Buried within Skype's announcement that its app has finally graduated from beta on Windows Phone, the mention of a 512MB minimum memory requirement reveals that the Internet phone service won't -- currently -- work with the likes of Nokia's Lumia 610 and the ZTE Tania. Skype has logged this under "current issues", which we hope means the company is working tirelessly to squeeze the app into cheaper Windows Phone hardware. Other features still being worked on include Bluetooth compatibility and Skype SMS messaging support. C'mon, they're part of the family now -- can't they all just get along?
Skype app won't work on low-end Windows Phone devices originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 07:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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A llsting on Microsoft's job site reveals that it's looking develop Skype products for the Xbox. The company has kept pretty quiet on its plans for integrating its Skype purchase into its various hardware pockets. While a beta for Windows Phone continues to tick along, this is the first salient sign that Skype and Xbox are looking to team-up. According to the listing: "As a member of the Skype Xbox Engineering Team in London, you will have a strong technical background developing client and/or embedded software." On top of those recent vacancies for browser-based Skype engineers, it's no stretch to see Skype bringing its telephony skills and heavily integrating them into Xbox Live, also giving the internet phone group a huge inroad to people's living rooms. However, the job ad doesn't clarify whether the result will be a simple stand-alone Skype client or something with a little more spice. We'll have to wait for some successful applicants.
"Freemium" mobile broadband outfit FreedomPop has pulled back the curtain on how it plans to make money while giving away 4G internet. In an interview with GigaOm, Marketing VP Tony Miller revealed that once it has got enough consumers hooked on the gratis data, his company will start selling premium features, potentially including a VoIP solution for the network, now supplied by Clearwire after the collapse of LightSquared. The company will also charge a penny for every megabyte used over the free monthly allowance (currently pegged at 1GB) and build a social network where more data can be earned and traded between friends. Alongside the WiMAX shell for the iPhone, we can also expect to see an iPod Touch edition, USB dongle and mobile hotspot arrive before the network's launch. The company doesn't have too long to iron out the kinks in the business plan however, as it'll go live in the third quarter of 2012.
Feel like you aren't connecting with the people you video chat with? A team from Osaka University has developed a robotic hand that'll start a chat by gripping your paw with the warmth and firmness of a rugby player. Assembled from silicone and sponge, the researchers fitted a film heater to keep the electrical extremity at 37 degrees Celsius -- the theory being that if its warmer than your own hand, you're more predisposed toward it. Future plans for the mechanical metacarpus include adding a pressure sensor so it'll match your grip and welding it to a telepresence robot for executives to harass their colleagues with a constant stream of formal greetings. If you're wondering, the answer's yes; we do have footage of terrified exhibition guests giving it a go after the break.
Resembling a surveillance unit from a sinister dystopia, Logitech's newest webcam is strictly for the corporate environment only. The BCC950 Conference Cam holds a Carl Zeiss-lensed HD webcam atop a motorized stalk that can pan across 180 degrees. The camera itself has a 78 degree field of view, ending the era of huddling around a laptop. Its full-duplex speakerphone has a range of eight feet and will also happily let you Skype from the middle of a crowded bullpen. It'll be exclusively available to suited-and-booted customers at a cost of $250 (
We know you've had your fair share of troubles adjusting to the fifth iteration of Skype for Mac. Now, Microsoft is issuing yet another quick refresh to go along with the support for HD calls and Lion. This time, though, the desktop app is adding automatic updates -- which should come in handy for those who aren't fans of manual labor -- as well as the promise of an improved UI in group calls, the ability to delete convos and disable audio gain control. Additionally, you'll now be able to use full-screen mode if you're running Apple's King of the Jungle OS. Skype version 5.6 is up for grabs now at no cost, and you can upgrade via the source link below or directly from the application on your machine.
Vizio snuck mention of its $150 XCV100 Skype-enabled webcam into its CES 2012 accessories announcements, and now the two companies have announced its compatibility with "most" Vizio Internet App TVs. There's no list of which models specifically support it, and which can manage up to 720p streams, but owners can check the capabilities of their model on Vizio's website. The webcam itself features an HD camera and four built in mics, and clips directly on the top of Vizio's flatscreens. Assuming you're into videoconferencing from your living room, have one of the HDTVs and are ready to drop a benjamin and a half for the privilege, all that's left is to find one of the cameras, currently marked as sold out on Vizio and Amazon. Now, if we could just get an update on that $99 ARM-powered Google TV set-top box...
