Methods and apparatus for collaboration

1. A method for messaging collaboration, comprising:

providing a program enabling collaboration among a plurality of users;

maintaining a plurality of contacts for a first user in connection with the program, wherein at least one of the contacts is a non-collaborating device sourcing automatically-shared video and at least one of the contacts is an interactive source of messages; and

providing to the first user a list of said plurality of contacts.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said at least one video source device contact and said at least one interactive message source contact are provided without identifying which contact is a video source device and which contact is an interactive message source.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a request by the first user to communicate with a video source device contact;

connecting the first user to a shared communication environment associated with said video source device contact, said environment accessible to a plurality of users in active communication with said video source device contact; and

displaying within the environment a video feed from the video source device contact.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said displaying of said video feed is synchronized among a plurality of connected users.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

receiving an action from the first user interacting with said video feed; and

displaying a response to said action synchronized among a plurality of connected users in active communication with said video source device contact.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing to the first user presence information for at least one of said plurality of contacts.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of contacts are in contact with said first user using a plurality of messaging services.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

monitoring at least one of said video source device contacts for a change in metadata associated with said video source device contact;

detecting at least one change in metadata associated with said video source device contact; and

responding to said detected event.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said detected event is an alert event.

10. The method of claim 8 , said step of responding comprising:

connecting a plurality of users to a shared communication environment associated with said detected event, said plurality of users in active communication with said video source device contact; and

displaying within the environment a video feed from said video source device contact.

11. A device for messaging collaboration, comprising:

a processor, and a memory coupled to the processor wherein the memory comprises program instructions configured to:

maintain a plurality of contacts for a first user in memory, wherein at least one of the contacts is a non-collaborating device sourcing automatically-shared video and at least one of the contacts is an interactive source of messages; and

provide to the first user a list of said plurality of contacts.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein said at least one video source device contact and said at least one interactive message source contact are provided without identifying which contact is a video source device and which contact is an interactive message source.

13. The device of claim 11 , wherein the program instructions are further configured to:

programmatically receive a request by the first user to communicate with a video source device contact;

connect the first user to a shared communication environment associated with said video source device contact, said environment accessible to a plurality of users in active communication with said video source device contact; and

display within the environment a video feed from the video source device contact.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein said displaying of said video feed is synchronized among a plurality of connected users.

15. The device of claim 13 , wherein the program instructions are further configured to:

receive an action from the first user interacting with said video feed; and

display a response to said action synchronized among a plurality of connected users in active communication with video source device contact.

16. The device of claim 11 , wherein the program instructions are further configured to provide to the first user presence information for at least one of said plurality of contacts.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein said plurality of contacts are in contact with said first user using a plurality of messaging services.

18. The device of claim 11 , wherein the program instructions are further configured to:

monitor at least one of said video source device contacts for change in metadata associated with said video source device contact;

detect at least one change in metadata associated with said video source device contact; and

respond to said detected event.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein said detected event is an alert event.

20. The device of claim 18 , wherein the program instructions are further configured to:

connect a plurality of users to a shared communication environment associated with said detected event, said plurality of users in active communication with said video source device contact; and

display within the environment a video feed from said video source device contact.

21. A device for messaging collaboration, comprising:

a processor, and a memory coupled to the processor wherein the memory comprises program instructions configured to:

provide an interface between a device sourcing video and a program enabling collaboration among a plurality of users, so that a user receives a list of a plurality of contacts, wherein at least one of the contacts is a non-collaborating device sourcing automatically-shared video and at least one of the contacts is an interactive source of messages.