May 25

Droid Incredible 2 review

Posted in: 720p, Android, droid, froyo, Google, HTC, kindle, qualcomm, review, skype, snapdragon, Today's Chili, verizon, Verizon Wireless, VerizonWireless, video, vzw

It wasn’t that long ago that we were jonesing for a Nexus One on Verizon. What HTC gave us instead was the Droid Incredible, with the same 1GHz Snapdragon CPU and gorgeous 3.7-inch AMOLED display — not to mention a better camera (8 megapixel vs. five), 8GB of built-in flash storage, an optical trackpad, HTC’s Sense UI on top of Eclair, and a dash of funky industrial design. The Incredible was an impressive phone with a lovely camera, marred only by questionable battery life and lack of supply, forcing HTC to build a Super LCD-equipped model to satisfy demand. Judging by the popularity of the Incredible, it came as no surprise that following HTC’s announcement at MWC, the Incredible S eventually became Verizon’s Droid Incredible 2. With a 4-inch Super LCD display, global CDMA / GSM radio, front-facing camera, updated internals (including 768 MB of RAM), trick capacitive buttons, and a Froyo-flavored serving of Sense, the Incredible 2 seems like a worthy successor to last year’s Incredible. Does it live up to our expectations or is it just another fish in the crowded sea of Android? Does it significantly improve upon the original formula or is it merely a refresh? Hit the break for our review.

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Droid Incredible 2 review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 May 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 18

Bill Gates considers Skype ‘a great purchase’ for Microsoft, helped make it happen

Posted in: interview, Microsoft, plans, roadmap, skype, Today's Chili, VoIP

The aftermath of Microsoft’s announcement that it’ll buy Skype for $8.5 billion was filled with speculation about why the price was so high, who Microsoft was bidding against, and who inside Redmond was the driving force behind such a large expenditure. At least one of those queries has been demystified today, thanks to Bill Gates asserting himself as “a strong proponent at the board level for the deal being done.” Microsoft’s Chairman of the Board expressed his enthusiasm for gobbling up Skype in an interview with the BBC — one which UK residents may see in full at the iPlayer link below — and concluded that “it’s a great purchase that a lot of innovation will come out of.” Adding his support to Steve Ballmer’s already public excitement about the Skype takeover, Bill stresses that “the importance of software is higher today than ever,” while also predicting that video conferencing is set to become much better and bigger than we’ve yet seen. We’ve got our webcams at the ready, Bill!

Bill Gates considers Skype ‘a great purchase’ for Microsoft, helped make it happen originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 May 2011 03:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 05

Facebook, Google rumored to be vying for Skype deal

Posted in: advertising, Android, business, Google, money, rumor, skype, SocialNetworking, Today's Chili, VoIP

Like two knights jostling for the hand of a fair maiden, both Facebook and Google appear to be courting the graces of Skype. A source close to Facebook recently told Reuters that CEO Mark Zuckerberg is thinking about buying Skype outright, as part of a deal that could be worth $3 to $4 billion. A second source, meanwhile, claimed that both Facebook and Google are more interested in forming a joint venture with the teleconferencing company, which has yet to issue an IPO. With discussions still in a nascent stage, both suitors are playing their cards close to their chests, while Skype, rather coyly, has declined to comment on the speculation. At this point, details are still hazy and rumor-infused, though it’s certainly not shocking to hear these kinds of murmurs buzzing around. Skype’s been integrating Facebook more deeply into its software for a while now and has gradually branched out to Android, as well (albeit with mixed results). Both Facebook and Google would also stand to benefit from Skype’s millions of users and all the targeted advertising potential they’d offer. Until we receive more substantiated reports, however, all discussions of possible unions remain restricted to the realm of conjecture.

Facebook, Google rumored to be vying for Skype deal originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 May 2011 06:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 03

Logitech’s 720p TV Cam lets you get your Skype on your 2011 Viera Connect HDTV

Posted in: 720p, logitech, Panasonic, skype, Today's Chili
Logitech's 720p TV Cam lets you get your Skype on your Viera HDTV

If you have yourself a Skype-compatible 2011 Viera Connect HDTV from Panasonic but still find your living room lacking the optics required to make high-latency VOIP calls that much more interesting, you now have yet another option courtesy of Logitech. The company has just announced its TV Cam for Skype, a 720p model that, if we didn’t know better, we’d say was exactly the same as the camera you can get for the Revue — which is also a dead ringer for the C910. Anyhow, it’ll do 720p video, has cool blue lights, and is set to be available sometime this month for $149.99. More details in the PR after the break.

Continue reading Logitech’s 720p TV Cam lets you get your Skype on your 2011 Viera Connect HDTV

Logitech’s 720p TV Cam lets you get your Skype on your 2011 Viera Connect HDTV originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 May 2011 04:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 02

BlackBerry PlayBook to Get Its Own Video-Chat App

Posted in: playbook, skype, Software and Operating Systems, Tablets and E-Readers, Today's Chili, VoIP

On Tuesday, RIM’s PlayBook tablet will receive a video chat app in an over-the-air software update. Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

On Tuesday, RIM will debut a new video chat app for the PlayBook, allowing the device to make video and voice calls over Wi-Fi networks.

The company is also planning to release a native Facebook app later this month. E-mail, calendar and contacts apps will have to wait until summer.

The video chat app sounds fairly straightforward, according to RIM’s press release. Much like other currently available mobile video chat options, you’ll have a contact list, picture-in-picture capabilities and a nice little notification that will pop up when you’re receiving a new call. You can also switch between the front and rear cameras on the PlayBook in the middle of the call, so your chat buddy can see the world through your back-facing camera on the call.

Video chat capability is becoming par for the course in the 2011 mobile market. The existence of voice-over-internet-protocol software companies like Skype, Fring and Qik have made it possible for us to communicate between one another face-to-face.

And since the debut of Apple’s official Face Time app for iOS devices with front-facing cameras as well as desktops, we can expect more official video chat app releases from the competition. Last week, for example, Google released its official video chat application for Android smartphones running the latest version of its operating system.

It’s not like the cameras themselves are going anywhere, either. Any tablet-maker that deviates from the predominant hardware profile risks ostracizing itself in an already overcrowded market. Every major tablet debut we’ve seen this year thus far — from Motorola’s Xoom to Apple’s iPad 2 — includes a front-facing camera for taking pictures and video of your mug.

The app will be distributed to existing PlayBook users in an over-the-air software update on Tuesday, and will also be available for download in the BlackBerry App World market.

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Apr 27

Qik Video Connect gets Android and Apple users seeing eye-to-eye

Posted in: Android, app, Apple, Google, ios, ipad, ipad 2, Ipad2, iPhone, ipod touch, IpodTouch, skype, Today's Chili

EVO and MyTouch 4G owners have been able to enjoy the virtues of video calling via Qik for some time, but Skype’s latest acquisition is finally letting a few more phones in on the action. Qik Video Connect now works with some devices running Android 2.1 and up, iPhones, iPad 2s and any iPod Touch with a camera — letting Apple fanboys and Android apologists speak face to face over 3G, 4G, and WiFi with the device of their choosing. It’s not the first app to do cross-platform video calling, but it is the only one with Qik’s video mail and video sharing services. The catch? It’s only currently available on ten Android handsets, though dev teams are “busy getting Video Chat ready on additional phones.” Let’s hope they work quickly.

Qik Video Connect gets Android and Apple users seeing eye-to-eye originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 02:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 20

Skype Update for Android Fixes Security Flaw, Adds 3G Calling

Posted in: Android, Phones, security, skype, Software and Operating Systems, Today's Chili, update, VoIP

Skype's new Android app update fixes a recently discovered security flaw in the software. Image courtesy Skype

Skype released a new version of its Android app Wednesday morning, fixing the app’s recently discovered security vulnerabilities.

The new version secures a loophole in which third-party software was able to gain access to data stored on the user’s phone.

“We have had no reported examples of any third-party malicious application misusing information from the Skype directory on Android devices,” Skype’s chief information-security officer Adrian Asher said in a blog post. The company encouraged users to download its software from the official Android Market or the Skype web site, rather than an unofficial outside venue.

Skype’s popular voice-over-internet service took heat last week after a blogger discovered the security flaw in the Android version of the app, which allowed access to sensitive user details including your full name, address and date of birth. The security exploit has existed on Skype’s Android app since its wide release in October.

Skype also included a new feature for Android users in the update: Calls can now be made using 3G networks.

U.S. Skype users could previously use only Wi-Fi connections to make VOIP calls over Skype’s servers, except for those who had certain Verizon-carried phones. Outside the United States, however, Skype users could make calls on both Wi-Fi and 3G.

While this wide availability of 3G calls using Skype is new to Android users, Skype released its 3G calling feature for iOS devices almost a full year ago.

Calls (both voice-only and video chat) as well as IMs between Skype users remain free, while calls made from Skype to non-Skype cell numbers or land lines can be paid by a subscription plan or purchasing Skype credits.

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Apr 20

Skype for Android update adds US 3G calling, fixes personal data hole

Posted in: Android, app, apps, froyo, hack, hacked, Hacks, privacy, security, skype, Today's Chili, verizon, VoIP, vzw


Verizon Android users have had 3G Skype calling since this time last year, but the latest app release — v1.0.0.983 for those of you keeping tabs — brings 3G calling to the masses, without the need for a VZW-sanctioned app. The update also patches a rather significant security hole discovered last week, which could let third-party apps get hold of your personal information. We’re glad to see that’s no longer the case, and who’s going to object to free calling as part of the deal as well? Make sure your phone’s running Android 2.1 (2.2 for Galaxy S devices) and head on over to the Android Market to get updated.

Skype for Android update adds US 3G calling, fixes personal data hole originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 09:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 15

Skype acknowledges Android privacy vulnerability, says it’s ‘working quickly’ on a fix

Posted in: Android, privacy, security, skype, Today's Chili
The results were certainly tough to deny, and now Skype has come forward and acknowledged that there is indeed a rather serious vulnerability in Skype for Android that could let malicious third-party applications access your personal information. Unfortunately, it’s not offering much else in the way of help just yet, with it saying only that it is “working quickly” to protect folks from the vulnerability, and that they should simply be cautious of third-party apps in the meantime.

Skype acknowledges Android privacy vulnerability, says it’s ‘working quickly’ on a fix originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Apr 2011 15:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 15

Skype’s Android App Could Expose Your Personal Details

Posted in: Android, app, Phones, security, skype, Software and Operating Systems, Today's Chili

User details such as your name, birthday and address can be accessed in a security loophole on Skype for Android. Photo courtesy of Skype

A recently discovered security flaw in Skype for Android mobile devices could give prying eyes a peek at your personal data, including full name, date of birth and contact information.

Using a custom-made app to test Skype Video for security issues, mobile blog Android Police discovered a simple exploit to access many sensitive user details in the current version of Skype for Android mobile phone users.

After downloading and analyzing a leaked version of Skype Video, which appeared earlier in the week, Android Police blogger “Justin Case” discovered how poorly the app protected user data.

He was able to access user data with some custom software to break through the Skype app’s security. After testing this on the currently released version of Skype video for Android — which has been in wide release since October 2010 — he found that it contains the same security issues.

The exploit gains access to the file “main.db” in the Skype directory. This file holds sensitive information such as your first and last name, birthday, billing address, e-mail addresses, home and cellphone numbers. Information on all the people in your address book is accessible through the contacts database, and all stored chat logs are also accessible through the chat database.

The custom app, which the Android Police named “Skypwned,” doesn’t require root access to the phone in order to exploit Skype’s security loophole.

“This means that a rogue developer could modify an existing application with code from our proof of concept (without much difficulty), distribute that application on the Market, and just watch as all that private user information pours in,” Android Police wrote.

The loophole doesn’t appear to be showing in the Skype Mobile for Verizon version of the app, according to Android Police.

Skype provided Wired.com with a statement, claiming it was working to address the vulnerability:

It has been brought to our attention that, were you to install a malicious third-party application onto your Android device, then it could access the locally stored Skype for Android files.

These files include cached profile information and instant messages. We take your privacy very seriously and are working quickly to protect you from this vulnerability, including securing the file permissions on the Skype for Android application.

To protect your personal information, we advise users to take care in selecting which applications to download and install onto their device.

This isn’t Skype’s first time to take heat on security issues. In March, advocacy group Privacy International called upon Skype to tighten up some of its security measures in a vehemently worded blog post. The blog post cited the ease of a Skype user’s ability to imitate other users, as well as a lack of HTTPS-level of protection for its downloads.

The blogger who detected the security issue suggests three ways for Skype to fix it: the use of proper file permissions, the institution of an encryption scheme and a thorough security review of the company’s apps before their release.

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