Cisco umi Telepresence

Luxist Giveaway: Win A Pair of Cisco's Umi Telepresence Units

Filed under: Gadgets

It's not hyperbole to call Cisco's new umi telepresence system a revelation. Indications are that it will completely change the way we communicate long distance. We blogged about this new product a few weeks ago but now we get to give away two Cisco umi telepresence units complete with a year of service. If you have loved ones far away you really want to win this.The Cisco umi (pronounced: You-Me) helps family and friends be together in real time and high definition, whether they are around the corner or across the country. It connects to any existing HD television and broadband internet to deliver a real video communications experience through the TV that is so clear, natural and lifelike, users will see and hear their loved ones as if they are in the same room. The system lets you pan the room, zoom in or pull back. Privacy features like call screening and blocking, and a camera shutter that closes, keep users in control of their privacy. Video calls can be placed and received on any computer with a webcam and Google video chat.Cisco umi videos can be created and then shared on Facebook, YouTube, or email and you can check your video messages on-the-go with a laptop (new video message notices arrive via text on a mobile phone).

The product is available to demo and purchase ($599) in all Best Buy/Magnolia Home Theater stores across the country and ūmi is already being used on The Oprah Winfrey show to bring guests into her studio virtually. Within Magnolia Home Theatre stores, consumers will be able to experience Cisco ūmi, get expert advice on the product and required broadband, as well as purchase Cisco umi, with installation and support provided by Best Buy's famous Geek Squad.

Our giveaway includes two Cisco umi telepresence units plus a year of service, a total value of $1798. To enter just tell us who you want on the other end of that call.

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below letting us know who you'll be sharing your Cisco umi telepresence with.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before December 13. 2010 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
* One winner will receive a pair of Cisco umi telepresence units and a year of service, a value of $1798.
* Open to legal residents of the continental United States (no Alaska or Hawaii) and the District of Columbia.

See complete giveaway rules here.

This contest is now closed. Thank you for your participation.

Tags: Cisco Umi, Cisco umi Telepresence, luxist giveaway, Telepresence

The Cisco ūmi Telepresence Present: Combining Real High Tech With Virtual High Touch

by Susan Kime (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets, By Design

2010 has been a big year for Cisco, a major supplier of voice and unified communications systems for business, Cisco recently introduced Cisco ūmi ( pronouced you-me) Telepresence, a consumer product now available to demo and purchase in all BestBuy/ Magnolia Home Theater stores across the country.

For those of us who have used various other video chat formats to keep in contact with our families, we know the problems involved. Sometimes the connection is lost, or family members have odd coloration, or sometimes they are deeply blurred. These things cause enormous frustration, instead of happiness at seeing and communicating with children and grandchildren who live far away.

But Cisco ūmi Telepresence is the first product of its kind that helps with these problems, as it connects to an existing HD television and a broadband internet connection, to create a virtual, high touch-immersive video experience. Telepresence umi is the consumer component of a network of business collaboration techonolgies Cisco has introduced throughout 2009-2010. Their Telepresence for business has been enormously successful, as it enhances all aspects of high definition business video conferencing. It was an understandable next step, then, for Cisco to create a more intimate kind of video conferencing and human interaction: no CEOs or CFOs, but rather with families, children, and grandchildren. A similar technology, a different demographic.

The Cisco ūmi Telepresence system includes an HD camera, a console and a remote, and can automatically adjust to lighting conditions and room sizes. Once Cisco ūmi 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 ūmi calls, access video messages, manage contacts, and customize their profile and settings. Users can also record their own ūmi videos, which they can share on Facebook™, on YouTube™, or via email. Users can even keep in touch with people who don't have ūmi 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 ūmi 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."

Tags: Best Buy, Cisco Systems, Cisco Systems Emerging Technologies, Cisco umi, Cisco umi Telepresence, interactive video conferencing systems, Magnolia Home Theater Stores, Telepresence

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