back to article Boffins force Skype to look you in the eye

Accurate eye-to-eye contact in a videoconference, a feature of high end systems as well as any phone or tablet with a front-facing camera, is a problem for laptop users, because the camera is almost slightly off-direction from the image. Hence, as any Skype user knows, there's an unfortunate effect in which people are looking …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    First audio, then video

    Not good enough. I want a full telepresence robot with Oculus Rift interface. I want to be able to thump tables, throw chairs, and enjoy the full CEO experience.

    Monkey suit optional.

    1. RobHib
      FAIL

      Re: First audio, then video

      "Not good enough. I want a full telepresence robot with Oculus Rift interface."

      That's why I have opaque adhesive tape stuck over the lens on my laptop.

      Frankly, there's not much that's more annoying than this inane automatic tracking stuff. If I'm forced to use video on Skype then off goes auto-tracking and I use an external camera that I can point anywhere.

      Auto-tracking may be useful in certain surveillance environments but I'm damned if I want it on IM.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Big Brother

    Eye contact

    Some thoughts:

    Will the eyeballs be rotated too? If not, less than ideal solution.

    What happens with my relatives who never remember to place their video window near their camera? Go to Warp 9?

    In case of frequent loss of face-lock, will the face judder back and forth, a la Max Headroom? Now THAT would be cool!

    1. AndyS

      Re: Eye contact

      My thought exactly - the position of the head isn't the problem, it's the distribution of whites around the eyes that you use, subconsciously, to determine if someone's looking at you.

      It's why a face in a painting or photo like the Mona Lisa can follow you around the room with its eyes, no matter how far to the side of the picture you are. The aspect of the face is irrelevant. If the model looked at the camera (or painter), the picture will look at you. If not, it won't.

      1. JDX Gold badge

        Re: Eye contact

        Maybe you smart guys, who have never seen this running, should write to the inventors and explain to them why the thing they already developed and used won't work.

        Failing that, read the linked article which talks about robustness.

  3. Dan 55 Silver badge

    All Skype has to do is let you put the small postage stamp image of yourself top-centre under the webcam, something which ancient versions let you do but modern versions don't for some reason.

  4. Paul J Turner

    Why stop there?

    Just a few more tweaks to remove blemishes, tattoos, scars, receding hairline etc and it will be the perfect tool for communicating with potential partners on the internet.

    Personally, I'm fed up of living in a world of lies and distortions but it should go well with windows where those folders aren't really folders and your 'administrator' account doesn't really have admin' priveleges and rights.

  5. Pete 2 Silver badge

    I'm up here

    It doesn't sound as if this will stop (presumably bottle-fed as babies) adolescents from staring at the cleavage of women they are skyping with. It just means the other parties won't see it.

    1. Alan Brown Silver badge

      Re: I'm up here

      "It doesn't sound as if this will stop (presumably bottle-fed as babies) adolescents from staring at the cleavage of women they are skyping with. "

      There's a simple solution for that one - the woman in question should tilt the camera up a bit. If I wore a shirt as low in the front as most women seem to they'd be going ew at the hairy man boobs, so why not put on something a little higher cut for work in the interests of equality?

      Then again those same adolescents won't have the camera pointing at their face anyway.

  6. tony2heads
    Big Brother

    look in the eye

    I must remember to use mirror shades when I go on Skype next.

    It also helps in my mean, tough image - like Boss Godfrey in Cool Hand Luke

  7. Phil O'Sophical Silver badge

    Easier solution?

    Most people using a laptop during a videoconf are probably reading their mail, and probably aren't touch typists so are likely looking at the keyboard as well.

    Why don't laptop manufacturers just put the camera in the bezel at the bottom of the screen, angled up slightly?

    1. Frumious Bandersnatch

      Re: Easier solution?

      Why don't laptop manufacturers just put the camera in the bezel at the bottom of the screen, angled up slightly?

      Nostril hair.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "almost slightly"

    Richard, you may want to take a look at that first sentence/paragraph as it doesn't really make sense.

  9. Stratman

    If ever anybody wanted an example

    of 'a First World Problem' this is surely it.

  10. SirDigalot

    I find I stare too much at the camera, it ends up being more of a glare, unblinking, and sort of creepy, it is like I can feel my soul get sucked through the sensor and onto the internet....

  11. cortland

    Look at my EYES, she said

    http://www.coloribus.com/adsarchive/prints/wonderbra-look-in-my-eyes-i-said-in-my-eyes-2741605/

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