The iPad launch is so close, we can TASTE it! Not surprisingly, it tastes a lot like success…and well spiced chicken.

But mostly success.

Today, our Product Guy, Community Manager and Jackie of all Trades (this time – hand model) went down to Transvideo Studios in Mountain View to film our demo video for the new app! I mean…just the music foreshadows how INTENSE and POWERFUL our new app is going to be.

And for you, we have, a 20 second teaser. Enjoy.

Do you want to make sure you find out the SECOND the iPad app is available? Because…we’ll tell you if you like. Just put your email address HERE and we’ll keep you posted.

Since we recently launched the first ever web conferencing app for the Android, there’ve been some articles and such around the web, harking on the wonderment of mobile meetings. That said, AT&T, Verizon and Sprint all act a little differently when hosting a Fuze Meeting and we here at FM just wanted to make sure we passed off hints for your mobile meetings.

Let’s unpack this, shall we?

Miraculously, AT&T comes out the current winner on this one since their technology supports simultaneous voice and data transfer. This means that you are able to use data transfer (like the internet or Fuze Meeting) while being on a phone call.

Conversely…The CDMA technology used in Verizon and Sprint phones prohibits simultaneous data and voice streaming. Which means no matter how talented our engineers are (and trust me they are TALENTED), you just cannot be on a call and in a Fuze Meeting while the meeting is grabbing data from satellite.

There is a way around it!

As long as you’re around WiFi. You can actually log into the data stream via your WiFi connection. So, in order to participate in the visual AND audio parts of a meeting from your Verizon or Sprint phone, enable WiFi and Fuze Meeting will use your WiFi connectivity to transfer meeting data while you are on the voice bridge. If you do not have WiFi coverage available, or it is interrupted, then only one feature can be supported, and you will be disconnected from the web portion of the meeting – leaving you only on the call.
WAIT THERE’S MORE! VoIP (which will let you transfer audio AS data and will cut out the telephone portion all together) will be coming to your iPhone and Android phones later this year…thus solving the entire matter completely!

But until then – we realize you have meetings, you have requirements, you’ve got important things to talk about and we want to make it as easy as possible for you to get what you need. Hope this was helpful and let us know if you have any questions.

Hey y’all!

HOT off the YouTube presses, we’ve got a new tutorial for you. Most of our users have no problem with this one, but we’ve heard that a few of you could use a quick review. Enjoy!

Anything else you’d like to see? Let us know!

*Manly grunt* UUUUHHHH! Nine hundred ninety nine!

*Manly grunt* UUUUHHHH! YES! Woooo! Done!!

Oh yes. We’ve been at the gym, eyes on the prize and cranking out the reps. And what have we got to show for it? Well, only the most buff, robust version of Fuze Meeting that you’ve ever seen. With that, we give you:

Fuze Meeting 3.1

It has all the slick stuff you’re used to, but it’s also got 3 giant upgrades.

#1 Remote Desktop Control

Need to show someone how to use a program? In the past, you needed to ask them “can I drive?” to get the best view of how to navigate. Not anymore! Now you can show your software with Fuze’s lag-free screen sharing and remote desktop control. Not to mention – more comfortable. Just take control of someone else’s mouse and go for it.

#2 Laser Pointer

Once you turn on the laser pointer, your meeting attendees can see exactly where your mouse is. Just the other day, I was on an Fuze Meeting webinar, and someone was explaining precisely the different parts of a bell curve he was showing and…let’s just say I know one person who is going to be happy about the new laser feature!

#3 Keynote Support

Sing it loud and sing it proud – Keynoters, put that chin up, we have something for you! Once you export your Keynote presentation to Quicktime, you can load it into your meeting and watch it play like a video!

Did you just see the game-changing update you’ve been waiting for? Sign up for Fuze Meeting by calling our sales team at (866) 470-1901.

As promised in our post earlier this week where we showed the ‘serious’ answers to What is Fuze Box, we of course had quite a bit of footage that didn’t make it into the final reel, and we thought it was such a shame to let it go to waste.

So we present…the outtakes reel.

We asked our San Francisco office what words came to mind when they thought of Fuze Box, and the answers were great. Stay tuned – I don’t want to give anything away, but there may be an AWESOME outtakes video on its way!

Update: As promised…you can find the update video HERE.

We just had a doozie of a Facebook contest and it was more fun than you could wave a stick at! Users who were interested in testing our iPad app were encouraged to write a haiku about Fuze Meeting beta for the iPad.

10^th Grade English Class Review:

A haiku is a Japanese style of poetry used to convey a simple (and in this case witty) message.  A haiku has 3 lines and one stanza, and usually has a syllable count of 5, 7, 5. Part of the beauty of haikus is that they lack rhyme or rhythm – so each line can stand alone!

And now – for a few haikus we particularly loved!

Feel hot summer sun,
Be cool testing beta Fuze app.
Communication!

- Dale

Launching a new biz
Just for pro photographers
Fuze – for interviews!

-Dana

Hot summer commute
What can save us from the heat?
Cool meeting with Fuze

-Sloane

I work with clients
Live and die by remote meetings
Fuze for iPad: GO!

- Robert

Did you have a haiku stirring in your brain? Do you love to take part in fun and easy competitions? Then don’t miss the fun. Like us on Facebook!

Sometimes, you just need it to be visual. Which, coincidentally is why web conferencing is such a fantastic idea in the first place! So, thank goodness that everyone’s favorite demo master, Larry B. turned out this handy little number on who can do what in a meeting!  Thanks, homie.

We did a more in depth presentation earlier if you’re just starved for more info on attendee controls. I mean, who isn’t…really?

Do you parade around your iPad mocking those who have only tiny sad glowing screens in their cellular hands? Do you try to prove all the naysayers wrong by toting your iPad into work meetings to showcase the ‘not just for play’ functionality?

Then we want YOU to be a Beta tester for our Fuze Meeting app on the iPad.

The thing is…we only have 10 coveted spots available for Beta testing, so we’re going to make a bit of a game around it!

The Game: A Posting Frenzy

The Time: THE TIME IS NOW…THE TIME IS NOW

The Commitment: Is not teeny. It could take up to 30 minutes to install the app depending on your iPad proficiency. We ask for about 1.5 hours of testing (AKA attending/conducting meetings) over the course of a couple of weeks. And then, we’d like your feedback!

The Reward: Is gargantuan. You’re the first (and only) to get a sneak peek at the slickest thing to hit the market since roller blades. You’ll also get to keep the app on your iPad when Beta is over – enlisting the envy of all.

How to become an iPad Beta tester for Fuze Meeting:

1. Get an iPad – You’ll need to have your own. It would also be fantastic if you had some knowledge things like…ad hoc app instillation and UDID.
2. Like/Fan us on Facebook
3. In a short post to our Facebook wall, explain why YOU’D be an ideal Beta tester
   • And we are saving one (or more) spot for whoever can best convey this message in haiku form.
4. If you are chosen, keep an eye on your Facebook inbox. Our Community Manager Kristen will send you a message letting you know the next steps. You’ll have 24 hours to respond before we move onto the next person on the list.

The contest is open NOW. So get to it! We’ll make our choices by the end of the week by alerting you over Facebook and we’ll take it from there!

What if I don’t get a Beta account?

Don’t worry, the real deal is on its way. We’re beefing it up and beefing it up and now …it’s looking a little more like late Summer/early Fall. But – she’s a-comin’!

See you in Beta,

The Fuze Meeting Team

Larry BoBarry (may or may not be his actual last name), our live demo guru, spends his week with a headset slung over his noggin, a mouse welded to his palm and a hankering to show people about the wonders of Fuze Meeting.

Those of us who sit an ear shot away have heard some pretty interesting things coming out of the demos, and the we thought WAIT…let’s ask Larry some questions!

How long have you been demoing for Fuze?

I’ve been doing the live demos here at Fuze for about 7 months.

How many demos would you say that is?

More than I can count even with my shoes off.

What is the thing that people are most confused about when they get into a Fuze Meeting?

How content is shared.

Care to set them straight?

Fuze has two basic methods of sharing content: the classic “let me show you my screen” and the “upload your file to the Fuze Meeting system.”

“Let me show you my screen” AKA desktop sharing is great for showing websites and custom applications or programs.

“Uploading your file” AKA content sharing allows for higher quality, collaboration and much faster access.  Hosts and presenters should use this method if they want to share: PowerPoint, Word docs, HD videos, audio files or high res images.

What’s the strangest thing that’s ever happened on a demo?

The was one customer who thought he’d discovered a bug – he was sharing his own screen, but was seeing his own screen within that screen, causing an infinite loop – kind of like holding two mirrors together.  Turns out he had accidentally opened two browsers and joined from both so he was essentially viewing his own screen share (and screen within the screen share (and screen within that screen within the screen share and so on)).