Chinese PC maker MINISFORUM’s line of compact desktop computers range from low-cost systems meant for basic home or office use to higher-spec models that could be used for gaming or content creation, among other things. But the upcoming MINISFORUM Mars MC560 is something a little different. Like many of the company’s little computers, it packs […]
video conferencing
Amazon Glow is a kid-friendly video calling device with a projector
Amazon’s Echo Show devices make it pretty easy to participate in video calls between friends and family members. But try doing that with a kid and see how long it takes for their attention to start wandering. So Amazon designed a new device called the Amazon Glow that’s basically a video conferencing tool for kids […]
Microsoft Intelligent Speaker can generate real-time transcripts with speaker names during Teams meetings
Zoom’s earnings may have exceeded all expectations in 2020 as millions of people turned to video conferencing during the pandemic. But Zoom isn’t the only game in town, and one day meetings won’t be entirely virtual. So Microsoft is showing off a new Intelligent Speaker system designed for use in Microsoft Teams hybrid meetings where […]
Lilbits: Getting what you pay for with enthusiast-grade hardware
Pine64 has produced some of the most interesting hardware aimed at open source enthusiasts over the past few years. They’re not exactly high-performance machines, but what they are is cheap – among other things, Pine64 sells Linux smartphones for as little as $150 and Linux laptops for as little as $100. Those low prices, combined with […]
Zoom comes to smart displays, Google Meet to Chromecast
Zoom, the rising start in easy-to-use video conferencing/video calling has gotten a big boost from the global pandemic which has millions of people stuck at home and looking for ways to connect. Now there are a few new ways to do that — the company has announced it’s bringing Zoom to smart displays this fall, […]
Lilbits: Raspberry Pi and PinePhone projects and making a game of conference calls
A lot of us are spending more time than ever on video conference calls these days… and one developer has found a way to alleviate the boredom. The B-REEL Meeting Intruders Chrome extension turns a Google Meet session into a game of Space Invaders, where you can zap each chat window… and if you do […]
Google Meet video conferencing goes free for everyone (Calls with up to 100 people for 60 minutes)
Video conferencing is having a moment… or a few months at least. With millions of people around the world stuck at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, Zoom has seen an explosion of new users who are holding work meetings, birthday parties, and everything else on the internet. Rivals have been rolling out new features as […]
Facebook launches Messenger Rooms (Chat with up to 50 people, send links to non-FB users)
Video conferencing system Zoom has seen its user base explode over the past few months as millions of people stay at home to slow the spread of COVID-19. So it’s not surprising to see rivals starting to copy some of Zoom’s most popular features. Case in point — Facebook has launched a new group video […]
Webcams are almost as hard to find as hand sanitizer and toilet paper
It’s hard to find toilet paper or hand sanitizer on store shelves in the US these days. And it looks like you can add another item to the list — webcams. While it’s not impossible to find a webcam, many of the most popular models appear to be out of stock at most online retailers. I […]
Amazon Chime web conferencing takes aim at WebEx, Skype, GoToMeeting
Amazon has launched a new video conferencing service called Chime. It’s basically the company’s answer to Skype for Business, WebEx, GotoMeeting, and other enterprise software that allows multiple participants to join a conference from anywhere using computers, tablets, or phones. There are Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android apps for Amazon Chime, and there’s a Chime Basic […]