IWRelay’s new IWRelay VRS app is now available via the iTunes App Store.
Once you download the app, you are presented with a configuration screen that prompts you to enter your name, iPhone number, VP number, and your email address. Apparently all 4 fields are mandatory (on my iPhone 4, that is).
Once you enter that information, you are then taken to the main screen where you can click one of two buttons to make a call – “Call Contact” takes you to the Contacts app on the iPhone to choose a contact to call. Once you choose a contact to call, you are given a screen where you are told that an interpreter will call your iPhone shortly. Response time varies – I had to wait a while for the first call, but subsequent calls seem to have connected faster. A couple of calls I cancelled, and yet I got a FaceTime call from the interpreter anyways.
The “Dial Number” button is for one-time use calls, you are given the iPhone’s dialing keypad to dial a number.
IWRelay’s website (click on IWRelay VRS when that page loads) says that the application will work on any iOS device, even if it is not FaceTime enabled. The app will send your call request to an interpreter who apparently will then call your videophone (that you entered when first setting up the IWRelay VRS app). That way now you can keep all your contact information on your iOS device, and change the VP you want to have called. Perfect portability with no more hassle. Only if this worked on the iPhone 4 – I’d like to have a preference of using my iPhone 4 or a VP. (I tried blank field, no go, etc.)
So this app does look like a good start, and they get around the issue of how to contact a terp via FaceTime by doing it the other way around. They even beat ZVRS out of the gate. As many of you know, ZVRS has made a big splash with their iZ service announcement at NAD earlier this month, stating that their iPhone 4 / FaceTime based VRS would be ready on July 26th. I am excited to se that there is already competition in this hot new market of FaceTime VRS, and and it is quite likely that Sorenson will also throw their hat into this new ring in the near future. They have had a nice “Sorenson Video Center” app for iOS for some time now.
Jul 18, 2010Very Exciting!
Jul 28, 2010Actually I went to the launch party for ZVRS in Las Vegas. I was extremely disappointed by this new iPhone 4 service. My wife and I both have an iPhone 4 and we were really looking forward to this release.
ZVRS has intentionally and almost completely mislead all of us in the following points:
- Where’s the app? iZ isn’t an application it’s just a phone number to dial ZVRS on your iPhone. At the launch party before the announcement the representatives there kept telling me there will be an app released on July 26th. After the demo even the reps were confused. Ultimately I learned there would not be an app at al. WTH?
- Since there is no iPhone app, I was appalled by the method ZVRS used to create this “service” it is VRS on iPhone in the most basic form, mostly a manual process. You have to call the number 866-32FACE-1. Then once you are connected to ZVRS via FaceTime you have to give them a phone number to dial. Did we jump back into the early 2000?
- You have to dial a real number using the iPhone’s phone app. This is serious ignorance on ZVRS’s part in requiring us to actually call a phone number using our iPhone that actually connects and counts against your cellular minutes until the FaceTime invitation arrives. Once you connect via FaceTime you’re safe on the WiFi network and won’t be billed for minutes. Most of us Deafies are on TAP plan, this means that for every call you will be charged $0.40 per minute. If you have regular plans your minutes will be used till FaceTime is initiated. So your VRS calls will not be free, each time you call ZVRS you will be CHARGED AT LEAST $0.40 (TAP plan)!! No thanks.
- ZVRS claims to be the first to bring VRS to iPhone. They really wanted to be the first, even at the cost of total B.S.. They were the first to say they were the first but failed to deliver an actual product first. As far as I know InterWest Relay was the first to release an iPhone app that is actually available in the app store and by the way their app does not touch your cellular minutes at all, AND you don’t have to manually give the interpreter the number you want to call. Far more impressive (I don’t work for IW Relay, I discovered them in the LV Expo nice new company).
-There have been a lot of hype about ZVRS, AT&T, and Apple “partnering” to bring iZ to the deaf community. I saw no evidence of this relationship. In fact, this is a joke, absolutely ANYONE can do what “iZ” does overnight without a “special partnership” with Apple and ATT. In order to truely manipulate FaceTime Apple needs to open the API to allow developers to integrate it into their apps. This hasn’t happened yet and most other VRS providers are waiting for this. I thought that with the “partnership” Z was able to tap into the API with special permission… Nope.
- ZVRS claims that you can call “anytime and anywhere” calling this the “true” mobile VRS. This is where I was also expecting the “special partnership” with Apple and ATT to come in. I was hoping that they somehow opened the door for 3G calling which enables true mobility. At the launch party I was really hoping for this or at least some kind of agreement for a cheaper plan for the deaf or something that puts a stamp on the partnership. Nothing, and umm, most of us considers WiFi pretty limited. They need to re-evaluate their definition of Mobile because this isn’t quite there yet.
So that’s my personal opinion and review of iZ. Don’t get me wrong, I’m VERY GLAD someone is working on this and have some kind of option. I just think that ZVRS just really blew it out of proportion here, over hyped something that’s pretty much barebones. The party was great though! But the thing they announced was lazy, misleading, and even severely disappointing. I think they’ve really lost such a great opportunity. Yes they made it possible for VRS on iPhone but all they’ve done was make their competitors go, “That’s it? We can do that tomorrow! But we won’t we’re going to completely do better.”
I talked to a lot of other providers at the expo about the iZ, none were impressed and promised to do much much better. Before the launch, many admitted that ZVRS was lucky to have some special connection with Apple and ATT but at the end of the week they are all scratching their heads and rolling their eyes. Sorry ZVRS, being first isn’t always best.
John M.
Jul 30, 2010OT, check this app out. Could you review it for us?
Jul 30, 2010Yeah, I’m waiting for the faceplant app to come out before we can review it. Basically they are waiting for Apple to approve it. If this is approved, we will be able to see if any of our FaceTime enabled friends are online, and we also will be able to leave video messages, and can get push notifications that we have a video message waiting! I’m excited about the possibilities of this app.
Aug 1, 2010there is no love for Android?
Aug 2, 2010John M,
Blah blah blah blah..
Aug 2, 2010With the jailbreakme.com OUT – will we be able to use faceplantapp? Will we also be able to use FaceTime over 3G connection with no charges?
Aug 2, 2010Tim responded to my comment on another blog regarding my review:
A message from the CEO of The Z™
As all of you know, we are very excited about iPhone 4, and you can now use it to place ZVRS calls. We are proud to have provided the first public iPhone call on July 7, 2010. Alan Hurwitz, president of Gallaudet University, called me in front of a crowd of about 400 people at the Hard Rock Cafe in Philadelphia. It was thrilling to be a part of such a historic moment. Now, it seems there is some confusion out there regarding ZVRS on iPhone 4, and I’d like to clear things up.
Where do I find the ZVRS app for iPhone 4?
The Z™ uses FaceTime to process ZVRS calls on iPhone 4. FaceTime is an Apple software feature built into every iPhone 4. There is no better mobile video software in the world. Right now, you do not download an app to access ZVRS on iPhone 4. You dial 866.323.2231 (866.32FACE1) to connect your iPhone 4 to ZVRS.
At this time, you may, indeed, be charged 40¢ per minute when you dial this number to connect to the ZVRS interpreter, depending on your AT&T service plan. However, this will soon change, because we are currently putting the finishing touches on a new ZVRS app. This exciting new app is scheduled to be released mid-August and will make it even easier to use ZVRS on your iPhone 4.
Did Apple and AT&T partner with The Z™ to provide this service?
Apple has no formal relationship with The Z™. However, they did, indeed, support both of our ZVRS on iPhone 4 demos at the NAD conference in Philadelphia and DeafNation World Expo in Las Vegas. They are excited about what we are doing. (Just a great company, Apple, helping out the deaf community and The Z™.) With regard to AT&T, again, we currently have no formal relationship. But stay tuned, because we certainly would like to work closer with AT&T, and there are people at AT&T that are excited about what we are doing, as well.
Sean Belanger
Aug 3, 2010I jailbroke my iPhone 4 this morning then downloaded My3G and I’m able to make and receive FaceTime calls anywhere over 3G connection. Ain’t jailbreaking grand? BUT it appears that my minutes are increasing by the minute. Could someone give me feedback on this?
Aug 4, 2010IwRelay beats? well, bah, Its pretty great service but I really hate to wait for few minutes. DB> .
Aug 13, 2010IWRelay VRS app seems to work with the My3G jail break. It won’t use minutes BUT it does use data over 3G. Make sure you know how much data you get with your AT&T plan and stay within that limit. =)
Sorry, comments are closed.
6:14 pm
Beat?? Nah.. They dont have FCC certificated and terp certificated too. We tried call and waited for 20 mins. Its sucks!!