videoconferencing

A Google patent-licensing deal two weeks ago dramatically improved the fortunes of its VP8 video technology, but Nokia has added a barricade to what has already been an arduous road to adoption.

VP8 is a codec -- technology to encode and decode video or audio data for compact storage and efficient network streaming. Despite passionate debates about VP8 vs. the incumbent codec, H.264, most people need never care about video codecs.

But as video becomes ever more deeply embedded in the Net -- TV entertainment, chatting with friends, videoconferences for business, online schooling for children -- the video codec … Read more

The idea of teleconferencing has been around for a long time, especially in the corporate world. First there was the joining of phone lines. Next came the introduction of video, maybe even multiple screens from users in different locations. But that technology can be limiting and inflexible. As the remote user, you don't get a great view of the room and can't explore anything beyond its confines. Now companies like Anybots in Silicon Valley are hoping to make the experience more mobile and flexible with robots like the QB.

At Anybots' corporate headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif., the … Read more

Houston is a wonderful place.

I've always wanted to write that sentence and here, finally, is an opportunity.

For America's executives have decided to dump their irrational loathing upon a city that tries its very best, despite a climate the devil would reject, the 72nd best public transit system in America (out of 100 metropolitan areas), and freeways that seem to go on longer than former San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

You see, ON24, a Webcasting and virtual events company decided--no doubt in its own self-interest--to discover which cities business executives would most prefer to avoid for a … Read more

Your television's job description is about to get bigger. The Biscotti TV Phone is a gadget that turns the focal point of your living room into a home videoconferencing solution.

Biscotti is a small device that hooks up to your TV through HDMI. It includes a remote control to add to your remote control pile.

A 5-megapixel camera and speaker capture your image and voice, so you'll want to think twice before plunking down in front of the television wearing a velour track suit and curlers.… Read more

Chief Executive Michael Dell, who has been spending a lot of time in the Google+ video chat rooms called "hangouts," has raised the possibility that Google+ might be useful for customer service.

"I am thinking about hangouts for business," Dell said on Google+. "Would you like to be able to connect with your Dell service and sale teams via video directly from Dell.com?"

It's hardly the first time somebody has considered the idea of using technology to improve sales and support, with phone support now augmented by text chat windows and remote … Read more

In an apparent effort to improve the services it can offer online, Google is seeking to acquire Global IP Solutions (GIPS), a company specializing in Internet telephony and videoconferencing.

Google and GIPS announced the move Tuesday morning, saying Google offered to pay $68.2 million, a premium of 27.5 percent over the most recent trading price and of 142 percent from January 11, when GIPS announced interest from a strategic partner.

"The Web is evolving quickly as a development platform, and real-time video and audio communication over the Internet are becoming important new tools for users," said … Read more

The groups responsible for standardizing the language used to build Web sites have begun tackling technology to provide a direct interface to Webcams.

The World Wide Web Consortium has begun work on the HTML Device addition to the Hypertext Markup Language specification. "The device element represents a device selector, to allow the user to give the page access to a device, for example a video camera," according to a December 11 draft of the specification.

The move marks another step expansion of the scope of the Web standard. Advocates are trying to make it a foundation not just … Read more

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Friday, October 9, that the H1N1 virus was widespread in 37 states. Fortunately, vaccines are on their way, and seasonal flu shots are currently available (the map on the Flu.gov site helps you find a vaccination center near you).

The best way to avoid bringing the flu bug home with you from the office is to stay out of the office. If you have the flu, do yourself and your coworkers a favor: stay home and rest! Not sure if you have the flu? Check the CDC site for a list and description of the symptoms of both H1N1 and seasonal flu. You'll also find information on the CDC site for taking care of people with the flu, prevention for people at high risk, and travel updates.

One of the best ways to track the flu's spread is via Google Flu Trends, an interactive map that indicates the frequency of flu-related search terms in various countries.

Additional information on flu trends is available for the U.S. and several other countries. For the U.S., you can compare yearly flu trends and view data for each state.

Link to your office PC for free In many work situations, there's no substitute for being face to face. But every year it gets easier to get your office work done from outside the office. One way to do so is via Windows' Remote Desktop Connection component, which lets you link to a PC that's on an office network, but only if the machine's running XP Professional or Vista/Windows 7 Professional, Business, or Ultimate.

… Read more

Through its latest acquisition offer, Cisco Systems is hoping to grab a bigger slice of the growing video communications market.

Cisco announced Thursday that it will offer $3 billion in cash to acquire Tandberg, a global supplier of video communications equipment.

Based in Oslo, Norway, and in New York, Tandberg provides video networking hardware and software to a wide range of companies looking for teleconferencing and telepresence systems. Tandberg's products range from low-cost desktop tools to high-end conferencing systems.

Cisco has already wet its feet in the worlds of video and telepresence. Two of Cisco's many acquisitions in … Read more