Send to KindleTweet Cisco has just announced their new HD video conferencing system, Umi. It places video calls in 1080p HD and records them in 720p HD. It does autofocus, autoexposure, white balance, and optical zoom. It’s really pricey though at $600 for the device and $25 for monthly call service. Cisco’s Umi is available for pre-order today: http://bit.ly/ctGiog. Here’s a video that Cisco released today alongside the announcement: Here’s the official Press Release from Cisco: Cisco ?mi Brings Family and Friends to the Living Room at the Touch of a Button Home Telepresence Product Delivers Amazingly Clear and Lifelike Video Get-Togethers Through Existing HD Televisions SAN JOSE, Calif, October 6, 2010 – Cisco today introduced Cisco ?mi(TM) telepresence, a first-of-its-kind consumer product that brings family and friends together in HD video, whether they are around the corner or across the country. Cisco ?mi connects to an existing HD television and a broadband internet connection to create a video communications experience that is so clear, natural and lifelike, that users will see and hear their loved ones, right down to the twinkle in their eyes and the tone of their voices, as if they were in the same room. Cisco ?mi, which includes an HD camera, a console and a remote, takes advantage of Cisco’s heritage in business telepresence, to deliver an immersive video experience that fits into every home, automatically adjusting to lighting conditions and various room sizes to provide superior video and audio performance. Once Cisco ?mi is connected to an HD television and a wired or wireless broadband connection, a remote control provides access to an on-screen user interface, through which users can make ?mi calls, access video messages, manage contacts, and customize their profile and settings. Users can also record their own ?mi videos, which they can share on Facebook(TM), on YouTube(TM), or via email. Users can even keep in touch with people who don’t have ?mi by placing and receiving video calls from any computer with a webcam and Google video chat. "Cisco is bringing people together, driving new video experiences that change the way we communicate, connect, and enjoy entertainment – in the home, at work, and on the go," said John Chambers, chairman and CEO of Cisco. "Cisco ?mi will bring the unique telepresence experience into living rooms and change the way we are able to be together with family and friends. We envision a future where technologies like this will play a role in connecting consumers with businesses to enable the delivery of new services, ranging from education, to health care, to financial services – to the home." "Cisco ?mi is the ultimate way to capture the simple joys of being together with our distant friends and loved ones, whether they are around the corner or across the country," said Marthin De Beer, senior vice president of Cisco’s emerging technologies business group. "From singing happy birthday every year to reading bedtime stories every night, ?mi lets friends and families experience life’s special [...] Read more »