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Tag: skype

  • Samsung Unveils Largest, Most Expensive HDTV

    Earlier this week, at an industry press event held on the U.S.S. Intrepid Museum in New York City, Samsung previewed their massive, 75-inch 3D HDTV. The ES9000 is the most impressive device they’ve ever released, and should get a great deal of coverage in the technology industry over the next month. It will incorporate all of the Smart Interaction features that were so popular in their previous ES8000 series, further changing how consumers interact with their home theater devices.

    The new HDTV, which will sport a $10,000 price tag, has a distinctive rose and gold bezel, very different from the traditional silver, clear and black seen in the majority of HDTVs. A retractable camera gives users control of the device through gestures, and integrates seamlessly with Skype.

    Samsung has it’s own dedicated apps for these devices as well, and demonstrated its capabilities with a preview of Angry Birds. The game will be a free download, playable on their E8000, ES8000, and ES7500 line as well, and can be controlled completely with gestures on the ES9000.

    Samsung declared that the new release will have a significantly better picture, due primarily to their Precision Black Local Dimming and Micro Dimming Ultimate features. They expect 30% improvement in the black colors, and 60% increased sharpness. The ES9000 will begin shipping out to stores in August, giving consumers the opportunity to soon decide for themselves if the difference is worth an upgrade.

    The $9,999 retail price makes it one of the most expensive HDTVs on the market. It hasn’t been reviewed yet, so it remains to be seen if the ES9000 will completely earn that price break. But the device is sure to turn heads in the high end HDTV market.

  • Yowie Adds Group Video Chat to Its Platform

    Yowie has announced it is now offering enhanced group video chatting for consumers, competing against the likes of Skype, Google Hangouts and Tiny Chat. Yowie, known for connecting fans with celebrity chat hosts such as Colin Farrell, Amy Poehler, Interpol and presidential hopeful Gary Johnson, now compete head to head in hot consumer video chat space.

    "By working with some of the biggest names in entertainment over the past year, we've learned that people with similar offline interests are looking to authentically connect online," said Yowie founder and president Jamie Snider. "With the new Yowie, we're making it simple and safe to not just video chat with a celebrity, but with anyone around almost any topic."

    Yowie claims it is the first online destination to combine social interaction and a controlled environment for video chat. What makes Yowie different?

    • Reputation scoring system: Yowie's proprietary reputation scoring tracks on-site user behavior, including how and why users are being kicked, banned or reported for abusive behavior. Yowie surfaces all of that information on each user's profile so that Yowie users can make informed decisions about whom they engage with online.
    • Multimedia content: Have a cool new video that you want to chat about? Anyone can play YouTube or Vimeo media during their Yowie group chats, and new video and audio content partners — both live and recorded — are being added.
    • Categorized topics and search features: Group chat organizers are asked to tag a conversation so Yowie can aggregate chat rooms by topic. Popular chats will be showcased to users based on their personal preferences, or users can proactively search for specific topics.
    • Experience points: Users will be rated by experience points and earn badges as they use new site features (like playing media, or sharing the room with friends on social networks), encouraging people to use Yowie as a visual and social way to connect around common interests.
    • Public or private: Group chat organizers will be able to designate whether a conversation can be made public or private. This means no worrying about eavesdropping on your private conversation.

    Free and nothing to download: Yowie is a browser-based video chat service, so you have nothing to download. You can quickly start your own free chat room as long as you have a webcam and an Internet connection.

    Other new features with Yowie group video chat include:

    •     Embed the full group chat experience on any Internet destination.
    •     A Facebook application for group video chatting that mirrors the vast majority of Yowie's on-site functionality.
    •     Send a recorded video invite to your Facebook friends to join you in a chat room.
    •     Custom room skinning for chat room sponsors such as fan clubs or meet up groups.

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  • The SMS Becomes History: Skype Buys GroupMe

    GroupMe is a one-year-old company. Users can send messages or participate in online conferences if they install the program from GroupMe on their smartphone. After this acquisition, Skype wants to compete with Facebook and BlackBerry, companies that are already offering messaging services for the owners of smartphones. In addition, Apple plans to launch a similar service in the fall of 2011, called iMessage and which will appear in the software updates for the iOS.

    Multifunctional systems

    If Apple and BlackBerry applications can be used only by the users of these phones, there are few services available to all smartphone owners, such as WhatsApp Messenger and Groupme. WhatsApp fell by 8% the volume of SMS messages sent by the mobile telecom users of the largest operator in the Netherlands – KPN. About 85% of them are using smartphones running on Android, writes Financial Times.

    The largest social networks have not missed the opportunity. Facebook has announced the launch of a chat application for smartphones, which have became pretty fast the most downloaded program from the Apple store. In addition, Google+ is also including the mobile chat Huddle.

    Started in 2010, GroupMe offers its own application on iPhone, Blackberry and also on Android smartphones. The company has also launched in July a version of its application for Windows Phone 7. Skype didn’t say whether GroupMe will be integrated into Skype services or will continue running as a separate company.

    For the online telephony giant, the GroupMe acquisition will add the ability to deliver messages for groups. Microsoft has bought Skype, in May, for $ 8.5 billion. Once the merger is complete, Microsoft plans to add Skype in xBox and Kinect devices as well as in their Windows Phone smartphones.

  • Skype Introduces Video Calls for Android Smartphones

    Skype has just introduced a new service that allows the users of Android phones to make free video calls to the contacts on Skype or to those having an Apple iPhone.

    The company, whose name has become in mid-2000s synonymous with internet calls, says the application will now support video calls only to certain HTC and Sony Ericsson phones.

    But they will not stop here. The company wants to bring the video call options on as many platforms, according to Neil Stevens, director of sales and marketing for Skype.

    This step will certainly spark a competition between the handset manufacturers that rely on Google Android software and the video call services FaceTime of Apple. FaceTime was launched last year for iPhone and is now available on the tablet iPad 2 and on the computers using Mac.

    The new video calling option will help Microsoft, the new owner of Skype, to promote their Smartphone Windows Phone platform, which is merging with Nokia platform in an effort to compete with Android and Apple.

    In the last four months of 2010, Skype had on average 145 million users online per month. In 2010, the users made calls that totaled 207 billion minutes, of which 42% were video calls.

    For now, video phone calls are in an early stage, but the market for fixed calls on the Internet has increased by 12.6%, last year reaching a value worth 17.3 billion dollars.

    With the new Android Skype application, the users can make free calls between the phones running on Android, iPhones, Macs, Microsoft Windows PCs and TVs.

    The first phones that support video calls are HTC Desire 5, Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo, Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro and Google Nexus S.

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  • Microsoft to Acquire Skype for $8.5 Billion

    Microsoft and Skype have just announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Microsoft will acquire Skype for $8.5 billion in cash from the investor group led by Silver Lake.

    With 170 million connected users and over 207 billion minutes of voice and video conversations in 2010, Skype has been a pioneer in creating connections among friends, families and business colleagues globally. Microsoft has a long-standing focus and investment in real-time communications across its various platforms, including Lync (which saw 30 percent revenue growth in Q3), Outlook, Messenger, Hotmail and Xbox LIVE.

    The companies informed that Skype will support Microsoft devices like Xbox and Kinect, Windows Phone and a wide array of Windows devices, and Microsoft will connect Skype users with Lync, Outlook, Xbox Live and other communities. Microsoft will continue to invest in and support Skype clients on non-Microsoft platforms.

    "Skype is a phenomenal service that is loved by millions of people around the world," said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. "Together we will create the future of real-time communications so people can easily stay connected to family, friends, clients and colleagues anywhere in the world."

    Skype will become a new business division within Microsoft, and Skype CEO Tony Bates will assume the title of president of the Microsoft Skype Division, reporting directly to Ballmer.

    "Microsoft and Skype share the vision of bringing software innovation and products to our customers," said Tony Bates. "Together, we will be able to accelerate Skype’s plans to extend our global community and introduce new ways for everyone to communicate and collaborate," Bates said.

    According to the companies, the acquisition will increase the accessibility of real-time video and voice communications, bringing benefits to both consumers and enterprise users and "generating significant new business and revenue opportunities." The combination will extend Skype’s world-class brand and the reach of its networked platform, while enhancing Microsoft’s existing portfolio of real-time communications products and services.

    "Tony Bates has a great track record as a leader and will strengthen the Microsoft management team. I’m looking forward to Skype’s talented global workforce bringing its insights, ideas and experience to Microsoft," Ballmer said.

    Founded in 2003, Skype was acquired by eBay in September 2005, and then acquired by an investment group led by Silver Lake in November 2009. Skype has made impressive progress over the past 18 months under Silver Lake’s leadership, increasing monthly calling minutes by 150 percent, developing new revenue streams and strategic partnerships, acquiring the intellectual property powering its peer-to-peer network, and recruiting an outstanding senior management team.

    Other members of the selling investor group led by Silver Lake include eBay International AG, CPP Investment Board, Joltid Limited in partnership with Europlay Capital Advisors; and Andreessen Horowitz.

  • Skype Officially Launched Group Video Calling with New Premium Package

    Today at the Consumer Electronics Show, Skype has officially launched group video calling for consumers and enterprises. Group video calling is available as part of the new Premium package which offers group video calling together with access to live chat customer support as a day pass for $4.99 (€3.49/£2.99) or as a monthly subscription for $8.99 (€5.99/£4.99) per month.

    Skype users who sign up for group video calling in the first month it’s available will receive a 33 percent discount on 3 and 12-month subscriptions. New users receive a 7-day free trial. In addition, consumers who sign up for group video calling will receive a 25 percent discount off an HD webcam.

    Group video calling is also available in the new Business version of Skype, a desktop application for PCs, which gives enterprises the ability to control how Skype is used within the workplace, with the capacity to turn off or configure a variety of Skype settings. According to Skype, with group video calling, enterprises "can easily set up real-time, face-to-face meetings and work in more collaborative and productive ways." For enterprises using Skype Manager who sign up for Group Video Calling, they will receive a 33 percent discount when signing up for a 3 or 12 month subscription. In addition, they will receive a 15 percent discount off of a headset and speakerphone bundle.

    To start a group video call, only one member of the call needs to have activated the seven-day free trial or to have signed up for a day pass or monthly subscription using Skype for Windows 5.1. For all participants to receive video, they need to be on at least the 5.0 version of Mac and windows.

    According to Skype, video calling accounted for approximately 41.5% of all Skype-to-Skype minutes in the second half of 2010.

    Skype also said that video calls between two parties will continue to be offered as a free product.

    Related news
    Skype to Acquire Qik
    Pinger Aims to Bring Free Voip to iPod Touch and iPhone
    Skype Now Available for Android Phones
    Avaya and Skype Team Up to to Collaborate on Unified Communications

  • Skype to Acquire Qik

    Skype has announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Qik, a provider of mobile video software and services. Qik has 60 employees, and is headquartered in Redwood City, California and has an office in Moscow, Russia. The transaction is expected to close in January 2011. The companies informed that terms of the acquisition will not be disclosed.

    Qik was founded in 2006 and offers solutions to capture and share video with anyone across mobile devices, the web, and desktop platforms. Videos can be shared in real time or stored so moments can be viewed later, allowing for video messaging, sharing and archiving. The Qik service is available on over 200 mobile phones across the Android, iPhone, Symbian, Blackberry and Windows Mobile platforms, and comes pre-loaded on a wide variety of mobile handsets.

    Both Skype and Qik have a common purpose of enriching communications and sharing with video, across any device. According to Skype, the acquisition of Qik "helps accelerate Skype’s leadership in video by adding recording, sharing and storing capabilities to Skype’s product portfolio. Through this acquisition, Skype will also be able to leverage the engineering expertise that is behind Qik’s Smart Streaming technology, which optimizes video transmission over wireless networks."

    "The Qik team has delivered exceptional video experiences for its mobile partners and millions of end users across a range of devices," said Tony Bates, Skype’s Chief Executive Officer.

    "Skype’s software enables an estimated 25 percent of the world’s international long distance voice calling minutes*, and approximately 40 percent of those Skype-to-Skype calls are happening over video. Qik’s deep engineering capabilities and strong mobile relationships will be an impressive complementary fit with Skype," he added.

    Vijay Tella, Chief Executive Officer of Qik, said: "Qik has worked very hard to solve complex problems that allow millions of people everyday to take advantage of sharing their lives with those people who are most important to them. Joining Skype allows Qik’s team to unite with Skype’s talented team to develop new and innovative products for our customers and partners."

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  • Pinger Aims to Bring Free Voip to iPod Touch and iPhone

    Pinger, a startup based in San Jose, California, aims to challenge Skype (and others) by offering free voice calls. They are doing so by piggybacking voip on their hugely popular TextFree application, which allows sending free text SMS messages.

    TextFree is unusual in that each user gets its own phone number, thus the 8 million TextFree users are in fact 8 million phone numbers (putting Pinger in the Top 10 US mobile carriers). For comparison, Q3 2010 Pinger distributed 1.7 million phone numbers, AT&T distributed 1.6 in the same time span.

    Their current revenue model is ad-based, showing ads while the user is composing her message. As an indicator of profitability, the startup has already been backed up by venture firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and others by raising more than $11 million.

    Pinger is currently serving 1.2 billion ads and sent 4 billion messages each month and is only expected to raise its numbers. As Pinger’s target audience is between 16 and 26, advertisers are already eager to participate to set buying habits and brand loyalty as these users turn into adults.

    For phone calls, users will have a limited amount of free monthly minutes, which they can increase by downloading other apps, completing 3rd party offers (a model coming from social media games) or by credit card payment. Pinger says that they are aiming to offer a worldwide service, disrupting the mobile industry and profiting from the huge markups phone carriers apply in their prices. Time will tell if they are able to make it.

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    Ruben Berenguel blogs in mostlymaths.net about productivity, time management and a little programming while he finishes his PhD in Mathematics. Don’t miss your opportunity to subscribe to his RSS feed.

  • Skype Now Available for Android Phones

    Skype has just announced the release of Skype for Android, a client for mobile handsets, built for smartphones running Android OS version 2.1 or above.

    Skype said that the application has been tested successfully by the company on HTC Desire, HTC Legend, Google Nexus One, Motorola Milestone XT720, and Motorola Milestone. It may work on other Android phones, but the company can’t guarantee full functionality or compatibility.

    In the US, Skype for Android calling works over WiFi only. Outside the US the app works over WiFi or mobile data connection (GPRS, EDGE, 3G). It is not available in China and Japan at this moment.

    The application is downloadable for free from the Android Market and supports the following languages: Brazilian Portuguese, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Swedish, Polish, Russian, Simplified Chinese & Traditional Chinese.

    Mark Douglas, Product Manager of Android said: "The Skype experience is ubiquitous today. More and more people are using Skype to do things together when apart. With the addition of Android, we are pleased that Skype is now available on three of the most popular mobile platforms today: Android, iOS and Symbian"

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  • Avaya and Skype Team Up to to Collaborate on Unified Communications

    Avaya and Skype have announced a strategic agreement to deliver communications and collaboration solutions to businesses of all sizes. The multi-phase deal includes both go-to-market and a joint technology integration.

    In the first phase of the agreement, Avaya customers in the U.S. market will have access to Skype Connect, a product which adds Skype calling to IP-based enterprise communications systems, providing a SIP communications channel between Avaya communications systems and Skype.

    According to Avaya, Customers with Avaya Aura Session Manager or Avaya Aura SIP Enablement Server, CS1000, Avaya IP Office, or BCM systems can use Skype Connect to place calls globally “for increased reach, while aiming to save on international calling.” Enterprise-level security and features such as tracking, recording, regulatory compliance, and more are provided by the Avaya system.

    Skype reported 124 million average monthly connected users during the second quarter of 2010. Now, Skype users can make inbound calls to Avaya customers in the U.S. market for free or at a low cost. Calls will be treated with Avaya’s routing, conferencing, messaging, mobility and contact center capabilities, as well as other collaboration services.

    For example, businesses can:
    • Establish Skype Click & Call buttons for inbound calling from Web sites
    • Establish Skype Online Numbers for inbound calling from landline and mobile phones
    • Route inbound calls from a Skype user to an enterprise extension.

    In the second half of 2011, Avaya and Skype plan to deliver integrated unified communications and collaboration solutions for enterprises within the U.S. The integration is intended to establish federation between Avaya Aura and Skype communications platforms and both user communities, so that an Avaya end-user and Skype user can engage and interact via presence, instant messaging, voice and video.

    According to the companies, a business, for example, could use Skype to access an Avaya-based contact center “in a simple and highly integrated way to quickly and efficiently resolve customer service issues.” The integrated solutions will also allow enterprise IT managers to manage and control the inter-connectivity between end users to meet their corporate IT policies.

    "Our relationship with Avaya is expected to expand the footprint for Skype Connect into more enterprises in the U.S. market, while allowing us to help Avaya’s customers benefit from Skype’s cost savings and access to Skype’s global user base," said David Gurlé, vice president and general manager of Skype for Business.

    "We believe our integrated solution in the second half of 2011 is expected to offer the benefits of Skype to a growing number of businesses and open up new ways for people to communicate and collaborate," he added.

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