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New Biscotti XS brings TV video calling to the cloud for $300 this March
Dreaming of turning your HDTV into a George Jetson-style phone booth? If so, California-based electronics firm Biscotti might have what you're looking for. Earlier today the company announced its new XS TV camera, which connects to any modern HDTV via HDMI. Available in March for $300, the set-top receiver features two dual band antennas for WiFi support, as well as an Ethernet port for those who prefer a hardline network connection. Biscotti's new rig also ships with a full QWERTY remote control keyboard, a universal TV mount and a multiport power adapter with international power blades. On the software side of things, the XS allows users to record and save video calls / messages via its MyBiscotti cloud services. In addition, the receiver plays nice with Google Talk's video chat, so calls between TVs, tablets and smartphones are a go. However, if you'd like to continue making calls while wearing your leopard-print Snuggie -- worry not! The XS also makes old-fashioned voice calls as well. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
Biscotti TV phone connects to the cloud, adds home security functionality
As a video conferencing solution, Biscotti's TV phone scores high marks for form, function and charm. But apart from the cutesy name and appealing build, it's more or less a $199 one trick pony -- or it was, anyway. Which is why the company's now tethering the peripheral to the internet-at-large and bolstering its functionality with the newly announced MyBiscotti Cloud Services. The version 2.0 software (available via an OTA update) pushes beyond simple two-way TV video chat with the addition of home monitoring features like the self-explanatory Time Lapse mode, as well as Live Image viewing, which culls streams from all networked Biscotti cams. Further, users that find themselves away from the roost will also be able to swap out settings on the fly simply by visiting the outfit's dedicated site. As of now, there's no extra cost for the expanded suite of services, but you will have to plunk down for the coffee biscuit-shaped peripheral. Official PR after the break.
Biscotti and telyHD set-top video chat both get Father's Day upgrades
Combine geek-dad gadget lust with the promise of an easier way to stay in touch with faraway family, and you can see how the latest generation of standalone video chat boxes might have a good sales story to tell for this Father's Day weekend. While Cisco's discontinued ūmi never caught on in a big way with consumers (possibly the introductory $600 price and $25 monthly fee had something to do with it), the idea of a slim HD camera pack that fits atop the living room TV, instantly connecting with similar hardware or distributed software chat apps, still seems promising. The two Mac and iOS-friendly set-top chat products making a move in the market now are the $149 Biscotti and the $249 telyHD. Both systems work in a straightforward way -- they connect to your TV via HDMI, capture an HD image with an onboard camera and tie into your home network to call friends and family. Neither unit requires a monthly subscription plan, thereby avoiding the Cisco problem. Of course, neither plays along with Apple's wasn't-it-supposed-to-be-open FaceTime protocol, so if you're looking for a portable video chatting device that works with Skype, Google Talk and FaceTime you might consider the $199 iPod touch. Both the telyHD and the Biscotti interoperate with a public video chat service (Google Talk for Biscotti, Skype for telyHD) so you aren't limited to chatting with the folks who have the same hardware. Both platforms also got software updates in the past few days, adding to their utility and (in the case of the telyHD) delivering tighter integration for iPhone and iPad users who want to share photos or control their chat settings from their mobile device. The Biscotti TV Phone system, shown above, is simpler and more no-frills than the telyHD. Biscotti can chat video or audio to Mac or PC users via the Google Talk web client; to chat with iPhone or iPad users, the free (and unofficial) Vtok app fills the client slot. It also provides high-quality chats between Biscotti units. The hardware is slim and graceful, about the size and shape of an Italian biscuit -- hence the name. A basic remote supports pan and zoom of the video camera, and the latest update gives you an automatic audio calibration routine to improve voice quality. The new software update also allows you to import your Google contacts for use on your Biscotti, but be warned that all your Google contacts will be loaded; the company's still working on a way to subset and manage those. The Biscotti may also try to auto-invite all those contacts to chat -- careful which button you click. Networking on the Biscotti is Wi-Fi only (and if anyone invents a way to quickly enter WEP passwords using a four-way remote, they'd make a bundle), but the unit has a clever HDMI trick; it includes both input and output ports, so your cable or satellite box can plug right in and the signal will pass through. The Biscotti interface will stay out of the way until you get a call or use the remote. In fact, for some TVs, the Biscotti can turn them on directly so you can answer. Maybe that's not an ideal bedroom feature; likewise the auto-answer setting for key contacts, which lets you turn the Biscotti into a video room monitor by having it pick up immediately when you try to connect, could get weird in the wrong circumstances. For Skype-centric families, the telyHD interoperates cleanly with the world's leading video and audio chat service, delivering 720p high definition video (note that Skype just updated its Mac client). Under the hood, the telyHD is an Android device; it's got more flexibility and possibilities than the Biscotti, with an app-centric development roadmap -- granted, you could get an iGoGo TV if you want to run Android apps on your HDTV, but that's some pretty scary stuff. Already you can do things with pairs of telyHDs that you can't do with other systems: share photos (from an SD card) and leave video mail for watching later on. The telyHD sports an Ethernet port along with Wi-Fi networking, but it lacks the Biscotti's passthrough HDMI approach; you'll need to switch sources on your TV to see it. This week's update to the telyHD platform, the Entertainment Suite, is unusual in that it's a paid (optional) add-on rather than a free version update; it's also targeted squarely at iPhone and iPad users. Entertainment Suite adds AirPlay mirroring for photos (TelyProjector), so iPhone users can simply mirror their images right into a video chat with Dad. The ES also includes access for remote-control apps (both iOS and Android), coming to the App Store and Google Play shortly; lastly, the upgrade includes a full web browser for the unit, giving owners access to websites and streaming video from all across the Internet. The Entertainment Suite pack can be trialed for 30 days before the one-time $49 licensing cost kicks in. The long history of video calling might be filled with false starts and closed, proprietary systems, but if your gift list for Dad includes "more face to face time with the grandkids" then one of these systems may be just what you're looking for.
Engadget Giveaway: win one of five Biscottis!
No, we're not talking about giving away free cookies -- though nobody could really complain about that. Actually, we have five Biscotti TV phones up for grabs. This attachment hooks up to your TV and gives you the chance to make VoIP video calls via your HDTV. The other party can see you as well, courtesy of the built-in HD webcam. They're valued at $150 each, so it makes for a nice birthday present (or a solid addition to your own home, if you're the selfish type). You know the drill: read the rules, leave a comment and you're entered to win. Good luck!
Biscotti TV Phone goes on sale today for $199, assumes everyone you know uses Google Talk
Feel the need to video chat in higher resolution? Or maybe just take a break from the PC while you talk to your long-distance girlfriend you met at Comic Con? Well, we just got word that Biscotti, that TV phone we demoed last week, is on sale in the US and Canada for a princely $199. To recap, it's a camera that sits discreetly atop your TV and is, indeed, about as small and lightweight as that crunchy Italian cookie. The idea is pretty simple: it plugs into both your TV and set-top box, and makes free calls to other Biscotti owners, along with anyone using Google Talk. After our brief demo we were impressed enough with the easy setup and simple menus that layer on top of whatever you're watching, but then again, we were unaware of the price. So, is two hundred bucks worth a lifetime of seeing grandma in 1080p? That, friends, is a decision you'll have to make for yourself. %Gallery-139204%
Biscotti TV phone hands-on
The tiny Biscotti TV phone would be pretty easy to miss in most home theater setups. It is, in fact, roughly the shape and size of its namesake Italian cookie. Honestly, it'd be pretty easy to miss even if you were holding it -- the video calling TV attachment probably weighs less than its baked good doppelganger. The idea is to stick this sliver of glossy black plastic on top of your TV and make video VoIP calls using its integrated HD webcam and 802.11n radio. Your counterpart is then displayed, super-sized, on your big screen. Around the back of the device are the three ports: HDMI in, HDMI out and power. You simply plug the Biscotti in between your settop and TV, then navigate the menus with the included remote. The demo stream set up at the CES Unveiled event had a slightly yellow hue to it, but we're willing to chalk that up to the poor lighting on the show floor. The best news, though? In addition to making calls through the proprietary Biscotti service you can get your video chat on using the increasingly ubiquitous Google Talk. Check out the gallery below and a quick video walk through after the break. %Gallery-138859%
Biscotti TV dunked in the FCC's latte, still a bit hard
Webcams have certainly narrowed the distance between loved ones, but it's hard to argue that two people hovering over their laptop screens can rival an in-person conversation. Moving things over to the big screen could make the exchange much more comfortable for everyone involved -- you just need an HDTV, and a Biscotti. The small black box should be ready to turn the biggest screen in your home into a high definition video phone fairly soon, having just landed in the FCC's living room. Packed inside is a camera, microphone and 802.11b/g/n WiFi -- plug the contraption into your TV and you can instantly make calls to family and friends, with no monthly charges. A pair of HDMI ports let the device serve as a bridge between your television and cable box, so folks with limited connections don't have to choose between Dad and Mr. Mom. Biscotti will also interact with computers, tablets and smartphones via an as-yet unnamed "video player" to bring life-sized video chat to the masses. There's no word yet on pricing or availability, but if the FCC has finished nibbling at it, then it shouldn't be long before we get a taste ourselves.
