Thursday, May 26, 2011

The Hobson & Holtz Report Podcast #600 May 23 2011 LinkedIn IPO Is It a Good Buy [POLL] Valuation To Top $4 Billion in Skype’s Rollercoaster History [INFOGRAPHIC] #599 16 AOL offers video chat with no login download Did Microsoft Pay the Right Price for Skype Not Facebook Might Actually [REPORT] News Brief More MySpace Losses Sony Blames Anonymous LimeWire Fights Back Steam adds codec to service Review Creative ZiiO 7 Playbook Shows Promise But Fails Deliver Apps Mac updated version 5.0 is slimmer and more organized launches call app iPhone #598 9 FCC on net neutrality yes fixed not really mobile Google Voice Can Act as Your Only Number — Sprint Phones Logitech HD Pro Webcam C910 Now MacCompatible TV Cam Offers Video Calling Skypeenabled Panasonic V

The Hobson & Holtz Report - Podcast #600: May 23, 2011 Business social networking site LinkedIn is set to go public on Thursday, marking one of the highest profile Internet IPOs since Google's in 2… The valuation of LinkedIn continues to soar ahead of its IPO, with the company upping the price of its offering by 30 percent to $42 to $45 per… Skype has been an interesting company to follow over the past few years. The company lost almost a billion dollars in 2007, the same year it was… The Hobson & Holtz Report - Podcast #599: May 16, 2011 share: digg facebook twitter (AP) — In a move to become more competitive in the fast-growing field of video chat, the team behind AOL Inc.'s AIM instant messenger rolled out the first version of a free video chat service on Thursday that doesn't require users to log in or download any software. Though there are plenty of other voice and video chat offerings available for computers and smartphones, AV is unlike many with its decision to eschew both logins and software downloads. AV's release comes two days after Microsoft Corp. said it would pay $8.5 billion for popular Internet phone service Skype, which allows people to make free and cheap voice and video calls. Microsoft has purchased Skype for $8.5 billion, the largest deal in the software giant's history. The price represents a hefty premium o… Rumors are swirling about the acquisition of VoIP giant Skype, and reliable reports are now pointing to Microsoft as Skype's possible new… MySpace Losses Continue - In a new News Corp earnings report, the "other" group that includes MySpace reported losses of $165 million "primarily due to increased losses at Myspace, stemming largely from lower advertising and search revenues partially offset by... Game download community Steam has begun to use the SILK codec as part of its voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) service, greatly improving the quality of audio. The SILK codec was originally developed and used by Skype and although it does require more bandwith than Steam's original solution it allows for a much higher quality signal. According to the Steam website Steam Voice previously required a bandwith of only 15kbps, but using SILK this will change to a range of 8 to 30 kbps, "depending on the range of data in the voice signal and current network conditions". Read more... The Creative ZiiO 7 is a device that seems to be trying too hard to be a jack of all trades - and unfortunately ends up being merely mediocre at all of them. **The BlackBerry PlayBook** is a new 7-inch business tablet that shows promise. Widely panned by those in the tech industry, there are several compelling features for entrepreneurs who might find the tablet works remarkably well when it comes to streamlining your mobile life. Let's be clear up front: this is not the tablet to buy right now. On paper, the specifications are business friendly. The PlayBook is small (about 5 x 9 inches) and light (at just under a pound) and has a 1GHz dual-core processor. The device has most of the features you'd expect in the age of iPad including built-in GPS, a tilt sensor that rotates the screen automatically, and fast wi-fi for access on the road. The 16GB version we tested costs $500, which is the same as the entry-level Apple iPad 2. Our test unit felt just about right - it's durable and sturdy, and the screen is bright and clear. The mobile browser is buggy but quite fast, and it works with many Adobe Flash sites including YouTube. Built-in apps for viewing Word and Excel docs, playing slideshows, and viewing pictures worked smooth. We noticed a few minor memory errors, ... A new version of Skype was just announced for OS X 10.5.8 (Intel), bringing the communications software to version 5.0. The software is no longer in beta and it's available for download today. The improvements are largely evolutionary and include a slimmed down footprint, updated contact list view, less white space in the sidebar, a smaller [...] (Telecompaper) Skype has released the new version of its iPhone application that brings video calling to mobile users over both 3G and Wi-Fi networks. The Skype for iPhone App enables iPhone, iPad and iPod touch owners to make and/or receive Skype video calls. The app is compatible with the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and iPod touch 4th generation with iOS 4.0 or above. Video receiving capabilities are available on the iPod touch 3rd generation and iPad. Calls can be made between devices using the new Skype for iPhone app and desktops including Skype for Windows 4.2 and above, Skype for Mac 2.8 and above, Skype for Linux and ASUS Videophone. The Skype for iPhone application is available for free download from the App Store or at the Skype website. The Hobson & Holtz Report - Podcast #598: May 9, 2011 The reason why mobile broadband doesn't need net neutrality? It's obvious, isn't it: because Android is open. That's really what they said. The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) which has the power to set the rules for use and, more importantly, charging for internet use in the US, has passed "limited" net neutrality rules by a 3-2 vote which split along Democratic (yes) and Republican (no) party lines. It seems to have done the right thing - defending neutrality - for fixed-line broadband, but fumbled it on mobile, and the reason it gives for the latter is astonishing: it's because Android is open. Mull on that as we go along. The FCC portrays the decision on its own website as "FCC Acts to Preserve Internet Freedom and Openness" - and just to prove how free and open it is, then has the press release in two formats: Microsoft Word and Adobe PDF. (Just to add to the fun, I couldn't get them to download on Wednesday morning. Links to the documents, courtesy of Matt Temple and Angrygoat, at end.) Ars Technica notes that fixed-line broadband does seem to be getting net neutrality rules that you ... Google Voice, the search giant's very useful Internet-calling application, has just removed one large reason some people hesitate to use it. At least, on Sprint phones. Today, Google and Sprint have started offering an option to let you use your Sprint mobile phone number as your Google Voice number. In other words, Google Voice no longer requires you to sign up for an extra number in order to use it. There are all kinds of reasons this makes Google Voice a no-brainer to use — if you're a Sprint subscriber. To begin with, it will make it easier to save money while making international calls. And it replaces Sprint's old-school voicemail with smart voicemail that forwards to your email and transcribes your messages. As elegant as Google Voice is (I raved about it when it first came out, and still think it's a must-have application), the one thing I feared might slow its adoption was that the need for an additional number. While not that much of a hassle, it was still enough to make people think twice. To use Google Voice, you'd have to enter the Google Voice online dashboard and choose where to route ... Logitech announced that its flagship HD Pro Webcam C910 is now fully Mac- compatible. The HD Pro Webcam 910 is plug-and-play ready for Photo Booth, iChat and FaceTime. A free download provides integration with iPhoto and IMovie and enable video calling at HD 720p resolution. The HD Pro Webcam can be used with common video calling clients such as Skype, Yahoo! Messenger, and Gmail Voice and Video Chat.... Logitech has teamed up with Panasonic and Skype to release the Logitech TV Cam for Skype. It is a plug-and-play TV camera that lets you make and receive high-definition video calls directly from selected 2011 Panasonic VIERA Connect-enabled VIERA HDTVs. No computer or software-download is required. You just need an internet connection with at least [...] Budget mobile manufacturer INQ is allegedly working on a phone that will be cheap, cheerful and feature full compatibility with music streaming service Spotify. These rumours have surfaced after INQ's chief executive, Frank Meehan, made the announcement that Spotify access would be coming to future products from the British manufacturer. Spotify is already available on [...] We love mobile phones Low-cost Spotify mobile developed by INQ
Key Words: skype download

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