TeleCentris is currently testing a new function for its Voxox Internet telephony service that enables users to quickly extend VoIP calls to any phone. Voxox Call Connect works by first calling any phone that the user possesses and then automatically connecting the caller with a selected contact.
Call Connect will be available in a soon-to-be-released version of Voxox, but Mashable readers are invited to sign up for a preview of the service. Voxox accounts are free and come with a phone number and voicemail. The number can receive free inbound calls, texts and faxes. Unlimited outbound VoIP calls can be added for $2.50 for U.S. and Canada or $13 for international.
While VoIP is nothing new, there has recently been an increased push in the consumer VoIP field. Just yesterday, reports surfaced that Facebook and Skype, the most consumer facing of all VoIP providers, were in the final stages of establishing a ‘deep integration partnership.’
The integrations are said to be included in Skype 5.0, which is set to launch in the coming weeks. It will see Skype gaining the ability to SMS and call Facebook contacts through the integration of Facebook Connect. The rumor has led some, like Om Malik of GigaOm, to speculate that Facebook should simply buy Skype.
Talks of Facebook joining forces with Skype came one month after Google enabled Google Voice calling directly through Gmail. Google Voice has long carried functionality similar to Voxox Call Connect through its online interface, but TeleCentris CTO Kevin Hertz, explains some of the key differentiators of the new Voxox:
(Via Mashable!.)
Facebook and Skype may join forces to integrate video and voice chat with the social networking site, the iPad could be capable of running Chrome OS, and Firefox 4 may bring hardware acceleration to the Mac.
Facebook and Skype are working on a broad partnership that will include the integration of the two services through Facebook Connect, according to a person briefed on the plans, who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity because the plans were supposed to be confidential. The partnership will be announced in the next few weeks, the person said.
A Facebook spokeswoman and a Skype spokesman declined to comment.
Under the partnership, people who use their Facebook credentials to log in to Skype will be able to see their Facebook friends on Skype. They will also be able to see their news feed and to sent text messages and call their friends’ landlines using Skype.
News of the partnership, which was first reported by the blog AllThingsD, comes as Skype is getting ready for a public offering.
Facebook has sought to blend its social network with popular communications services before, for example tying its service with AIM from AOL in February. And Facebook has said recently that it is planning to integrate its service into some mobile phones, though it denied it was building its own phone.
The tie-up with Skype presents an opportunity for both companies to grow their usage, especially internationally, where Skype has a strong presence.
(Via Lifehacker.)
Georgia Kyle performs during Blues Night of the Savannah Jazz Festival in Forsyth Park.
Texting while driving is a major problem, particularly amongst teen drivers. tXtBlocker claims to be the solution. The serve disables texting and Web browsing on phones traveling more than 15 miles an hour–calling, meanwhile, is limited to 911 and a select list of contacts.
The service is intended to be installed by parents on their teenagers’ handsets. Parents can also restrict cell activity by geographic region and time, prohibiting use during school or work hours. For full big brother effect, they can also view the phones on an interactive map at any time.
The service will be made available at Best Buy stores next month. It’s currently compatible with Android and BlackBerry handsets. An iPhone version is coming soon, so break curfew while you still can, kids.
(Via http://feeds.ziffdavis.com/ziffdavis/gearlog-ziffdavis.)
When you’re passionate about photography, whether you’re taking photos with a heavy duty SLR or with your phone, there are a few accessories here or there that you’re probably dying to get.
We’ve put together a list of unique, cool and geeky addons for your camera. Everything from cases, to lenses, to tripods, you’ll want to get your hands on this gear.
We kick of the list with a few photography accessories that anyone can use, whether you’re using a point and shoot, a sSLR or even your cell phone, followed by sSLR accessories, and finally, iPhone accessories to take photos on the go.
Jaycut.com may be the only web-based video editing application that registered members can use for free. Jaycut is not a professional video editor by a long shot. It doesn’t work as fast as consumer editors like iMovie and MovieMaker, but it can be very useful if you don’t have these applications or if you just need edit online.
Jaycut may have limitations but it doesn’t mean you can‘t use professional video editing techniques with your digital footage. In a recent article about home video productions, I alluded to techniques that can make your videos more appealing. Two such techniques are what are called J-cut and L-cut editing.
You have no doubt seen J-cut edits used in films many times without knowing what it’s called . In this cut, you hear the audio come from one video clip, but you see footage from another clip or visual element such a title board. Here’s a quick example on my Jaycut share page of a J-cut edit.
The video opens with a title card and the sound of a mariachi song that is a part of—let’s call it—the A-clip. After a few seconds the title card ends, and the visual part of the A-clip begins with the mariachi dancers; the music from the A-clip continues.
The B-roll could have also been another video shot of say people watching the performance but with the sound of that clip edited out. So if say you’re shooting a music performance with a single video camera, you might grab a shot of the audience or the outside of the venue before the performance begins, and use it for your B-roll.
While the Jaycut editor only has two video tracks and one audio, you cannot split music from a video clip as you can in say iMovie. But here’s a workaround.
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