Month: May 2010

SKYPE OFFERING 5-WAY VIDEO CALLS

Posted by | May 6, 2010 | , , , |

Internet calling service Skype plans a public “beta” test of a group video chat function that will allow five people to simultaneously participate in a video call . The free feature  launches next week, but Skype Ltd. plans to start charging for it along with some other upcoming features in the next three to four months, according to  Neil Stevens, general manager of Skype’s consumer business segment. He says that group video chat will  be available first to those who use Skype on Windows PCs. A Mac version should be out later this year. Skype  already offers such free services as the ability to make voice or video calls and send instant messages to other Skype users. Users pay for other services such as making calls from a PC  to a landline or cell phone. Skype is also expanding its monthly subscription offerings to include calls to both cell phones and landlines in more than 170 countries. As of now, subscription plans include one that allows calls to over 40 countries, but they only to  landlines. The suspected reason behind this is that it is generally cheaper than routing calls from the Internet to cell phones. Skype plans to unveil new subscriptions that let users choose which (of 170)countries they want to call and whether they want to call landlines and cell phones or just one of the two claiming that...

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Anitrust: There's An App For That

Posted by | May 5, 2010 | , |

Apple may face some of the same investigation by the FTC or DOJ that has previously been reserved for the likes of companies like Microsoft. In the past Apple has been protected by these governmental agencies, but now it might be Apple who is going to be investigated. It seems that there is some question if Apple can restrict app developers in using only Apple tools to develop apps. It seems that regulators are now trying to figure out which agency should handle the investigation. One article states: An inquiry doesn’t necessarily mean action will be taken against Apple, which argues the rule is in place to ensure the quality of the apps it sells to customers. Typically, regulators initiate inquiries to determine whether a full-fledged investigation ought to be launched. If the inquiry escalates to an investigation, the agency handling the matter would issue Apple a subpoena seeking information about the policy. Officials at both the Justice Department and FTC declined comment. Apple did not return calls seeking comment. The threat of Apple being the subject of an investigation would be a remarkable turnabout for a company that has long seen itself as being outside the establishment, and one that has egged on antitrust officials to blunt the momentum of larger...

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Awesome Bing App!

Posted by | May 5, 2010 | |

Microsoft, the software giant known for Windows 7, has announced a promotional app for iPhone this week. Called “Top 100s by Year by Bing,” this app is very cool – and best of all it is free! So what is it? Top 100s by Year by Bing is an app that streams all of the top 100 songs from each year beginning with 1947 to today. That is 6200 free songs!  Some of the songs included are even from live performances, which is a surprising treat.  Granted, you must see an ad for Bing occasionally, but being as this is a free app, that is a small price to pay for a ton of music!  Download it for your iPhone today!  Kudos to Microsoft for this great freebie app – I only wish it was available for Windows Mobile! Download it here: Top 100s By...

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HP Pays $1.2 Billion for Palm

Posted by | May 5, 2010 | , |

Palm, who released the PalmPre hoping it would trump the iPhone  and went bust, has been up for sale for quite some time with no takers. That is until now when, to the surprise of us all, it has been sold for $5.70 per share ( a total of  $2.1 billion ) to the 3rd largest computer company in America. Why would they invest in such a deal that noone else would touch? Here is the skinny as posted in the company’sHP News Release: HP and Palm, Inc.  today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which HP will purchase Palm, a provider of smartphones powered by the Palm webOS mobile operating system, at a price of $5.70 per share of Palm common stock in cash or an enterprise value of approximately $1.2 billion. The transaction has been approved by the HP and Palm boards of directors. The combination of HP’s global scale and financial strength with Palm’s unparalleled webOS platform will enhance HP’s ability to participate more aggressively in the fast-growing, highly profitable smartphone and connected mobile device markets. Palm’s unique webOS will allow HP to take advantage of features such as true multitasking and always up-to-date information sharing across applications. “Palm’s innovative operating system provides an ideal platform to expand HP’s mobility strategy and create a unique HP experience spanning multiple mobile connected devices,”...

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