Digital Tech News - Digital Technology & Consumer Electronics

New Logitech HD Webcams and Logitech Vid HD Software for Video Calls

Logitech unveiled a new lineup of HD webcams for laptop or desktop computers, along with the Logitech Vid HD software which allows users to make 720p HD video calls. Each of the new HD webcams feature Logitech Fluid Crystal technology, which helps to make video calls and video recordings clear and fluid, with rich colors. The top of the line Logitech HD Pro Webcam C910 offers HD 720p video calling and Full HD 1080p video recording, with one-click HD-uploading to Facebook and YouTube. The HD Pro Webcam C910 offers stereo audio with two mics, one on either side of the webcam lens as pictured here.

The portable Logitech HD Webcam C510 sports a "fold-and-go" design that fits in you pocket for easy transport. This one has 360-degree full-rotation, allowing you to easily swivel the webcam around while on a video call or during video recording. 

Logitech expects the HD Pro Webcam C910 to be available in the U.S., Europe and Asia in August for $99.99, and the Logitech HD Webcam C510, priced at $59.99 ships in the U.S. in June and in Europe and Asia in August. Logitech also introduced two affordable HD webcams, the Logitech HD Webcam C310 is priced at $49.99, and the Logitech HD Webcam C270 costs $39.99. These two models hit the U.S. in June, in Europe in July, and in Asia in August.

Catch the video presentation below:

Google Nexus One Android Smartphone Called Super Phone

Google Inc. officially announced the new Nexus One Android OS smartphone, or "superphone" as the company likes to call the device.  The sleek touch screen phone is manufactured by HTC Corporation, and it's available at a new web store hosted by Google where customers can buy the Nexus One in the US without service for $529 (any GSM network SIM card can be inserted into the device) or it can be purchased with service from one of Google's operator partners, starting with T-Mobile USA for $179 with a two-year contract. Verizon Wireless in the US and Vodafone in Europe plan to offer Google's Nexus One soon as well.

"The Nexus One belongs in the emerging class of devices which we call ‘superphones,’ with the 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon™ chipset making it as powerful as your laptop computer of three to four years ago. It's our way to raise the bar on what's possible when it comes to creating the best mobile experience for consumers," said Andy Rubin, VP of Engineering. "We look forward to working with handset manufacturers and operators to bring more phones to market through this channel worldwide."

Skype for iPhone and iPod Touch is Now Available at the Apple App Store - Demo Video

The day has come!  Skype for iPhone and iPod Touch 2g has been released and you can download it from the Apple App Store now. Second generation iPod touch users will need a compatible headset and microphone to take advantage of Skype calling and instant messaging.

As Skype uses Voip for Internet phone calling, a strong Wi-Fi connection is recommended. Skype-to-Skype calls using an iPhone or iPod touch are free, but Skype calls to landlines or mobile phones depend on Skype’s normal low rates. The Skype for iPhone demo video below lays it all out.

Skype for iPhone and iPod Touch capabilities include:

• Free Skype-to-Skype calls from any Wi-Fi zone to other Skype users worldwide
• Call landline or mobile phones at Skype’s great low rates from any Wi-Fi zone
• Send/receive instant messages to/from individuals or groups via 3G, Wi-Fi, GPRS or EDGE (whichever is available)
• Receive calls to a personal online number on Skype
• See when Skype contacts are online/available to IM or talk

TANDBERG E20 Video IP Phone

Shipping now, the TANDBERG E20 Video IP Phone enables face-to-face collaboration with DVD-quality video and CD quality audio. The unit has a 10.6 inch LCD widescreen with a five-megapixel high-resolution camera located at the top for video phone calls, and you can seamlessly switch to audio-only mode with its ultra wideband 20 kHz speaker phone and 10 kHz handset. Along with a very appealing design, the device has telephony features like call transfer, message waiting and call forwarding.

The E20 Video IP Phone is aimed at organizations that want to keep employees visually connected from their desks, but for true telepresence features in meetings, you might want to roll with Cisco's TelePresence Meeting Solution if your company can afford it.

iCall Voip Over Wifi Calling for iPhone

Apparently voice over Internet provider iCall is an approved Apple iPhone developer, and the company has announced a new version of iCall for iPhones. Talk about timing?  As the world waits for official 3g iPhone announcements next week, iCall is ready to jump in and help iPhone owners make free (to US and canada) and low cost Voip phone calls on the iPhone via a Wi-fi connection.  One can also receive incoming phone calls via your regular cellular connection and switch the calls to VoIP when a Wi-fi connection is detected. Watch the demo video below.

iCall for iPhone highlights:

- Make and receive calls over WiFi    

- Transfer inbound calls from a regular cell call to WiFi instantly and seamlessly - save your expensive minutes    

- Access your same address book    

- Customize your voicemail options

Clearwire WiMAX Mobile Broadband Company Formed

Sprint and Clearwire's Mobile WiMAX partnership and Sprint's XOHM WiMax 4G Mobile Broadband brand were announced last year, and we've been waiting for the results ever since. Well, we'll have to wait just a little longer folks, but it's not all bad news. Clearwire Corporation and Sprint Nextel Corporation have announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine their WiMax wireless broadband businesses to form a new communications company which will be named Clearwire.  Just as we heard from the previous announcements, the new company will be focused on creating the first nationwide mobile WiMAX network in the United States, so it's only a matter of time before we see embedded Mobile WiMAX chipsets in laptops, mobile phones, PDAs, UMPC devices and consumer electronic equipment. Clearwire hopes to get the Wimax network deployed and ready to cover between 120 million and 140 million people in the U.S. by the end of 2010.

"WiMAX technology is expected to allow users to wirelessly access a range of multimedia applications, such as live videoconferencing, recorded video, games, large data files and more – anywhere in the network coverage area."

Sprint and Clearwire combining their WiMAX businesses is no surprise, but the new Clearwire mobile broadband company, a $14.5 billion venture, also has investments from Intel, Google, Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks.

Here's the breakdown:

Comcast will invest $1.05 billion, Intel Capital will invest $1.0 billion, Time Warner Cable will invest $550 million, Google will invest $500 million, and Bright House Networks will invest $100 million for an aggregate total of $3.2 billion. Add Sprint’s contribution, which includes all of its 2.5 GHz wireless spectrum and Xohm WiMAX related assets valued at $7.4 billion, and we can see that a nation-wide WiMax network is definitely on the way.

3 Skypephone Launching Overseas

Skype and mobile operator 3 have made the 3 Skypephone official, announcing that the Internet phone will start selling on November 2 in the UK, with Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Macau and Sweden getting a 3 Skypephone release later this year. The Skype-enabled handset has fully integrated Skype functionality with contacts, call logs and presence, and will cost about £49.99, or about $100 with a pay-as-you-go plan or free on a contract.  The 3 Skype phone lets you make free Skype to Skype calls and send free Skype instant messages from your mobile phone to other Skype users around the world, and you can also make conventional calls, as well as access 3’s range internet services.

Skype Hooks Up Myspace Users with Free Calling

What happens when two of the largest Internet services, MySpace and Skype, get to talkin'? How about free voice over ip calling for Myspace members, all 110 million of them!  The free calling action starts in November, when MySpace users will be able to call with a Skype-enabled version of MySpaceIM.

TechCrunch writes: "This marks the first time that Skype has allowed its technology to be integrated into a 3rd-party application, thereby disassociating the Skype service from the Skype client. Skype has provided a developer program through which others can build applications initiate functions of the Skype client, but the company never before allowed for seamless integration with its VoIP network."

Since eBay acquired Skype in 2005, shareholders have been waiting for some good news after a disappointing start.

Nokia 6301 UMA Phone

Using Unlicensed Mobile Access, or UMA technology, the Nokia 6301 phone enables users to make calls over the Internet (Voip) when in a Wi-fi zone, but it also acts as a normal mobile phone when it's out of range of a Wi-fi connection, offering seamless voice and data mobility across GSM cellular and WLAN networks. Orange will be the first carrier to offer the Nokia 6301 in Europe when it ships during the fourth quarter of 2007, with an estimated retail price of 230 euros ($322 USD)

The Nokia 6301 also features a 2 megapixel camera with 8x digital zoom and full screen viewfinder, 2-inch QVGA screen, USB/PC Synchronization, Internal user memory of 30MB and 128MB in-box microSD card, with support for up to 4GB microSD cards, Voice dialing, voice commands and voice recording, an MP3 player, FM radio, and Integrated hands-free speaker.

The multi-mode Nokia 6301 phone has a talk-time of up to 3.5 hours and a standby time of up to 14 days, and comes with the Nokia Desk Stand DT-23 which holds the phone and keep its battery charged while connected to WLAN. 

Panasonic KX-WP1050 Wi-fi Skype Phone

This skype phone won't win any "best looking" contest, but Panasonic's new "Skype Certified" wi-fi phone package does include a Wi-Fi base unit, which allows you to make Voice over IP (VoIP) calls without a PC. The Panasonic KX-WP1050 uses Wi-Fi connection access that let Skype users make and receive free Skype-to-Skype calls, inexpensive SkypeOut calls to landlines and mobiles worldwide, and receive SkypeIn calls from landlines and mobiles. The included travel router enables users to set up a Wifi hotspot anywhere there is an available broadband Internet connection.