late ‘99 and early 2000, we developed at BSQUARE (where I work) a Voice-Over-IP tool for Pocket PC called bInTouch, allowing the devices to communicate using the GSM codec over a variety of network conditions. It worked, but was limited due to the constraints on the devices at the time. No full duplex support on CE. Wireless was still expensive. Bugs in the OS. One thing after another led to the projects quick demise.

2 years later 802.11b is here and full duplex is now supported on the ipaq (download here). So, is it viable now? Perhaps, but to add wireless network card *and* a camera to my ipaq will turn my mobile device into a mobile brick.