May 04, 2006, 1:43 PM PDT
Be your own talk-show host with Skypecasts!
Posted by: Felisa Yang

Version 2.5 (beta) of Skype's VoIP service is available for download from the company's Web site and includes a plethora of new features. You can easily import your contacts from Microsoft Outlook and call someone on that list using SkypeOut via Skype's interface. Also, instead of having to remember country codes, a new drop-down menu on the Dial Pad lets you choose the country you're calling, which is handy. The new SMS features lets you send text messages to mobile phones, though the feature allows only outgoing messages for now. Conference calling gets a boost, too: instead of trying to blindly track who's talking, the speaker's picture will flash on your screen as they begin talking. (No more trying to stay anonymous with the snark!)

Even bigger news is the preview of Skypecasts, which are live, moderated conversations for groups of up to 100 people. To use it, you'll need to download and install the beta of Skype 2.5. Go to the Skypecast page to browse the ongoing or upcoming conversations to find one that interests you and click "Join this Skypecast" to join the fray. If you want to host a Skypecast, you'll be asked to sign in, and pick a subject, give a short description, and schedule the Skypecast. As the host, you have the power to pass the virtual microphone, mute, or eject participants (oh, you tyrant!). You can arrange for the Skypecast to be an open discussion (like a huge conference call) or as a one-way broadcast (by muting all participants).

The CNET Buzz Out Loud folks will be using the Skypecast feature next Friday, May 12, to record a podcast in front of a live "studio" audience. If you want to hear Molly, Tom, and Veronica do their thing live, go to the Skypecast page that day to sign up for the Buzz Out Loud Skypecast. But do it early, as only 100 people can participate (we'll post the link when it's available), and I hear those three are pretty popular!

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May 04, 2006, 12:56 PM PDT
Study says camera phones are underused
Posted by: Kent German

Though camera phones now dominate the cell phone market, I've always wagered that most people don't know how to take full advantage of their functionality. So I wasn't surprised when the NPD Group published a study this week that said most camera phone users don't do much with their shots besides take them.

According to the study of 8,000 adults, 20 percent report sending pictures wirelessly, while more than 80 percent leave their shots on the phone. Moreover, 6 out of 10 users aren't sure what their carrier charges to send a picture message. On the other hand, 73 percent of participants say they are satisfied with owning a camera phone. Since the inception of camera phones a few years ago, carriers have pushed them aggressively because of the added revenue that sharing pictures can create. But I think it's clear that carriers don't do a good job educating users on all the features a camera phone can have or what those features cost. And I'm sure most people stave off the high fees by avoiding sending pictures altogether.

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May 04, 2006, 10:20 AM PDT
Mozes bookmarks your business cards
Posted by: Rafe Needleman

Here's a very cool company at OnHollywood: Mozes, an SMS responder. You send a keyword to Mozes (66937 on your phone's keypad) from your cell phone, and you get data back via SMS. I just set up the keyword "RafeNeedleman," for example. If you send that keyword to Mozes, you'll get back the data I put into my profile (not much as of this writing, but I'll try to add to it soon). Also, the data will be saved on your personal Mozes account, so you can access it later from a full PC interface.

There are many companies working on SMS marketing tools, but I think this is a fantastic idea, for advertising, marketing, and for personal use. Will Mozes keywords start showing up on business cards? That would make sense. Also, companies could start putting Mozes codes on storefronts and even on products on shelves.

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May 04, 2006, 9:55 AM PDT
Blu-ray movies pushed back a month
Posted by: Molly Wood

In contrast to the HD-DVD strategy (release a DVD player with no movies available for it), Sony says the first Blu-ray titles have been delayed for a month, to about June 20, to coincide with the actual hardware releases. Of course, new surveys indicate that hardly anyone's actually planning to buy a high-def DVD player anyway, so really, this whole release excitement might be a little bit one-sided.

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May 04, 2006, 8:07 AM PDT
Sony pushes back Blu-ray disc releases
Posted by: David Katzmaier

According to an article in Video Business via HDBlog.net, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has delayed the launch of its first Blu-ray movie titles until June 20. The studio's first batch of eight films, including titles such as House of Flying Daggers, The Fifth Element, and XXX, was originally supposed to hit stores on May 23. Since the first batch of Blu-ray hardware won't be available until June anyway, the delay of the discs makes perfect sense.

More CNET resources:

DVD 2.0: HD-DVD and Blu-ray

Prepare for launch: Blu-ray players revealed

CNET's quick guide to HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray

Ask the Editors: Dedicated Blu-ray player or PS3?

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May 04, 2006, 8:06 AM PDT
Han shoots first on DVD
Posted by: Will Greenwald

Star Wars purists are finally getting their wish in September, when Lucasfilm releases the original, uncut, unaltered, un-Special Editioned, Star Wars trilogy on DVD. The DVDs will include both digitally remastered and theatrical versions of the classic films in anamorphic wide-screen with Dolby 2.0 sound. The digitally remastered version is the trilogy as it was released on DVD in 2004, with CGI effects, extra scenes, and Greedo shooting at Han first in the cantina. The package also includes "as a bonus" the original theatrical releases as they came out in '77, '80, and '83; these are the "true" versions of the films, according to most Star Wars purists, with special effects from the late '70s and early '80s and Han shooting first. Lucasfilm isn't planning to release a next-gen optical format of the original trilogy yet, but when the galactic civil war between HD-DVD and Blu-ray is finally over, perhaps we'll get to enjoy the original trilogy once again in even higher resolution. The original trilogy hits stores September 12, the same date that Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy comes out. As with the original theatrical runs, these DVDs will be a limited engagement; they'll be off the shelves as of December 31.

Source: The Digital Bits

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May 04, 2006, 7:38 AM PDT
Casio throws Exilim bone to Europe
Posted by: Philip Ryan

On the heels of its just-announced 10-megapixel EX-Z1000, Casio has announced a new 5-megapixel ultracompact camera for Europe this morning. According to information posted on Casio's European Web site and in a press release on Photographyblog.com, the camera will have a 3X optical zoom (38mm-to-114mm equivalent), a f/3.1-to-f/5.9 lens, and a 2.5-inch LCD screen, and it will include Casio's Antishake DSP electronic image stabilization. It will feature a top sensitivity of ISO 400, 8.3MB of internal flash memory, and an SD card slot, and it will record Motion JPEG video with audio at as much as 640x480 resolution and 30fps. Europeans can expect the camera to hit store shelves at the end of May, but our sources tell us that Americans will have to cross the pond if they want to get their hands on this one. Seems like you'll have to settle for the 2.2-inch LCD on the EX-S500 if you're jonesing for some Casio Exilim slim-cam action.

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May 04, 2006, 5:50 AM PDT
DS Lite available June 11 for $130
Posted by: John P. Falcone

The Nintendo DS Lite will be available in the United States on June 11 for $130, according to a press release issued by the company. In addition to being smaller and lighter than the original DS, the DS Lite offers notably brighter screens and a more stylish design. The DS Lite has been available in Japan since March 2 in three different colors, but only the iPod-like polar white model will be coming to America--for starters, at least.

American gamers will welcome the fact that the Lite will be arriving in little more than a month and--impressively--at exactly the same $130 price for which the original DS currently sells. By comparison, we ordered our Japanese DS Lite through game importer Lik-sang.com and paid a bit more than $200 after shipping. And as you can see from our early review, we found the improved cosmetics and brighter screen of the DS Lite to be a worthwhile improvement over those of its predecessor.

The same Nintendo press release also confirmed that New Super Mario Brothers will be released on May 15, ensuring that current and future DS/DS Lite owners will have at least one more must-have game to play on their dual-screen portable.

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