Developages - Development and Technology Blog

So you want Skype High Quality (HQ) video, but aren’t willing to shell out for a nice dual-core processor and a high-end Logitech camera, eh? Well, no worries - Nodewave has a Force ‘Skype′ HQ Video app that allows you to Enable/Disable (and even configure) High-Quality Video in Skype, and even High-Definition Video regardless of your camera or processor.

So if Santa doesn’t stick a high-end Logitech Orb AF webcam (my favorite webcam) in your stocking for Christmas, then this hack might just be the way to go!

Tags: hq video, Logitech, Orb AF, Skype, voip, webcam

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Copyright VoIP & Gadgets Blog

Original post by nafiz

Filed under: Digital Cameras

We know you want a pro-friendly medium format digital camera — so do we — but they′re awfully expensive, aren’t they? You might have to think about dropping as much as $30,000 one of these babies if you’re the discerning type, but Mamiya is trying to convince you that you can save a few thousand dollars and still get results. Enter the DL28 digital camera system, which combines the body of the well-established 645 with Leaf’s Aptus-II 6 digital back. It’s got 16-bit capture, a 12-stop dynamic range, an ISO range of 50 - 800, and a fancy 3.5-inch touch screen at price of $15,000, appropriate for cash-strapped professionals and financially comfortable hobbyists — unless Nikon has something to say about it.

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Original post by Samuel Axon

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Just when we’re all geared up to get crazy corporate with a bunch of Bold purchases, RIM has to go and make our lives difficult by reminding us that the Javelin / Curve 8900 is out there — lurking — just waiting to make a grand entrance sometime in the next few months. A new video posted to CrackBerry goes through the 8900′s finer points, noting that the handset clocks in just a bit more compact than its big brother, features a slightly smaller, higher dot pitch display, and carries over an original Curve-style keyboard with spaced keys rather than the flowing design employed on the Bold (for what it’s worth, the narrator seems to like both styles equally). Interestingly, it’s noted that this prototype employs an older trackball design that’ll allegedly be replaced with a more bulletproof design by the time it launches. The lack of 3G is going to be a dream killer for many, but we could see this one getting some retail legs underneath it if the price is right — it’s got WiFi, after all.

In fact, T-Mobile Germany is saying that it’ll have the 8900 next month — a claim we actually believe, since Germany is from the future. The trackball shown on its version of the handset is distinctly different than CrackBerry’s, so it’s looking like the claim of a redesign might hold water.

[Thanks, Alex]

Read - CrackBerry’s Curve 8900 hands-on video
Read - T-Mobile Germany’s Curve 8900 product page

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Original post by Chris Ziegler

Flashphone is a web-based SIP softphone, while gtalаvoip lets you make or receive calls to/from all SIP phones and SIP services, including Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Messenger, and Google Talk. Both Flashphone and gtalаvoip are free. Now combine the two and you can make free web-based Flash calls to Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger, and Google Talk (gtalk) users.

According to the Flashphone blog, “For example, if someone is online in Gtalk and you want to call him from flashphone you just need to enter SIP URI like sip:google_username@gtalаvoip.com and gtalk user will see incoming call. You also can easily call to flashphone from gtalk via gtalаvoip, add contact like [flashphone_login]_at_flashphone.ru@gtalаvoip.com and call to this contact, flashphone will ring if user online.”

Pretty sweet!

image of Flashphone during one of my tests:

Tags: Flash, flashphone, g2talk, Google Talk, gtalk, MSN Messenger, voip, Yahoo Messenger

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Copyright VoIP & Gadgets Blog

Original post by nafiz

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Professor James Wolffsohn from Aston University in the United Kingdom imagines that within the next decade, the cure to near- and farsightedness will not only exist, but will actually be within reach. While the underlying idea of replacing biological lenses with minty-fresh artificial ones isn’t necessarily new (think cataract surgery), Wolffsohn’s efforts will allow patients to focus both near and far, instead of just plain old, boring far. While the details on how the lenses work are a little scant (read non-existent), apparently eye muscles squeezing the “ultra-flexible″ devices allow the actual focusing to occur. The professor has been working with opthology companies to commercialize the specs, and envisions the procedure costing less than £1,000 within the next five to ten years. Sounds good to us, because fancy new lenses or not, as people who stare at computer screens all day, the odds of us going under the laser at some point are a tad on the high side.

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Original post by Dante Cesa

Filed under: Laptops

HP’s 8.9-inch 2133 Mini-Note is apparently a raging success, so it makes sense that the company would want to expand the line, and it looks like we might be getting a preview of what’s in store with the Digital Clutch, a bright red 10-inch netbook that debuted last night during designer Vivienne Tam’s fashion week show in NYC. Not much is known about the internals, but the case sports an Asian-inspired peony flower design, and the screen fills the entire lid with very little bezel. If we had to guess, we’d say that it’s more likely that there’s a VIA Isaiah chip in there instead of an Atom, given the C7M found in the current Mini-Note, but we’ll see — and hopefully soon, since at least one HP rep apparently confirmed that the machine is the next generation Mini-Note. Hit the read links for tons more pics.

Read - First set of Laptop pics
Read - Second set of Laptop pics

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Original post by Nilay Patel

Filed under: Displays, HDTV

Samsung′s Series 7 / 8 / 9 plasmas and LCDs have broken cover already in Europe or North America, including the slim PAVV Bordeaux 850 (pictured), but Asia gets first crack at the company’s local dimming LED backlighting tech trickling down into the 40-inch LCD size range. Auto Motion Plus 120Hz technology, 1080p, 1,000,000:1 contrast ratios are a must, while also substituting direct YouTube access for the U.S. version’s USA Today-powered InfoLink RSS service. No word on the prices the newly expanded Bordeaux line, but we′re more interested in how soon the latest in backlighting technology is moving downmarket.

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Original post by Richard Lawler

Filed under: Displays, HDTV

Samsung’s Series 7 / 8 / 9 plasmas and LCDs have broken cover already in Europe or North America, including the slim PAVV Bordeaux 850 (pictured), but Asia gets first crack at the latest iteration of the company’s local dimming LED backlighting tech trickling down into the 40-inch LCD size range. Auto Motion Plus 120Hz technology, 1080p, 2,000,000:1 contrast ratios are a must, while also substituting direct YouTube access for the U.S. version’s USA Today-powered InfoLink RSS service. No word on the prices the newly expanded Bordeaux line, but we’re more interested in how soon the latest in backlighting technology is moving downmarket.

Update: Not first, just new, although that shouldn’t sate our appetite for a future LN40A950 one bit. [Thanks to all for pointing that out]

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Original post by Richard Lawler

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Might want to slow down there, Samsung — don’t want to pull anything by cranking out too many new HDTVs at a time. Yep, Sammy’s letting loose a few more sets today alongside the Series 7 plasmas and Series 9 LCDs: the September-bound Series 8 LCD HDTV line. The Series 8 850 (rose accents) and Series 8 860 (deep blue accents) only differ in color, while they both pack a 1080p Ultra Clear panel, Auto Motion Plus 120Hz technology, a 50,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, InfoLink RSS reader, DLNA certification, 4-millisecond response time and twin down-firing speakers with an integrated subwoofer. You’ll also find a built-in NTSC / ATSC / ClearQAM TV tuner, a DNIe Pro video processor, swivel stand and four HDMI-CEC ports (among others). The pain? $2,699.99 for the LN46A850, $3,399.99 for the LN52A850, $2,799.99 for the LN46A860 and $3,499.99 for the LN52A860. Got all that?

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Not a huge fan of the LCD HDTV? Is plasma more your style? Fantastic, because Samsung just took the (official) lid off of the already spotted 7 Series plasma lineup. Featuring the outfit’s Touch of Color design, a 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, daytime / nighttime calibration options and a DNIe Pro video processor, this trio makes no bones about which rival it’s gunning for. The entire crew also features InfoLink RSS access, a USB 2.0 port (WiseLink Pro), DLNA compatibility, four HDMI-CEC jacks and 1080p panels. Read up on the full rundown of specs in the read link, and prepare to hand over $2,799.99 for the 50-inch PN50A760, $4,499.99 for the 58-inch PN58A760 or $5,499.99 for the 63-inch PN63A760 sometime next month.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Apparently we aren’t the only ones miffed by the WiFi-enabled ESPN Ultimate Remote. After peeling this thing out of its dumbbell-esque packaging, critics over at PC Magazine were simply unimpressed from the get-go. For starters, this thing actually belts out the network’s theme song when you turn it on. If that’s not reason enough to hold tight to your three Benjamins, you should also know that it “didn’t execute any of its fancy web tricks gracefully,” and setup was anything but simple. It gets worse. Reviewers stated that it was uncomfortable to hold, the buttons were too tightly packed and you’re not able to send / receive emails from just any email address. If you really need more convincing that this thing probably isn’t a good buy (particularly with all those other alternatives out there), check out the full review in the read link.

[Via ZatzNotFunny]

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Peripherals

Just in time for Father’s Day, ESPN′s tvCompass-built WiFi Ultimate Remote is finally available, and rapidly making its way into the awaiting, Cheeto-stained fingertips of a couch potato near you. It still costs $300, and with a good number of laptops retailing for that price these days, it’s certainly hard to justify, but forget all that… who on earth thought this packaging was a good idea? It kind of looks like a dumbell, but not. We’re really at a loss for words here. It’s almost like ESPN wants to fail.

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Original post by Paul Miller

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Peripherals

Our pals over at Zatz Not Funny go their hands on one of those newfangled, silly-expensive WiFi Ultimate Remotes built by tvCompass for ESPN. They found the built-in episode guide to be quite nice, and the potential for content partnerships beyond the existing ESPN sports content “limitless.” So, $300 worth of limitless? Time shall tell.

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Original post by Paul Miller

Filed under: Home Entertainment

ESPN’s unleashing The Ultimate Remote, developed by tvCompass, complete with 2.2-inch QVGA LCD screen and 802.11 b/g WiFi stuffed in a 6.5 oz package. It’s certainly a serious contender with the Harmony One — and priced like it, at $300. The marketing info claims no PC is required for setup, recharging via USB, an internet browser with real time access to scores, fantasy info and TV listings for broadcast, cable and satellite from click365’s wireless partners. There’s even a messaging feature for texting from remote to remote, email, or to a cellphone. We got a glimpse of it at Microsoft’s booth during CES, and while it claims “Advanced Microsoft Windows operating software” it’s not talking about SideShow. It reminds us a lot of the Ricavision VAVE100 MCE/SideShow remote, but with a slightly different feature set. Father’s Day is coming up and suddenly walking over to the computer (or keeping a laptop or PDA/phone on the couch) is sounding like a lot of unnecessary work. Check after the break for a bigger pic with keypad breakdown, or head to Amazon to preorder.

[Via Electronista]

Continue reading ESPN unveils The Ultimate Remote, is WiFi worth $300?

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Original post by Richard Lawler

Filed under: Cellphones

The hot word on the street is that Palm has all but confirmed the existence of two new phone models by ramping up a “launch developer” program for new applications. The devices, dubbed Zeppelin (a name we′ve heard quite a bit of) and Skywriter (which is new to us) could be slated for a Q3 release, as Palm is asking devs to turn in their applications by May 30th. Rumor has it that at least one of the units is a “Centro-like” Windows Mobile phone — if that date is close to correct, it could very well be the “Wanda″ that we saw back in January. The Zeppelin, on the other hand, is likely the WiFi equipped Treo 800w we′ve been hearing about for what seems like a million years. A mockup of a device (above) was included in the email, though we′re pretty sure not even Palm could create a phone that ugly.

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Original post by Joshua Topolsky