Skype

Turns out we aren't that different from other apes after all. Our primate cousins at a handful of zoos love to use iPads to combat boredom just as much as humans. Zookeepers say that the device is perfect for orangutans, and many have been taking part in guided touchscreen interactions with all sorts of apps, including music, games, movies, cartoons, art, painting, drawing, photos and videos. The orangutans have been playing with the iPads for the past several months, and now a U.S. charity is hoping to round up more of the tablets so the apes can Skype with orangutans at other zoos.  Read More

A Skype app has been available for the iPhone since early 2009, meaning iPad users have been able to use the app in pixel doubling mode since the iPad's release in April, 2010 - albeit without the ability to make video calls since the first iPad lacks a camera. But iPad users have long been calling for a native Skype app for the iPad and things only intensified following the release of the iPad 2 with its front and rear-facing cameras. Now those calls have been answered with the first iPad-optimized Skype app now available as a free download from the iTunes App Store.  Read More

As expected, Facebook has announced Skype-powered video calling for its users, who now number more than 750 million according to the company. The new feature was unveiled by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Skype CEO Tony Bates at a news conference at Facebook HQ on Wednesday where Facebook engineer Philip Su provided a walkthrough of the application. The social networking giant also launched a new chat sidebar and what Su says is one of the site's most requested features in multi-person chat.  Read More

Just when you thought Skype couldn't be any more useful, the company has announced a partnership deal with leading Wi-Fi hotspot providers around the globe. Skype Access, the company's pay-as-you-go service, will now be available through mobile networks in over 500,000 locations including airports, cafes, trains and offices. And the announcement comes with a sweetener – the company is offering free access throughout Spain during Mobile World Congress 2011.  Read More

It has been a pretty hectic holiday season for the folks at Skype with a new iteration of their iPhone app launching this week, finally providing support for two-way video calls over 3G and Wi-Fi connections. After the Skype outage the previous week plus a recent crackdown on VOIP apps in China, some good news for the company ends the year on a much-needed high note.  Read More

You might, at first, wonder why anyone would want a combination mouse and phone. Well, if you’re working on the go from a laptop, or have limited desk space, it saves you the hassle of managing both devices separately. That, at least, is the thinking behind Koegler Electronics’ AudioMouse, recently spied by Gizmag at Computex 2010.  Read More

Skype has updated its iPhone App to include 3G Skype-to-Skype voice calls. While version one of the Skype App supported VOIP calls via Wi-Fi, the latest version brings this functionality to the iPhone and iPod touch (2nd generation onwards) over 3G networks.  Read More

You might already have Skype on your iPhone, PSP, or desk phone, but 2010 looks to be the year of Skype on your HDTV, with Skype-enabled HDTVs from LG and Panasonic in the pipeline for a Spring release.  Read More

Computer electronics manufacturer Hercules offers a new angle on webcams for people who have trouble seeing eye-to-eye in video chat sessions. The Dualpix HD720p is a high-def webcam that shoots 720p and features an autofocus lens and built-in microphone. The Dualpix is adjustable on two axes, so you can place it where you want on the sides or top of your notebook computer or monitor, in order to better look the camera directly "in the eye".  Read More