Born Digital

Skype is already well known for just how easy it is to use, and how much thinner your long distance bill is after using it to keep in touch with friends and family abroad. But that's purely Skype-to-Skype conversations, so when landlines get involved, you need SkypeOut funds to reach out and touch someone using a landline or cell phone.

The SkypeIn service charges you the other way, so that if you want people from landlines and cell phones to call you directly on Skype, you incur a cost for each minute. Ring2Skype is a free service that allows you to gain the benefits of SkypeIn without having to pay a dime. When you sign up, you can choose multiple online phone numbers based on a list of 40 countries (SkypeIn only supports 20), right on down to a region or city. This means that people can call that number and you can answer the call on Skype.

Now, there are caveats to how this works, and they're based on the premise that the online numbers act like regular landline ones. If you were to choose a local number in New York, for example, anyone living in the city could call the number free of charge, but outside of that long distance charges would apply to the caller. You won't be able to link your home number to your account, either. You also run the risk of certain countries not allowing you to claim a local online number if you don't actually live there.

Still, you can likely get away with having a few numbers in different countries, so if you have relatives in Toronto and friends living in London, you could always get local numbers to save money all around. Currently, the service seems focused on larger metropolitan areas. In the U.S., only New York, California, Florida and Maine are supported right now. But if you live in Connecticut and have a good friend living in LA, then you still gain some value from the service. Other notable countries missing include France, Germany and China.

But for a service still in beta, Ring2Skype offers an interesting alternative to SkypeIn that can be entirely free, so long as calls are within the parameters.

It's too early to say whether this move is too little, too late, but Sony is obviously not happy lagging behind in getting its flagship gaming console into homes across the country.

Aside from a slight name change (not really), and a new spiffy logo, the console's fat has been trimmed to a point where this new PS3's form factor is exactly two-thirds of that of the original model. Sony also says it will consume two-thirds of the power of the original to reduce fan noise and power consumption. That's good news, given what kind of a beast the console can be after it's been on for a while. Altogether, this new "Slim" PS3 is 33% smaller, 36% lighter and consumes 34% less power.

If you're thinking of installing another operating system on this PS3, think again. Sony stated that it won't allow other OS's because it "will focus on delivering games and other entertainment content" on the console. The BRAVIA Sync feature will be built-in as well, so that you have immediate integration with a BRAVIA HDTV when both are connected with an HDMI cable. You can control the XrossMediaBar (XMB) with the BRAVIA remote, which is cool if you want to control media playback without the need for a controller or PS3 remote.

The system software will also be upgraded to version 3.00 once the new PS3 is launched on September 1. Sony is touting the "What's New" screen that will basically aggregate new content viewable on the PlayStation Store and games that you've been playing on the console. Other "user-friendly" updates are said to be part of the mix, too.

And finally, backwards compatibility with PS1 is assured, but it appears that PS2 game discs won't be playable on this new version.

The new PS3 will be available on September 1 throughout the U.S. for $299, and will include a 120GB hard drive.

We keep thinking of video game consoles as something that used to be a two-horse race back in the 80s and 90s, only to have three serious players this decade. But those are the success stories. It seems there have been many failed attempts over the past three decades on trying to strike gold in the gaming business.

This slideshow has been making the rounds lately, and with good reason. I didn't even know about a few of the items listed in there. Did you know that Apple once tried to put together a console? They sure did, and it wasn't pretty at all.

Since eBay burst onto the scene so many years ago, the focus seems to have always been on buying and selling stuff through auction sites. So why not apply that same idea to renting instead?

This is pretty much what Zilok is all about — a site that allows users to rent out anything from a camcorder to a trampoline for a certain price without the need for bidding. So imagine, you need a digital SLR camera, but you don't have the cash to buy one or the real desire to own one. Sure, you can possibly rent one from a store, but maybe you could save money by renting from an actual camera owner, who is willing to give it to you for the whole day for just $15. And this scenario goes for almost anything. People are renting out cars, villas, fishing rods, tables, chairs, books and just about everything in between. 

                                   

And all this spreads throughout the country. If you're traveling to Florida or California, and you need a surfboard or even a boat, you could probably find that here. Signing up for an account is free, and if you're an owner looking to rent out something, you pay an insertion fee and a commission afterward. The payment system is very similar to eBay in how it's structured, though it's definitely not as expensive.

Cragslist may be popular for local ads and classifieds, but Zilok is the real deal when it comes to an online rental marketplace. And it's a site that makes you think. Why buy something that you might only use twice in your lifetime? Wouldn't it make more sense to just rent it when you need it, saving precious dollars for the stuff that you really need? As the economy seems to be moving from outright consumption to timely accessibility, Zilok could be a valuable resource for anyone.

These days, our cell phones have so much information in them that losing any of that data can lead to a time-consuming process in getting it back. There are some backup options already out there on the Web, but Dashwire is a cool Web app that not only backs up everything, it also syncs both ways.

Signing up for an account and using Dashwire is totally free, and it gives you plenty of options. You can add photos you have saved on your PC or Mac and add them to your Dashwire account. Once that happens, they will be synced over to your phone. If you want to make changes to contact names or add numbers and details, you can do that on your Dashwire account and see it reflected on your phone as well. Not to mention assigning speed dial, adding photos to your contacts and ringtones (though you can't actually create ringtones on Dashwire). One of the coolest features is text messaging because you can send and receive texts from within your Dashwire account, but they route through your phone, so recipients know where they're coming from. The best part is that you don't get charged by your carrier for sending messages through the site. And if that isn't enough, there's Facebook, Flickr and Twitter integration, too.

You will need to install a small Dashwire mobile application onto your phone to make this all work, but it's pretty seamless overall. This way, the phone and your Dashwire account can sync with each other over your data plan, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB.

Despite its slick performance, it's currently only limited to Nokia phones using the 3rd edition of the S60 platform that runs on the Symbian operating system, along with Windows Mobile 5 and 6 handsets. Support for the BlackBerry and Google Android devices is coming very soon, though there is no word on any iPhone support for now. This Wikipedia entry will tell you which phones fall under the S60

All we hear these days is about how battered the economy is and the word "recession" constantly thrown into news tickers. It's definitely tough on many across the country, and being careful with the dollars you have can make a big difference down the road.

I came across Thrive recently as I was looking for free software programs that might help me keep better track of everyday spending and long-term saving. I wanted something user-friendly and accessible, and was surprised to see how nifty Thrive actually is. Though not a software application that you download and install, Thrive is purely a Web browser-based service that is both free and discreet in how it handles your financial information. After signing up for a free account, you can immediately get to work on integrating your various bank accounts and other financial assets into one profile, so you get a larger picture of what you have — and what you don't have.

This means that you can view accounts from different banks, as well as money you may have in a Paypal account, for example. Not only can your monthly bills be listed, but you can also include all the debts that you have, especially those evil credit cards and their interest rates. Most of the number crunching is done by Thrive, but essentially what happens is that you get a rating from them on what your financial health is. A lot of this is done through "what if" scenarios that can go as deep as that everyday latte that you pick up on the way to work. What if you just stopped buying those altogether?

Needless to say, the results could be both discouraging and downright depressing, but at least you get a clear view of what you're facing to be in a better position to fix things. Money management isn't usually fun, but the way it's done here is a good way to keep track of what's going on. Plus, you can utilize it on a PC, Mac or Linux machine without a problem (the beauty of being Web-based), and access your account from any computer with an Internet connection.

The compact camera, in its many forms since the 1930s, didn't change all that drastically during the film era. The form factor may have given way to curvier contours, small LCD screens and updated features, but the basics remained the same for a long time.

Digital photography has changed all that, leading to radical new designs and concepts that have changed when and where we snap photos. But what if that whole 'retro' look actually fused in a good way with modern digital photography? This is what Olympus thinks is possible with its new EP-1, a camera that isn't really an SLR but isn't a true compact point-and-shoot, either.  

As our very own Jerry Grossman explains in his review of the EP-1, it's compatible with lenses dating all the way back to 1959 when the first Olympus PEN launched. And while I may have mentioned it's not a true compact camera when compared to point-and-shoot digicams of today, there isn't a camera quite like it available right now. Small enough to take with you to most places, and robust enough to help you take plenty of unique photos.

So, it's official. Microsoft will be releasing Windows 7 on October 22 and the pricing has been established as well. Though the price drops aren't exactly what is called for in this current economic climate, at least Microsoft did something. But really, they should've done so much more — slashing the price by as much as $100 or more would've been a great start.

For an upgrade copy of Windows 7, here's the breakdown and comparison.

		Windows Vista		Windows 7
		Home Premium	$129.99	Home Premium	$119.99
		Business	$199.99	Professional	$199.99
		Ultimate	$219.99	Ultimate	$219.99

For a full retail version of Windows 7, here's a look at the prices you can expect.

		Windows Vista		Windows 7
		Home Premium	$239.99	Home Premium	$199.99
		Business	$299.99	Professional	$299.99
		Ultimate	$319.99	Ultimate	$319.99

The Vista prices are actually less than what they were when that OS launched in January 2007. Microsoft cut prices only a year later, probably to try and stimulate sagging sales. This is the main reason why they can claim that prices have been cut, even though the Windows 7 pricing matches up with what Vista is going for now.

Still, a lot of this may not matter by the time 7 launches. Microsoft could easily lower the price before then, and most newcomers to the OS will end up getting a copy with the purchase of a new computer anyway. And if you buy a new computer now with Vista installed, you can upgrade to Windows 7 for free from now to January 31, 2010.

You probably already know the news, since it's already been anticipated for at least a week. Apple launches the third generation of its iconic iPhone today, and though it's a cool device, it isn't a huge leap forward in every respect. Still, there's a lot to like about the iPhone, generally, so I wouldn't expect to convince anyone either way. But if you're looking for an inside look at how the iPhone 3G S performs, check out my review.

Amid the typical lineups to buy the handset from Apple Stores and AT&T outlets, there is some controversy over the fact that tethering and MMS won't be available to customers yet. Tethering is the ability to use your iPhone as a modem when connecting it to your laptop, while MMS is multimedia messaging, so you can send photos and video along with text to people. Apparently, AT&T's network is overloaded, so it wouldn't be able to handle the stress of all that data being transferred. 

The second potential controversy lies in the fact that existing iPhone 3G owners will have to really dish out to upgrade to the iPhone 3G S. If you're among that group, then expect to have to spend no less than $399 for the 16GB or $499 for the 32GB, as part of an "early upgrade" offer that AT&T has mentioned. They've kind of buried it a bit on their website, but here's plenty of info on what you can expect.

What is known is that the "no commitment" price is $599 for the 16GB and $699 for the 32GB. That's pretty steep for customers who are already under contract anyway. Expect to hear more details on this because it's about to get interesting.

Being at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) today gave me a first look at the new iPhone 3G S and the iPhone 3.0 operating system. Now, before you go looking for this "new" iPhone, keep in mind that it's actually more of a tweak and upgrade and not a leap forward on what's already there. The design is identical, though what's inside has changed. It does, however, have a protective coating that will make it less susceptible to fingerprints and smudges.

The 3.0 OS will be a free download for all iPhone users on June 17, which is where a lot of the new features discussed today will come from. A built-in compass, copy & paste, landscape text and email, "push" notifications from your favorite apps, stereo Bluetooth for using wireless headphones and much more. You can rent movies from iTunes directly from your phone, which can be convenient. And one of my favorites: you can tether your iPhone with your Mac or PC and use it as a modem to gain Internet access. And if you're a MobileMe subscriber, you can use My iPhone to locate and track your lost or stolen iPhone. Very slick indeed.

The iPhone 3G S has some snazzy new features as well. The camera is now 3-megapixels and can record video as well. When taking photos, you just need to point at the part of the image you want to focus on and the lens does the rest. It's very cool, and well worth trying if you get your hands on the new phone. Support for Nike+ is also built-in for those fitness fans out there.

VoiceOver is also very cool. You can recite a phone number or speak out any contact you have on your Contacts and the iPhone 3G S will make the call for you. But you can go further and tell it to "play only songs from Akon", for example, and the phone will do it. It's amazing to see it work, but even more impressive is that it can understand anyone's voice, regardless of gender, age and accent.

Last but not least, the battery life should be better with the 3G S. Up to 9 hours of Wi-Fi Internet, 10 hours of video and 30 hours of audio on one charge. Not bad at all.

The iPhone 3G S will be available on June 19, and pricing is $199 for the 16GB version and $299 for the 32GB. Look for a review from me right here on Demystifying Digital on the 19th.