Logitech launches TV Cam HD for living room video chats: built-in Skype, 720p, $200

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/03/logitech-skype-tv-cam-hd/

If Cisco's ill-fated Umi video conferencing system had been more like this, would it have survived? Logitech is about to find out, one way or the other, once its TV Cam HD -- recently spotted at the FCC -- arrives in the US this month. The $199.99 device hooks up to your TV and contains all the processing power needed to run Skype and transmit wide-angle, 720p footage of your couch over WiFi or Ethernet. Unlike the previous TV Cam, there's no need for a Viera Connect HDTV -- anything with HDMI-in will do. The company is banking on the notion that families will forgo the use of their existing mobile devices and laptops in favour of an always-on dedicated system with incoming call alerts, four noise-cancelling mics and a Carl Zeiss lens that "gets the whole family in the video call, so everyone from grandparents to grandchildren can move around naturally." If you're tempted, the publicity video after the break gives a decent overview of the product in action.

Continue reading Logitech launches TV Cam HD for living room video chats: built-in Skype, 720p, $200

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Peripherals, Networking

Logitech launches TV Cam HD for living room video chats: built-in Skype, 720p, $200 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Aug 2012 04:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Perfectly Clear for Android: Instant Edits to Your Smartphone Snaps [App Of The Day]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5931350/perfectly-clear-for-android-instant-edits-to-your-smartphone-snaps

Smartphone cameras have gotten so good that many people are ditching their point-and-shoots. Because of that, you can share your shots instantly, and if they're not to your liking you can make them even better right on your device with Perfectly Clear for Android

What does it do?

Lets you effortlessly edit photos on your phone using simple swipes and taps.

Why do we like it?

These days, everyone is a photographer, thanks to smartphones. But most people are pretty crappy photographers, although Perfectly Clear will help them fool the critics. You can make 10 detailed corrections like smoothing out skin, whitening teeth, and enhancing the eyes. When you're taking a snapshot there's always room for user error, but this app will fix those flubs with minimal effort.

Perfectly Clear

Download this app for:

• Android, $0.99

The Best:

Lots of edits

The Worst:

Interface is ugly

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PSA: Verizon Galaxy Nexus owners now have direct access to Google Wallet

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/02/psa-verizon-galaxy-nexus-owners-now-have-direct-access-to-googl/

Nobody puts Google Wallet in the corner for long, not even Big Red. Though the carrier courted controversy late last year by withholding support for the burgeoning NFC-based platform amidst security concerns, it appears to have finally changed tack. Owners of that LTE Galaxy Nexus variant are now reporting the ability to access the app from the Play store, no workarounds necessary. Though we weren't able to verify the success of that particular method -- no results surfaced during a quick store search -- we did have success downloading the application to our stock, unrooted device using a direct market link. We've since reached out to Verizon for official comment on the matter, but have yet to hear back. In the meantime, if you've been itching to give Mountain View's brand of mobile payment a go, hit up the source link below and let us know how you fare in the comments.

[Thanks, Keith]

PSA: Verizon Galaxy Nexus owners now have direct access to Google Wallet originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 18:29:00 EDT. Please see! our terms for use of feeds.

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Ting becomes first US MVNO to hop the Galaxy S III bandwagon, outlines its device roadmap

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/02/ting-becomes-first-us-mvno-to-hop-the-galaxy-s-iii-bandwagon/

Ting has drawn a lot of attention among MVNOs for its unique mix-and-match approach to contract-free plans, but it's had to contend with some rather middling phones inherited from its network partner Sprint. That gap in high-end phones will narrow before the summer's up: Ting plans to carry the Galaxy S III within three to six weeks, becoming the first virtual carrier in the US to tout Samsung's flagship. Its version is identical to the Sprint model and will even cost $20 less when you skip Sprint's two-year term, at $529 for a 16GB edition and $579 for its 32GB cousin. If that doesn't satisfy the appetite, Ting is also giving a peek at its menu for the months ahead. Along with adopting LTE this year to make that Galaxy S III hum, the carrier expects to bring in a more moderately-priced LTE phone, a hotspot, an accessible phone and a budget slider. We wouldn't base any carrier switches around an iPhone or Windows Phone option, though. There's only "some progress" coaxing a deal out of Apple, and a Windows Phone is most likely to wait until the first quarter of 2013.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Ting becomes first US MVNO to hop the Galaxy S III bandwagon, outlines its device roadmap originally! appeare d on Engadget on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 19:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HOUSE OF THE DAY: Now You Can Own A Beautiful Bronx Mansion That Was Originally Designed For Jesus

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/a-home-designed-for-jesus-in-the-bronx-hits-the-market-2012-8

The Chapel Hill Mansion in Riverdale, N.Y. has hit the market for $13.588 million.

The home, built in 1928, has seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms.

The head of the New York Theological Society commissioned the house for the preparation of the "second coming of Jesus Christ," according to The Real Deal. 

The home would house "the Christian savior once he returned to earth to judge the living and the dead," listing broker Sean McPeak of Prudential Douglas Elliman, told The Real Deal.

The 15,000-square-foot house sits on 2.3 acres of land.

Manhattan College previously owned the property, and had planned to use it as dormitories or a seminary, but is now in the hands of a private owner who is an attorney, The Real Deal reported. 

Welcome to West 253rd Street.

The home features marble floors imported from the Vatican and chandeliers from the Plaza Hotel.

In the foyer and bar area, gold and silver leaf adorn the ceilings.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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