sightspeed
Latest
Logitech buys SightSpeed video chat for $30 million in cash money
In these tough times there are plenty of bargains to be had for companies with liquid reserves and Logitech is taking full advantage, paying $30 million in cash for video conferencing startup SightSpeed. The company doesn't have nearly the name recognition of, say, Skype, but its software has been highly praised and sits at the core of Dell's Video Chat application. Exactly what Logitech will do with its new toy remains to be seen, but some strong integration with the QuickCam line is surely in the cards, and we wouldn't be surprised if this new relationship spawns a competitor to Creative's (also SightSpeed-infused) inPerson -- though hopefully at a price point far, far lower than that clamshell's $859.
Creative's InPerson WiFi video phone outed by FCC
Tough luck Creative, good news Type A consumers. The FCC just outed Creative's unannounced, inPerson wireless video conferencing solution. Not only that, but they've loosed the user manual, external photos, and even splayed the device wide to reveal a VGA camera, built-in dual microphones, and TI DaVinci graphics chip. Here's what they've got coming: 802.11b/g WiFi and Ethernet, 76-degree wide-angle lens with "excellent low light performance," H.264 video with SIP support, rechargeable/removable Li-ion battery, remote control, headphone jack for privacy, and TV-out to view callers on a larger display. The battery can be charged in 5-hours for a 2-hour run when using the built-in, 7-inch, 16.7 million color LCD at 50% brightness. That lifespan increases to about 5 hours when sending the display to the TV. It's also fully integrated with SightSpeed accounts. As such, it features automatic SightSpeed account login, speed dials, call history and contact list management as you'd expect. So is this the device / service mashup that will finally bring ubiquitous distribution of the dedicated video phone promised since the '50s? No. Of course, even the first generation brown Zune can garner buyer hysteria when the price is right. So go ahead Creative, tell us, how much and when?%Gallery-12039%
