Qik on EVO Does Free Video Chat

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/readwriteweb/~3/m2Jszs0UGsI/qik_on_evo_does_free_video_chat.php

Future, we are here. With today's launch of the Sprint HTC EVO 4G, the hotly anticipated smartphone running Google's Android OS, video chatting moves off the desktop and into the palm of your hand.

Using the popular Qik mobile application, EVO owners will be able to chat with other EVO owners and, eventually, with any smartphone user whose phone sports a forward-facing camera.

Are we on the precipice of a whole new form of communication? Or is mobile video chat going to be just for fun?

Sponsor

Qik for EVO: Free Chat or Premium Features

Qik is not the first company to launch video chat, neither here in the U.S. nor overseas, where similar services have been available for some time. On Windows Mobile, for example, niche solutions like iVisit and camfrog are available now, but don't kick yourself for not knowing they existed. In the U.S. at least, no large video chat brand has ever attempted to do what Qik is doing now - launch a consumer-friendly video chat service on this scale.

Oh, and it's free, too.

Pre-launch, there was some confusion as to whether Qik would be yet another nickel-and-dimed upgrade from Sprint, when leaked news seemed to point to a $5/month upgrade for its use, but now that the service has officially arrived, we at last have full details on what's free and what's not.

The $5/month upgrade plan brings EVO users additional, premium features, but most can get by with the basic, free service without any issues.

A comparison chart on Qik's website highlights all the differences between the two plans, but the most notable valued-added features include video conferencing at higher video resolutions, unlimited video archiving, specialized video access permissions and "priority" support. In other words, this package is aimed squarely at business users whose needs will be greater than the everyday consumer.

The premium features will be offered to all new users until July 15th, at which point the upcharge will kick in if you want to keep the premium service.

Another interesting feature available in the new Qik for EVO application is its "video mail" capabilities. If you want to send a video to a non-Qik user, you can send it out as an SMS message. This isn't just a useful feature for unshackling video communications from being limited just to EVO handsets, but it also has the benefit of raising awareness about mobile video chatting services in general. Every SMS video message sent is like an ad for Qik...or maybe for EVO itself.

Beyond Qik: Skype, Fring, More?

Video chatting won't be limited to Qik/EVO pairings, though. If the stolen iPhone prototype is any indication, the upcoming iPhone 4G will include a front-facing camera as well and likely a mobile version of Apple's iChat to take advantage of the feature.

Fring is another up-and-coming company which began offering mobile video calls late last year on various Nokia devices. They're now doing the same on all capable Android phones - in fact, they even beat Qik to the punch by a matter of days.

And of course, there's Skype, the grand-daddy of video chat solutions, who is launching an Android app later this year. Although Skype won't officially say whether a mobile video calling feature will be included, an accidental blurb released from Skype PR seemed to confirm the company's plans in that area. ("We intend to set the bar on mobile video calling, and it's something we're going to do this year," a spokesperson had said before they took it back.)

Are we on the verge of a mobile video chat revolution? It appears so. How useful will these types of service be? Time will tell, but our guess is: very. Video chatting is already popular on the desktop and laptop, both for business and personal use. Remote workers, virtual teams, work-from-home staff, helpdesk professionals and others take advantage of video chat capabilities while at work and individuals use it to connect with families and friends when far from home, too.

Now with mobile video chat, the opportunity to reach another segment of the market - those whose primary "computer" is their mobile phone - is ripe. Not everyone slaves away behind a keyboard where traditional video chat programs reside. Now they don't have to - mobile video chat brings this new avenue of communications to all owners of modern-day phones.

Now if we could just get it on our wristwatch, we'd be all set.

Discuss

Innoversal's Pixel Qi-based tablet prototype: $530 for the display of your dreams

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/04/innoversals-pixel-qi-based-tablet-prototype-530-for-the-displ/

We already had the opportunity to sit down and tinker with a slew of Pixel Qi-based prototype devices here in Taipei, but one in particular managed to catch our eye in a rather surprising location. Innoversal, a new company here in Taiwan just looking to change the world, found itself hosting a striking 10.1-inch device that grabbed our heartstrings and wouldn't let go. The highlight of the starlet was the expansive 3Qi capacitive touchpanel, with a 1,024 x 600 resolution and the ability to save battery life by flipping the backlight off when in broad daylight. The current build was relying on a trio of ambient light sensors to determine whether or not the backlight would be on, but we begged and pleaded for the company to implement a dedicated on / off toggle switch along the border before shipping it out. Speaking of which, Innoversal will most likely ship the product under its own branding here in Taiwan, but it's certainly open to selling the design to other major manufacturers who may wish to slap their own logo on there. If all goes well, we could see it first take off this September (globally), with a 16GB + 3G / WiFi model retailing for between $530 and $550.

So, what's that get you? Besides the best power-saving mobile display this world has ever seen (seriously, the crispness and viewing angles were extraordinary), you'll also get a 1.66GHz Atom N450 processor, an integrated SSD (16GB, 32GB and 64GB capacities will be available), an SDHC card slot, 8 megapixel camera, 3.5mm headphone jack, a SIM card slot (for 3G data), USB 2.0 connectivity, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR and a 6-cell (5,300mAh) battery to boot. We were told that the device will support Windows 7, Android, Ubuntu and Chrome OS, with the former two being on display at the show. The working mockup that was on display was sufficiently lightweight and sturdy, and we'd be fibbing to ourselves if we said we weren't giddy about the prospect of holding a finalized unit before Old Man Winter comes to visit. Hop on past the break for a video overview... or else.

Gallery: Innoversal's Pixel Qi-based tablet prototype at Computex 2010

Continue reading Innoversal's Pixel Qi-based tablet prototype: $530 for the display of your dreams

Innoversal's Pixel Qi-based tablet prototype: $530 for the display of your dreams originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 10:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Saf.li Shortens Links and Scans Them for Viruses and Phishing Attacks [Url Shorteners]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5555275/safli-shortens-links-and-scans-them-for-viruses-and-phishing-attacks

You'll never want for a URL shortener with the abundance of them online but why settle for just shortening the link when you can run a security scan on it in the process? Saf.li checks your links to keep them virus free.

Plug a link into Saf.li and not only do you get a shorter link but Saf.li—powered by the popular BitDefender anti-virus software—scans the website to check for viruses, malware, malicious code, and phishing attacks. When it's all clear, our scan took just a few seconds, you get the green light and a shortened URL. When it's not, you get a warning that the link you're trying to share isn't safe.

In addition to security scanning your URLs Saf.li provides click-through stats on your shortened URL broken down by day, week, month, and country of origin as well as referral links and Twitter mentions.

You can create shortened URLs through the main site interface—like the screenshot above—or grab their bookmarklet from the main page of the site for easy one-click shortening. Saf.li is a free service and requires no registration. Have a URL shortening service to share that does more than simple shorten your URL? Let's hear about it in the comments.

Saf.li [via MakeUseOf]

ASUS' Super-Slim Tablet Prototype [Tablets]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5555274/asus-shows-off-another-super+slim-tablet-prototype

When ASUS introduced two sizes for its Eee Pad alongside the Eee Tablet the other day, we thought that was enough. However, UMPCPortal spotted a super-slim "Epad" on Intel's booth at Computex, which actually looks even better than Monday's announcements.

The Intel spokespeople at the booth said it was merely a prototype for now, but the video below shows it's running Windows 7 and looking very finished. One USB port, a power port and 3.5mm jack are located on the base of the tablet, with a biggish button in a similar location to the iPad's 'home' button. UMPCPortal says "it looks like it's currently on the Menlow platform," which debuted in 2008 and suits these slinky MIDs.

Will ASUS announce this at a further date? Your guess is as good as ours—but I sure do hope so. [UMPCPortal via CarryPad via SlashGear]

Archos 5 Internet Tablet gets game-changing OpenGL support in 2.0.15 update (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/04/archos-5-internet-tablet-gets-game-changing-opengl-support-in-2/

Speedy browser aside, the Archos 5 Internet Tablet started as the runt of the Android litter, but the ugly duckling is headed towards swanhood -- while officially, it's still stuck with Android 1.6, the tablet's French manufacturer has just transformed the media machine into what looks like a stellar Android game system as well. Archos' 2.0.15 update gives the Archos 5 support for OpenGL, letting it run games like Speed Forge 3D and Racing Thunder at a fantastic clip. Best of all, you won't have to wait two shakes to test it out for yourself; there's a 89MB download with your name on it at our source link. Video after the break.

[Thanks, Tom]

Continue reading Archos 5 Internet Tablet gets game-changing OpenGL support in 2.0.15 update (video)

Archos 5 Internet Tablet gets game-changing OpenGL support in 2.0.15 update (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 06:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Archos Lounge  |  Archos  | Email this | Comments

Word of HTC Evo 4G storage bug couldn't come at a worse time

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/04/word-of-htc-evo-4g-storage-bug-couldnt-come-at-a-worse-time/

If you read our review of HTC's awe-inspiring Evo 4G, you might have noticed that we recommended ditching the paltry stock 8GB microSD card and living large by throwing in a 32GB model. We were being a wee bit facetious, but as it turns out the advice was well-founded. We're seeing reports flung far and wide across these great united internets about errors regarding "insufficient file permissions" when attempting to write to that packed-in card, others finding that the phone will simply fail to read the card altogether. Our first suspicion was bogus flash, like the counterfeit ones that plagued the Chumby, but HTC spokesman Keith Nowak indicated they have identified the cause and there's an OTA fix coming "very shortly." We know it's early, and apparently not too many of you have rolled out of bed yet to get your Evo today, but sound off in comments if you're seeing this issue as well. Meanwhile, we're trying to replicate it on ours.

Update: Well, that was quick. Dre wrote in to tell us of a 13MB OTA update being pushed already, version 1.32.651.6, that looks to include a number of fixes including, apparently, a solution for this storage bug. We're hearing it also breaks the root path that dropped yesterday, but it sounds like a decent trade-off for now.

Word of HTC Evo 4G storage bug couldn't come at a worse time originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 06:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Wired, TechAutos  |  AndroidForums  | Email this | Comments

Qik details its premium service tier, free until July 15 (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/04/qik-details-its-premium-service-tier-free-until-july-15/

Remember how we said Qik was going to rock your world (and your credit card) with its premium-tier offerings for the Evo 4G? Well, as promised, June 4 is here and we now know exactly what you'll be getting for your extra $5 a month. The full table of goodies is after the break, but highlights include video conferencing at resolutions greater than 640 x 480, unlimited archiving of video, the ability to send video mail, and of course "priority support" should you have a problem handling the Qikening. The updated version of the app, demonstrated in a video below, is available today for the Evo 4G and users can get a taste of those sweet, exclusive features for free until July 15. After that, it's time to pay up or take the trip back to VGA Chatsville. Don't have an Evo? There's also a new version of Qik in the Market for lesser Android smartphones, but video chat is still not on offer.

Continue reading Qik details its premium service tier, free until July 15 (video)

Qik details its premium service tier, free until July 15 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 07:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Qik Blog  | Email this | Comments

Toshiba prototype display does 2D and 3D at the same time

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/04/toshiba-prototype-display-does-2d-and-3d-at-the-same-time/

One of Toshiba's favorite hobbies is to tease the general public with prototype autostereoscopic technology, and that's exactly what we have here today; demoed at SID 2010, this screen can display 2D and 3D images simultaneously on the same 12-inch screen, no glasses required. How it does that is rather complicated, especially when translated from the Japanese, but it sounds like Toshiba's sandwiched a special panel with gradient-index lenses between a high-speed polarizer and the typical color LCD. We'd wager good money it's not coming to a store near you, but we'll keep an eye out for future developments. These days, they have a tendency to pop right out of the screen.

Toshiba prototype display does 2D and 3D at the same time originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 09:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Tech-On  | Email this | Comments

AMD in no rush to build tablets, says netbooks are priority one

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/04/amd-in-no-rush-to-build-tablets-says-netbooks-are-priority-one/

According to DigiTimes, processor vendor AMD isn't terribly concerned about powering the next iPad or even a would-be assassin; the company's still waiting to see if the tablet market even takes off. The silicon firm will still work on desktop PC products and graphics cards, but is currently focused on graphically potent ultraportables; according to the publication, they're also not terribly interested in following in competitor Intel's smartphone footsteps. Of course, that's the same basic thing AMD execs said in 2008, right before Intel ate their lunch. We reached out to a company spokesperson this afternoon, and received the following statement:

Our current generation of notebook platforms has not been designed for tablets. Our focus continues to be on ultrathin and mainstream notebooks which address the vast majority of the PC market opportunity.

AMD in no rush to build tablets, says netbooks are priority one originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 09:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  DigiTimes  | Email this | Comments

CHART OF THE DAY: "The Most Bullish Signal About Investing In The Internet I Have Seen This Year"

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-media-share-of-us-advertising-1949-2009-2010-6

Union Square Ventures partner Fred Wilson calls this chart, from Google economist Hal Varian's presentation on newspaper economics, "the most bullish signal about investing in the Internet that I have seen this year."

Fred explained:

"This chart says is that over that past decade Internet has gone from nothing to 5% of all the ad spend in the US. If you include audio over the Internet (what radio becomes) and video over the Internet (what TV and cable become) in the Internet line, then I bet Internet will someday be over two-thirds of the ad spend."

Follow the Chart Of The Day on Twitter: www.twitter.com/chartoftheday

Join the conversation about this story »

A Match Made Over Dinner: Yelp and OpenTable [Food]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5555007/a-match-made-over-dinner-yelp-and-opentable

Yelp has plenty of restaurant reviews and OpenTable lets you make reservations at many of those restaurants. Well, now you can make those OpenTable reservations directly from the Yelp website. A perfectly logical union. [NYT]

Rumor: YouTube Close To Adding Live-Streaming Functionality? [YouTube]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5555227/rumor-youtube-close-to-adding-live+streaming-functionality

After live-streaming U2 concerts, Indian cricket and even Tiger Woods' confession, it looks like YouTube might be close to opening up live-streaming for all. Screenshots of a new YouTube toolbar with 'Live Stream' added suggest so, anyway.

TechCrunch spotted the toolbar addition on a YouTube employee's help page, so it's possible this employee uses it when enabling streaming for CitizenTube events, such as Tiger Woods' apology to his fans earlier this year, for his extra-marital naughtiness.

While of course there'd be massive problems with copyright and bandwidth issues if YouTube ever opened up full live-streaming for everyone, it's been rumored for so long now that it'd be crazy if they withheld the functionality to actually push this through. [TechCrunch]

Huawei S7 runs 1GHz Snapdragon and Android 2.1 like a champ (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/huawei-s7-runs-1ghz-snapdragon-and-android-2-1-like-a-champ-at-c/

Another small mystery, solved. We caught a glimpse of Huawei's relatively undercover S7 tablet back in March, but little was known about what would actually power the device and what operating system would be pre-installed. Here at Computex, we learned the facts on both of those points. Sitting pretty at Qualcomm's booth, the S7 was shown boasting a 1GHz MSM8250 Snapdragon processor, and our hunting around in the settings confirmed that Android 2.1 was loaded onboard. The Qualcomm reps didn't have any other hard specifications available on the 7-incher (beyond those that we already knew), but we were able to spot a volume rocker, internal speaker, 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD card slot, USB connector and a fancy kickstand around back for sitting a spell and watching multimedia. During our time with the device, we instantly fell in love with the depressible side buttons, and the capacitive touchscreen was as responsive as they come. The whole thing felt speedy and light enough for our liking, and frankly, it was easily one of our favorite tablets at the entire show. We're still no closer to nailing down a price or release date, but at least you now know it's worth your while to keep an eye out for both. Vid's after the break.

Gallery: Huawei S7 Android 2.1 tablet running Snapdragon at Computex 2010

Continue reading Huawei S7 runs 1GHz Snapdragon and Android 2.1 like a champ (video)

Huawei S7 runs 1GHz Snapdragon and Android 2.1 like a champ (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Jun 2010 22:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

DownThemAll 2.0 Beta Adds Great New Features to the Killer Download Manager [Downloads]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5554473/downthemall-20-beta-adds-lots-of-awesomeness-to-great-add+on

Firefox: DownThemAll, the Firefox extension that lets you automate and supercharge your downloads, is getting a big upgrade with a 2.0 release. Download throttling, private browsing support, Flash and HTML5 video grabbing, and lots more power user additions are on the way.

DownThemAll, for the unfamiliar, is a Firefox add-on that's a serious time saver. Find a web page full of images, MP3s, program files, or other things you need to grab all at once, or just grab those items starting with "Fi," and you can pull it off. The developer suggests it's a preview release, and not to use it with work/production systems, but those with a tolerance of quirks can find the following new stuff inside:

• Speed limits – Allow to define maximum download speeds:
  • Global preference
  • Per Server
  • Per Download
  • Per Server download limits
• Mirror Management – Add/Remove/Edit download locations (mirrors)
• Firefox Private Browsing Mode support
• Parsing of text-only links
• and integration
• Media-Sniffing: When enabled flv and and other videos will be recognized (http/https only)
• DownThemAll! Selector – Select links and images by clicking
• Fine grained queue control: Remove/Remove complete by filters
• Metalink 4 (IETF) support
• Support for partial checksums and recovery from Metalinks
• Manager toolbar now has two modes: Icons, Icons and text
• Video DownloadHelper integration (in cooperation with mig, the VDH author)
• Lots of small features

It is, in other words, a full upgrade of DownThemAll's already significant powers, and very helpful for those who would otherwise do a lot of right-click downloading. It's a free download, works wherever Firefox does.

DownThemAll! 2.0 beta 1 [via Kabatology]

Best Web-Based Conferencing Tool? [Hive Five Call For Contenders]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5554250/best-web+based-conferencing-tool

Communication and collaboration are important facets of getting things done in the modern age. This week we want to hear about your favorite web-based conferencing tools.

Photo by clix.

When it comes time to connect with colleagues, friends, and family, what's your go-to tool when seeing and hearing a distant party is important?

Hive Five nominations take place in the comments, where you post your favorite tool for the job. We get hundreds of comments, so to make your nomination clear, please include it at the top of your comment like so: VOTE: Web-Based Conferencing Tool. Please don't include your vote in a reply to another commenter. Instead, make your vote and reply separate comments. If you don't follow this format, we may not count your vote. To prevent tampering with the results, votes from first-time commenters may not be counted. After you've made your nomination, let us know what makes it stand out from the competition.

About the Hive Five: The Hive Five feature series asks readers to answer the most frequently asked question we get: "Which tool is the best?" Once a week we'll put out a call for contenders looking for the best solution to a certain problem, then YOU tell us your favorite tools to get the job done. Every weekend, we'll report back with the top five recommendations and give you a chance to vote on which is best. For an example, check out last week's Five Best Computer Diagnostic Tools.

ASUS debuts WirelessHD-equipped G73JW and G53 laptops, we go eyes-on

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/asus-debuts-wirelesshd-equipped-g73jw-and-g53-laptops-we-go-eye/

We already took a closer look at ASUS' minty fresh ROG G53 gaming laptop earlier in the week, but it was the outfit's 17-inch version (the G73JW, predictably) used to showcase a new partnership with SiBEAM. The aforesaid rigs are the world's first laptops to integrate SiBEAM's 60GHz WirelessHD technology, essentially doing exactly what Intel's WiDi does. For those unfamiliar with either technology, it enables the laptop to beam 1080p content directly to a receiver box (that tube you see above, which will be attached via HDMI in theory) from up to 30 meters away. Both machines are slated to be slinging HD sans cabling this Fall, though pricing for the upgraded beasts wasn't available just yet. Still, we were treated to a demonstration over at the outfit's Computex booth, and while it was dangerously close to the receiver, HD content still was streaming without a hitch. Granted, we've seen nothing but great things from other WirelessHD applications in the past, but it's still lovely to see it humming along so nicely within a full-fledged computer. Have a look yourself just past the break.

Gallery: ASUS G73JW WirelessHD laptop at Computex 2010

Continue reading ASUS debuts WirelessHD-equipped G73JW and G53 laptops, we go eyes-on

ASUS debuts WirelessHD-equipped G73JW and G53 laptops, we go eyes-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Jun 2010 12:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments