Skype rolls out update for Windows with full HD video calling, group screen sharing

“Skype rolled out its version 5.8 software update for Windows users today, and it brings with it a couple of fairly notable features. That includes full HD video calling (provided you have a suitable webcam and internet connection, of course), video calling to Facebook users (regardless of whether they have Skype installed or not), and group screen sharing, which will let folks share either their entire desktop or a single application with other participants on a conference call. That last feature is only available with Skype Premium, though. Other new features include a ‘push to talk’ option that will let you set up a hotkey to trigger your microphone (for multiplayer gaming, for instance), the ability to hide offline Facebook contacts, and one possible fruit of the Microsoft acquisition: Bing toolbar integration.”

iTunes Private Channel Addition

Then, wait a bit, and you have access to all your iTunes Podcasts, video and audio! Cool!

Awesome! An Open Source tablet! This rocks! Want!

Meet the Spark, an open-source tablet that will cost $260 and run Linux

“As an alternative to the many Android tablets already on sale, the Spark is a 7-inch Linux-based slate that’s entirely open and built around open-source software.

Are you ready for yet another tablet release? Well, this time it’s a little bit different to the slew of Android slates we’ve become used to, as it runs an open source Linux operating system, making it perfect for developers and users who don’t want to deal with any proprietary software at all.

Announced by leading KDE hacker Aaron Seigo on his blog, it’s called the Spark, and it uses the community-driven spin-off of MeeGo called Mer as its OS, with KDE’s cool Plasma Active user interface over the top.

So why would you choose this over an Android device or the Kindle Fire? It’s obviously not for everyone, but if you want an open device loaded with free software, that’s yours to do whatever you like with, then it’s likely to be exactly what you’re after. The Spark’s bootloader isn’t locked, so you’re free to install any alternative operating system and any apps too.

The specification isn’t the highest you’ll see though, with the tablet boasting a 7-inch screen, a 1Ghz ARM processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal memory and a Mali-400 GPU. It’s speculated that the Spark is a rebranded Zenithink slate, which if true would mean the screen resolution is a mere 800 x 400.

But as it’s set to retail for 200 euros, which converts to about $260, it’s a bargain for anyone who want to run Linux natively rather than just another build of Android. There will even be an application store with apps and eBooks, plus as Seigo himself points out, individual stores can be built for it, making it potentially useful for educational and business environments.”

The Race To Build A Star Trek-Worthy Medical Tricorder

“In the future, you’ll be able to figure out what’s wrong with you (or your child) simply by scanning them with your cell phone. In the present, two companies are racing to make the first prototype.

The medical tricorder, a handheld device in the Star Trek universe used to diagnose diseases and keep track of vital signs, once seemed a sci-fi impossibility alongside teleportation and alien encounters. Not anymore. The $10 million Qualcomm Tricorder X Prize, officially announced this week, challenges entrants to create mobile platform that can accurately diagnose 15 diseases across 30 patients in three days. We caught up with two startups–Senstore and Scanadu–that think they can pull it off.

SCANADU

Scanadu has been working on a non-invasive, non-contact, non-sampling (no saliva, urine, stool sample necessary) tricorder since before the X Prize challenge was announced. The startup, which raised $2 million in November, was only founded last January. But co-founder Walter De Brouwer set up a research lab in Belgium–Starlab–in the late 1990s, where he prototyped a tricorder-like device. It was too far ahead of its time. ‘It was the size of a backpack. It was an interesting idea but not really workable,’ explains Scanadu co-founder and COO Misha Chellam.

SENSTORE

That brings us to Senstore, another startup that’s working on a medical tricorder–but one that will be open source. Senstore got its start at Singularity University’s 2011 summer graduate program, where the current Senstore team took on the challenge of using sensor technology to solve global health problems.”

So, stay tuned for enhancements, changes, and other goofing around!

Report: new Nook coming this spring

“On Sunday, the New York Times published a long piece about Barnes & Noble taking on Amazon in the ‘fight of its life.’ Buried in the middle of the two-page article is a small mention of engineers ‘putting the final touches on their [Barnes & Noble's] fifth e-reading device, a product that executives said would be released sometime this spring.’

No details were offered beyond that, with a Barnes & Noble spokesperson declining to comment further. But the obvious question is what is it?

Another tablet, perhaps a larger model (think iPad size but with a $300-$350 price tag)? An even more affordable e-ink e-reader that might allow the company to break the sub-$50 barrier? Or perhaps something more exotic, such as an e-reader that features Qualcomm’s power-efficient Mirasol color display that has started to appear in e-readers in China and Korea? (Mirasol displays can also be viewed in direct sunlight).

The other thing worth considering is whether this new e-reader will be part of the Nook’s launch overseas. Barnes & Noble has long been rumored to be making this move and the Times article states that the first stop abroad is ‘expected to be Waterstones bookstores in Britain.’ No word on exactly when the Nook will arrive outside the U.S., but a launch doesn’t seem far off (‘before long’ is the time frame the Times reporter Julie Bosman suggested).

Also of note: Barnes & Noble will continue to tweak the design of its brick-and-mortar stores, according to CEO William Lynch. The company will be experimenting with smaller stores and eliminating the dedicated DVD and music sections while continuing to offer movies and music “elsewhere” in the stores.”

So, only two years since the advent of the iPad! Wow! As ubiquitous as tablets are, who would have thought it has only been a relatively short time?!

Apple iPad: Happy 2nd Birthday

“Apple’s iPad turns two on Friday, assuming we accept the late Steve Jobs’ announcement of the iPad as the device’s date of birth rather than its April, 2010 release date.

The iPad’s gestation period was a long one. Computer pioneer Alan Kay had conceived of a tablet computer, the Dynabook, back in 1968, around the time that the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, based on Arthur C. Clark’s novel of the same name, depicted a tablet news reader.

Over the years, variations on the tablet theme appeared. Microsoft hardware partners shipped tablet PCs in 2002 and Windows-based tablets have lingered on, without much success.

Apple had a tablet of sorts in its Newton handheld device. The Newton had a ten-year run, starting in the late 1980s, but failed to achieve broad enough appeal to survive.

The iPad, however, is different. It’s hugely popular, so much so that Apple sold 15.4 million of them during the last quarter of 2011. That’s more than the number of PCs sold during that period by HP, the world’s leading PC vendor. The desktop computing era is officially over.”

YouTube reports 4 billion video views — a day

“People of the Internet, you love your YouTube.

On an average day, you watch 4 billion videos on YouTube. And the next day? You watch 4 billion videos on YouTube. That’s a 25% increase over the number of daily video views just eight months ago, and it shows what kind of immense numbers we can see when a popular Web destination becomes even more popular.

It’s kind of amazing — and kind of frightening.

When it comes to how much video people are uploading to the site, the numbers are also mind-boggling: YouTube reports that 60 hours of video is uploaded to the site every minute, compared with 48 hours eight months ago.

What’s behind this growth of activity? Reuters points out that parent company Google is pushing the video-sharing service beyond the personal computer, with versions of the site now compatible with smartphones and televisions. The company also has been making an effort to get more professional-grade content on the site.

Does all of this translate to money? Well, some of it does. But, Reuters reports, Google said only about 3 billion videos a week are monetized.”

1) We now have an HTML5/WebM video in the upper right column corner with the latest (that is, last produced) netcast!

2) We have added the “Sociable Plug-in” to allow you to easily share our posts to the Interwebs! (Share and Enjoy!)

3) Under the aforementioned HTML5/WebM screen, we now have shortcuts to the URLs for subscribing the the show, so you never miss an episode!

4) For our European friends, we added Sevenload to the list of social video sharing sites the show is posted to.

5) Click on, and sign up for, “Dr. Bill’s Newsletter” in the sidebar to get our weekly newsletter! (OK, that one is not new, but you should still sign up!)

It is a sad day. I was my High School’s Newspaper and Yearbook Photographer. I shot sporting events, pushed my film speed to ASA 4000 by using unorthodox film developer practices so I could take night-time action shots, and generally LOVED Kodak film! (Though my favorite color slide film was Fuji!) I even ended up with a BFA in Painting, Printmaking and Photography from UNC-G. Anyway, film is going he way of the buggy-whip, so I shed a tear of reminiscence over Kodak’s demise.

Not a Kodak Moment: Legendary Camera Maker Files for Bankruptcy Protection

“Struggling camera maker Kodak said on Wednesday night that it has filed for Chapter 11 reorganization.

The move, which had been expected, follows years of struggle by the film giant to transition to a digital imaging company. In recent months, the company has sought to capitalize on its patents and, in recent days, has sued Apple, HTC and Samsung.

Kodak said it hopes to emerge from bankruptcy in 2013 and intends to conduct business during the restructuring using $950 million in financing from Citigroup. As part of the move, the company said it has named Dominic DiNapoli, vice chairman of FTI Consulting, as its Chief Restructuring Officer.”