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Four 'HD' stories August 2011 - August 2013

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Skype for iPad & iPhone updated with HD video calls, improved call quality

Jordan Kahn Aug 12 2013 - 6:09 am PT

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Skype-iPad-video-calls

Update: The iPhone version of Skype just received the same update with HD video calling support on iPhone 5.

Today Skype updated its iPad app with the ability to make HD quality video calls in addition to several other performance improvements. It’s a feature that’s been available on other platforms for quite sometime, including the Mac client, but today the higher quality video calls finally make their way to the latest iPad. Earlier this year Skype rolled out HD video calling to Windows Phone device’s and noted it would include “720P HD on higher-end devices.” We’d imagine that’s also the case with today’s iPad update but, as always, the quality of video will also depend on the quality and bandwidth of your internet connection.

The HD video calling feature is only available on iPad 4, and version 4.10 also brings enhancements to call quality and stability. It also includes “a redesigned country code picker on the dial pad.”

What’s New in Version 4.10

Call quality improvements
– Make HD quality video calls from your iPad 4.
– General improvements to call quality and stability.

General fixes and improvements
– A redesigned country code picker on the dial pad.

Amazon sold a record number of Kindle Fire HDs the day after the iPad mini was announced

Jake Smith Oct 27 2012 - 1:07 pm PT

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According to Amazon, it was unfazed by the announcement of the iPad mini by Apple earlier this week. In fact, the company sold a record amount of $199 Kindle Fire HDs on Wednesday since being available on the market.

AllThingsD reported:

In response to a question about how Kindle sales were faring following Apple’s iPad mini announcement on Tuesday, Amazon spokesperson Drew Herdener reported they were selling better than usual. “Wednesday was the $199 Kindle Fire HD’s biggest day of sales since launch and up 3x week over week,” according to a statement emailed to AllThingsD.

For those keeping tabs, the Kindle Fire HD features a 7-inch IPS display, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 11 hours of battery life, and a weight of 13.9 oz.

Price presumably played a factor.

[tweet https://twitter.com/eejay/status/262287654173958144]

[tweet https://twitter.com/ryanchristensen/status/262289646740963328]

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Reuters: Apple will unveil an LTE iPad tomorrow

Jordan Kahn Mar 6 2012 - 7:54 am PT

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Backing up rumors that Apple’s next-generation iPad—set to be unveiled tomorrow, March 7—would be LTE-capable, Reuters reports “a source familiar with the product” confirmed it “will be capable of operating on a high-speed 4G LTE” network:

The newest iPad will be capable of operating on a high-speed 4G “LTE,” or Long-Term Evolution network, according to a source familiar with the product. At speeds roughly 10 times faster than current 3G technology, that may go a long way toward banishing the sometimes shaky video quality of older devices.

Reuters said Apple hopes customers will be more inclined to “pay extra” for a LTE iPad due to high-quality video. Adding to the reports, iMore claims the same source that called the March 7 unveiling date also informed them the “iPad 3” will include “4G LTE networking.” Both reports support The Wall Street Journal’s sources who said in February that an LTE-equipped next-generation iPad would land on Verizon and AT&T.
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Skype launches HD video calls for Mac OS X Lion with 5.3 update

Jordan Kahn Aug 8 2011 - 9:00 am PT

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Today Skype announced the 5.3 update for Mac OS X which brings HD video calls to Lion among a handful of other UI enhancements and bug fixes. The official Skype blog explains:

With Skype 5.3 for Mac OS X, you’ll also be able to send and receive HD quality video when talking to your friends and family. You’ll need to use the Mac’s built-in webcam or choose from a variety of webcams from our Skype Shop, such as the Logitech C910, to make video calls in crystal clear HD quality. To receive clear HD video calls on your Mac, we recommend an upload/download speed of 1.5Mbps.

While previous versions of Skype, even 2.8, seem to run rather well on Lion, official support should iron out any bugs you’ve been noticing since upgrading. The new update is not only available for Lion users, however, Skype’s blog post notes it is also compatible back to Leopard.

You can grab Skype 5.3 for Mac OS X here. We’ll let you know if we find anything else interesting in this latest update.

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