The PS Vita – the gaming device that is the successor to the PlayStation Portable (and pretty much a very tiny library of games) – is getting a bit more useful with the addition of Skype. You will now be able to make video and voice calls with the new app, which will be available in the PlayStation Store for free.
The latest update of Skype (version 5.8) for Windows is now available. The update, while fixing some bugs, also brings several key new features – including full HD video calling, Facebook video calling and group desktop sharing.
Facebook has announced today that it will be bringing video chatting to its users, powered by Skype, and will bring several improvements to its chat features – including starting a group chat.
It’s now official. Microsoft now controls two-thirds of the worldwide instant messaging market share – thanks to its acquisition of Skype, according to a brand new report from security analysis firm OPSWAT.
In what might be the biggest acquisition in the company’s history, Microsoft has confirmed that it will buy Skype for US$8.5 billion in cash, allowing Microsoft to have a better footing in the real-time communications market and expand on its services.
James Wilson, holding his new partner at the iPad 2 Launch (Image: Stewart Wilson/TECHGEEK.com.au)
Despite the fact that Tom, James and Stewart aren’t on, the TECHGEEK Weekly Podcast still lives on, and we discuss the launch of the iPad 2, talk about the BlackBerry Playbook to come with Android applications and the fact that Duke Nukem Forever is delayed (again!).
And we’re back officially. CES was in full swing, and we saw a lot of tablets, 4G phones and 3D from Sony. We also had crazy Harvey Norman trying to put GST on our purchases online, Facebook being valued at $50 billion and the Mac App Store launch – and hack.
Users will now be able to have video conferences on Skype – but for a fee. (Image: Skype)
Skype has announced that it will turn on Group Video Conferences to both consumer and business customers, allowing the entire group conversation able to see each other and show items rather than using the traditional voice group conversations.
VIERA TC-L42U30 LCD-LED HDTV (Image: Panasonic)
Panasonic is going crazy with televisions, despite the fact we haven’t seen those announcements of the largest plasma televisions in the entire world. But with 14 3D televisions with HD, 7 plasma televisions, 6 LCD-LED HDTVs and 5 LCD HDTVs, Samsung is also pushing 3D television – like many other television producers (i.e. Sony).
Sony's BRAVIA XBR-HX929 LCD Television (Credit: Sony)
Sony’s press conference was simply bringing the 3D experience to your house, and with its new BRAVIA LCD HDTV lineup for 2011, it plans to do so. The company will bring out this year 27 new televisions – 16 are capable of watching 3D content, and 22 have internet connectivity.
Well it was bound to happen sooner or later and it finally has occurred – call it a last-minute Christmas present from Skype. If you hop on over to iTunes or the App Store, there you will see that Skype has been updated to version 3.0 – a very large milestone, and has some important updates.
Welcome to the Morning Briefing for Tuesday 28 December, where we highlight the tech stories from across the web and what we are watching here at TECHGEEK.com.au.
Here’s what we are watching:
Yes, that’s right.. Terence is on holidays in Rome! So everyone at TECHGEEK.com.au is partying like crazy. We talk about the new Windows Phone 7, The Android ‘dude’ problem, #newtwitter, the iPhone app that allows you to spy and much much more.
Yes, apparently Google is into shooting photos of dead people as photos of the dead appeared on Google Street View. Ouch. As well, Motorola gets sued by Microsoft, Facebook lets you download everything you ever uploaded or wrote on Facebook, and MySpace brings out a craptastic new logo.
LG has announced a brand new 3D television, the LX9500, which is built using LED technology – not like the LCD screens many other 3D screens are using. The television is also super thin – measuring 16mm thin – and is said to allow you to watch any movie from any direction because of its “Multi Picture Format”, unlike many others which are limited sitting directly at the screen. You still, however, need to wear those geeky and uncomfortable glasses. It also support 1080p and features the Skype TV function.