Top 5 Travels Apps for Your iOS Device

Are you planning to go out of the country or backpacking in the countryside? Well before you organize your trip, it is wise for you to load your favorite iOS device with useful travel apps that will help you enjoy your time at your chosen location. Consult an interactive map, choose restaurants and hotels based on reviews and prices, learn a new language and just have fun!

Skype Releases New Update for iOS

Skype version 4.0 is now available. This free update is specifically for iOS users and features new updates like move own video preview option and auto-restart option in case the app crashes.

This new update also promises improved stability, minor UI improvements, bug fixes and a new sign in screen. Download this update and enjoy chatting!

Transform your ordinary HDTV to a Smart TV with Samsung Intouch

Samsung has recently launched the latest accessory for your HDTV, the Samsung Intouch. The Samsung inTouch is an extraordinary device that allows you not only to access the web just like any ordinary internet enabled  TV, it also allows your HDTV to access a web browser and built in apps such as Youtube, Skype, weather and Google news.

The Samsung inTouch unit also comes with a qwerty keyboard/remote, 3 megapixel camera. It also boasts of a built-in Wi-Fi, 720p HD video, and a USB port for photo uploading.

It will go on sale on March 2012 and will retail for $199.99.

Five Ways Schools are Using Technology in the Classroom

If you could notice, there are already several universities and educational institutions to date that require students to have their own tech gadgets such as smartphones and tablet computers. According to these administrators, today’s advanced technology has been very helpful for their student’s learning. They utilize smartphone apps to teach the laws of physics, iPad tablets to practice writing, and Foursquare to guide new students around different campuses.

Meanwhile, although these institutions have revealed the vitality of using technology in providing education, there are still numerous debates arising with regards to this matter. Based from a national survey conducted by Pearson Learning Solutions: “Two percent of college faculty members had used Twitter in class, and nearly half thought that doing so would negatively affect learning.” The University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth also made a survey and found out that “98 percent of higher ed institutions are on Facebook, and 84 percent are on Twitter.

After the skip, you can see the different ways of how schools are using technology in classrooms.

Skype Bringing Video Chat to Windows Phone

Skype might be preparing its video chat functionality for the Windows Phone platform. The firm’s careers site includes a job listing for a video software engineer, helping them to deliver the Skype Video Engine on mobile and embedded devices. Windows Phone experience is explicitly listed as a “big plus.” The said listing says, “As an [...]

Skype Rolls Out Video Calls for Selected Android Devices

Skype released an update of its Android app, which brings video calls to limited Android devices. The Skype video calls for Android will be available for Google Nexus S, HTC Desire S, Xperia Neo and Xperia Pro. But expect the list of compatible device to grow longer, as more smartphones are having front-facing camera and being updated to Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

Skype is following other companies, like Netflix and Hulu, in making previously unavailable apps accessible to limited devices. Check out the video after the break, to learn more about Skype’s new version of video calls for Android.

Skype Logo Spotted on PlayStation Vita Launch in Brazil

Brazilian site GameGeneration noted the appearance of the Skype logo on a slide during a talk about the PlayStation Vita at a Sony “Key Account Meeting” in São Paulo. Along with the Skype logo are PSN, Wi-Fi and DLNA. This hints the availability of Skype in the newest PlayStation device.

This brought a bit of confusion since Skype is owned by Microsoft, Sony’s competitor. But who know where this thing will lead into since Microsoft mentioned before that it will still support Skype on non-Microsoft platforms.

Bill Gates Support Microsoft for buying Skype

Bill Gates – Microsoft founder and former CEO has confirmed that he was one of the key behind Microsoft’s decision to purchase Skype for $8.5 billion. Gates as speaking to the BBC stated that he “I was a strong proponent at the board level for the deal being done”, “I think it’s a great, great deal for Skype. I think it’s a great deal for Microsoft,” he added.

Skype enables its users to contact each other over the internet for free, while charging for calls made to both traditional landline phones and mobiles, which why Google also had been closing in on Skype before Microsoft came in to scoop up the IP-telephony service and its 600 million users.

Share holders and investor criticize and questioned the logic of the deal and suggested the software giant is paying far too much. But for Gates to backup the decision of buying Skype, we hope Microsoft will not fail in future.

Microsoft competes with Apple and Google by buying Skype

Technology giant Microsoft announced Tuesday that it is buying Internet telephone company Skype for $8.5 billion cash. The company has just signed the deal the night of May 9th, though the price was finalized on April 18th, sources say.

Although this move by Microsoft, said to be the biggest deal ever the company’s about to make it 36 years, would not affect its finances entirely, buying Skype is apparently an action to “make clear Microsoft’s intention to compete with rivals such as Apple Inc and Google Inc.,” reports say.

Android security risks with Skype

Skype announced on Friday that the user data from its Android app may be vulnerable if its users unsuspectingly installs a ‘malicious’ third party app to their device.

Christina Warren of Mashable reports that just last month, “Google removed 21 apps from the Android Market after the blog Android Police alerted the company that the apps contained malware and were being used to collect user data.

“After removing the apps from the store, Google also invoked a kill switch to remove them from the phones of users who had the misfortune of downloading the junk,” writes Warren.