Success!

With a willing conspirator back in Baltimore, friend Tim Windsor who runs Sunspot, I was able to do a two-way video chat using iChat AV from the 3rd floor balcony of South Street Seaport. The view is of the East River and The Brooklyn Bridge.

Not knowing where exactly the Cornercast free WiFi was broadcasting, I had to walk around with my open laptop and MacStumbler to find the signal. Ofcourse it was in the place I thought of last--right by the food court.

I connected with Tim easily--he was using a firewire camcorder and iBook from his home in Baltimore. I panned around the dimly-lit promenade and the various couples, a few tourists, and a homeless person didn't really take notice. There were actually some people nearby watching a DVD on a laptop. The Bridge and Brooklyn didn't show up terribly well. Late evening or twilight will be better next time.

Though this wasn't really a massive technological achievement, it was astonishingly easy to set up two way video with basic hardware such as the PowerBook and iSight camera. This is more unwired experiential brain food.

Now I have to work on my roving journalism skills, but I think Edison Carter would already be proud.

- mike lee - new york