Microsoft just added a trio of webcams to its LifeCam line, and all three are capable of 720p HD video. The LifeCam HD-5000 and HD-5001 have slightly different styling but their innards are the same, both selling for $49.95. Microsoft's claim to fame for these two cams that will be available later this month? "They're the only two webcams with 720p HD widescreen and autofocus for under $50."
Coming along in May is a smaller version of the LifeCam, the $60 HD-6000 that's aimed at notebooks. It's also rocking that 720p video and autofocus, and has a 360° rotation view so you can swing the camera around to show the world your surroundings. All of these cameras feature TrueColor tech, tracking your face and making you look good even in backlit situations. Our experience with it is that it works fairly well, but it's far from perfect.
HD webcams sound great, but you'll be hard-pressed to find a service that can accommodate such resolutions. Skype was crowing about its beta version 4.2 with HD webcam capability at CES 2010, but now that software is been removed from its site. We've contacted Skype for comment.
UPDATE: Skype responds. Version 4.2 of the Skype software is now out of beta and is available, but it only works in 720p with certain webcams. "720p video is available with the proper webcam and bandwidth (approx 1 MB/s). Right now you can only use the HD encoding webcams to achieve HD video calls on Skype, but as soon as we have additional news, we'll be sure to let you know." Unfortunately, Microsoft's HD webcams aren't yet compatible with Skype's 720p service. Skype points to the following examples of cameras that will work in 720p with its system: faceVsion Technology Inc.FV TouchCam N1, In Store Solutions Freetalk HD Pro, Freetalk HD Pro Plus and the Freetalk TV Camera for Samsung.
Source: Dvice.com
Says Joe Sigrist, VP and GM of video solutions, "Polycom CMA Desktop sets a new standard for flexibility, performance and interoperability for desktop video collaboration and we are happy to deliver on customer demand, particularly in the education, healthcare, creative services and entertainment markets, for Mac OS X support."
The CMA Desktop system offers management and security options for presenters and participants, and can be scaled to support thousands of participants. The old fashioned way of running Polycom runs on dedicated hardware over ISDN. Over time that has moved to IP-based for considerable cost savings, and even more so going to desktops rather than dedicated stand-alone system.
The Polycom CMA Desktop for Mac OS X is expected to be available in April for no extra charge for CMA customers. No pricing is provided, just that users should contact Polycom or their Polycom solution provider.
Polycom Desktop CMA
With thousands of new downloads per day, millions of deployments, and a community of more than 65,000 members, the acceptance and growth of Asterisk has spawned an ecosystem spanning more than 170 countries. AstriCon gives all members of the Asterisk community—from telephony enthusiasts to people betting their businesses on the booming appeal of Asterisk communications—a forum to learn about the technology in depth, to discuss its newest uses and to meet potential collaborators.
Mark Spencer, Digium’s CTO and creator of Asterisk, said: “AstriCon 2009 was a total success as Asterisk has moved into mainstream use in phone systems used by organizations of all sizes. The ability to get together with so many Asterisk users to exchange ideas is always invaluable to Digium and we continue to be grateful for our community’s strong support. Looking ahead to AstriCon 2010, in addition to technical sessions, we expect to focus on use of Asterisk in commerce, in the cloud, by government agencies and larger enterprises, call centers, and more.”
Digium is once again pleased to be partnering with Technology Marketing Corporation (TMC) to promote the event to a broader audience. TMC has helped support other Digium events, including Digium|Asterisk World, with training sessions, video production, attendee registration and exhibit management. Companies interested in sponsoring AstriCon and participating on the EXPO floor should contact Joe Fabiano at TMC: +1 (203) 852-6800 ext. 132.
Registration for AstriCon 2010 is open now on the official event site: http://www.astricon.net.
Early bird rates are available until August 1, 2010.
