Comunicano

SightSpeed's Top 10 Things To Do With Your New Web Cam

So you got a new webcam during the holiday season. Or even better, a whole new computer was presented by a generous loved one, fully equipped with a built-in webcam. You hook it up and test the video, test the audio, make a few funny faces and laugh at yourself in the monitor. What next?

Well, now the fun begins. Record and send your New Year’s resolutions to your buddy list. Invite your friends to a party. Say hi to Grandma… The possibilities are endless, but to get you started, we asked the SightSpeed Guy (a.k.a. SightSpeed Customer Service Director Peter Zottolo) for some valuable suggestions. SightSpeed Inc. is the award-winning provider of Internet video communications for both the business user and consumer.  SightSpeed's services are SIP-based and standards-compliant, and the company’s revolutionary human perception based technology is patented and based on more than ten years of research and development originating out of Cornell University.

Check out Peter’s latest Top 10 list in this new SightSpeed video, Top 10 Things to Do With Your New Webcam at http://www.sightspeed.com/top-10-webcam. And for more great tips on video communications visit www.sightspeed.com.

Truphone Announces Support for New Nokia Wi-Fi Phones AND Freezes Its Rates For the Winter

Truphone made a couple of announcements today--some good news for global callers, especially those with some of the latest Nokia phones.

First, the company has confirmed that its mobile VoIP service is supported on five new Wi-Fi-equipped Nokia handsets: the Nokia N95 8G, Nokia N81, Nokia N81 8G, Nokia N82 and Nokia E51 models.

Second, all Truphone call charges have been frozen at their current rates until February 29, 2008. That means that for the next two months, Truphone calls will be free to landlines in 40 countries, and to mobiles in the U.S., Canada and elsewhere.

Further details about the announcements are posted at the Truphone Press Office.

VRINGO WINS SPECIAL RECOGNITION SONY ERICSSON CONTENT AWARD

• Video Ringtones from Vringo Win Award for Best Use of Phone Functionality
• Sony Ericsson Says Vringo “Adds New Dimension to the Consumer Experience”

NEW YORK–Dec. 19, 2007—Vringo, the pioneer in video ringtone sharing, has won the Special Recognition award in the Sony Ericsson Content Awards ’07—the company’s first-ever awards for development of outstanding content and applications for mobile phones. Sony Ericsson made the announcement in an online awards ceremony. Vringo won for “Best Use of Phone Functionality.”

Vringo was selected for its video ringtone-sharing application that enriches and personalizes the experience of users of Sony Ericsson mobile devices, as seen in this video clip.

In selecting Vringo, the Sony Ericsson judges said: “Vringo is a rich and deep application that makes extremely good use of the capabilities available in Sony Ericsson Mobile phones—from voice, video, camera and buddy lists. And with its community features, it adds a new dimension to the consumer experience.”

Subscribers to the Vringo service use their buddy lists to deliver personalized, 2- to 10-second video ringtones (“Vringos”) announcing callers to the people being called or to identify incoming callers. Users select their personal Vringo video clips through their mobile handsets or online, or they can make their own. Subscribers can share Vringos with any other subscribers in the Vringo community who have compatible wireless phones.

“Winning this award is especially meaningful to all of us at Vringo because of Sony Ericsson’s stature as one of the world’s top mobile-handset providers,” said Vringo CEO Jon Medved. “We’re extremely proud to have this recognition from one of the true giants in our industry.”

This award from Sony Ericsson is the latest for Vringo, which also received the award for “Best Mobile Service for Social Community & User Generated Content” at the 23rd Annual MIPCOM conference in Cannes, France, in October.

Vringo recently added Agence France-Presse, WeeWorld and Discovery Channel to its growing catalog of content partners that already includes Universal Music Group and Meez, an online animated avatar service, among others. Vringo subscribers now have access to a wide variety of video ringtones ranging from comedy to sports to cartoons and more.

For further details about Vringo, to preview video ringtones or to see a list of supported handsets, please visit www.vringo.com.

About Vringo

Vringo is creating the world’s first video ringtone sharing community. The company is making Personalization 2.0 a reality by enabling users to experience rich media ringtones on a wide variety of mobile devices and for the first time to share that media with others within a community. Vringo is backed by Warburg Pincus and by private investors. More information can be found at www.vringo.com.

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Contact:
Sue Huss
Comunicano
619-379-4396
sue.huss@comunicano.com

Here's how Vringo works...

Sharing a Vringo video ringtone is easy and fun.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE NEWS VIDEOS AVAILABLE AS VRINGO RINGTONES

Vringo Users Can Now Personalize Their Ringtones With News Clips—In Addition to Entertainment Content

PARIS–Dec. 11,  2007—Vringo, the pioneer in video ringtone sharing, and worldwide news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) today announced an alliance that will enable AFP video clips to be integrated into Vringo’s video ringtone service. The announcement was made at LeWeb3 2007.

Using Vringo, mobile phone users worldwide can now seamlessly download selected AFP video clips in multiple languages onto their mobile handsets from the Vringo Web site. When a call is placed, the video clip appears on the recipient’s phone screen as a video ringtone, or “Vringo.” AFP content on a wide variety of topics will also be available to all Vringo users on the Vringo Web site. (See sample clip.)

“AFP produces news video and features for television, the Internet and mobile phone service,” said Gilles Tarot, marketing and sales director of AFP North America. “And now, through this agreement with Vringo, our international video coverage will be available in yet another format—video ringtones, one of the newest and most personal ways of sharing information.”   

With the AFP-Vringo alliance, Vringo subscribers can use their buddy lists to deliver 2- to 10-second AFP video clips announcing the caller to the person being called—or to identify an incoming caller. Users select their personal Vringo clips through their mobile handsets or online. Vringos can also be shared with any subscriber in the Vringo community with a compatible wireless phone.

Vringo services are now available on a wide variety of mobile handsets, including devices made by Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Samsung and others (see full list of Vringo-compliant handsets).

“Through this agreement with AFP, Vringo users can now share video clips of current stories with others—personally selecting information they feel is important to communicate,” said Andrew Perlman, general manager–Vringo America. “AFP is a wonderful addition to the Vringo catalog of content providers, expanding the selection beyond the realm of entertainment.”

AFP joins a growing list of content providers now partnering with Vringo, including Discovery Channel and Universal Music Group.

About Agence France-Presse (AFP)

AFP, worldwide news agency, maintains a network of journalists in 165 countries around the world covering events 24/7 in 6 languages. The AFP brand guarantees editorial quality and reliability built since the agency was founded in 1835. The agency also offers multimedia products online: text, pictures, graphics, animated graphics and video. AFP covers all the news worldwide, from politics and diplomacy to economy and finance, sports and culture to science, technology, health and people. Its clients include the world’s major media organizations as well as corporations, governments and international agencies.  Its services are edited at regional centers in Paris, Nicosia, Washington, Montevideo and Hong Kong.

For more information about AFP, please go to www.afp.com.

About Vringo

Vringo is creating the world’s first video ringtone sharing community. The company is making Personalization 2.0 a reality by enabling users to experience rich media ringtones on a wide variety of mobile devices and for the first time to share that media with others within a community. Vringo is backed by Warburg Pincus and by private investors. More information can be found at www.vringo.com.

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Contacts

For AFP:
Pierre Fernandez
AFP.
+33 1 4041 4923
pierre.fernandez@afp.com

For Vringo:
Sue Huss
Comunicano, Inc.
+1 619 379 4396
sue.huss@comunicano.com

Sample AFP Clip Available as a Vringo Video Ringtone

FRANCE, Paris : Footage of the English Rugby team from their training session for the Rugby World Cup. (AFP)

LES VIDEOS DE L’AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE DISPONIBLES COMME RINGTONES

Les utilisateurs de Vringo peuvent maintenant personnaliser leurs sonneries avec des vidéos d’actualités

PARIS – 11décembre 2007—Vringo, le pionnier dans le partage de sonneries vidéos, et l'Agence France-Presse (AFP) ont annoncé aujourd'hui un accord qui permet d’intégrer les vidéos de l’agence mondiale d’information dans le service de sonneries de Vringo. Cet accord a été rendu public pendant le salon LeWeb3 à Paris.

A partir d’aujourd’hui, les utilisateurs peuvent télécharger sur leurs téléphones mobiles une sélection de sonneries vidéos de l’AFP dans différentes langues à partir du site web de Vringo. Quand un appel téléphonique est passé, un mini clip de 5 à 10 secondes (encore appelé Vringo) apparaît sur l'écran de téléphone du destinataire de l’appel en guise de sonnerie. Une grande variété de sujets sera aussi disponible pour tous les abonnés à Vringo sur le site web de Vringo (par exemple).

“Cela fait près d’un an que l’AFP a lancé son service vidéo international aux USA,” a déclaré Gilles Tarot, Directeur commercial et marketing de l'AFP en Amérique du Nord. “Grâce à cet accord avec Vringo, notre couverture internationale sera disponible dans un format très novateur - les ringtones vidéos - ce qui va contribuer à faire partager nos informations d’une façon très personnalisée et originale.”

Les abonnés de Vringo peuvent utiliser les vidéos de l’AFP pour annoncer leurs appels à leurs amis ou pour reconnaître leurs amis lorsqu’ils reçoivent leurs appels. Les abonnés choisissent des sonneries vidéos personnelles via leur téléphones portables ou en ligne. Ces sonneries peuvent être aussi partagés entre plusieurs abonnés Vringo d’un même cercle d’amis dès lors qu’ils possèdent un téléphone portable compatible.

Les services de Vringo sont disponibles sur une grande variété de portables, en particulier ceux proposés par Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson et Samsung (voir la liste complète des marques compatibles avec Vringo).

“Avec l’AFP, les abonnés de Vringo peuvent maintenant partager des clips d'actualités avec leur réseau d’amis, en choisissant personnellement l'information qu'ils jugent importante de communiquer,” a ajouté Andrew Perlman, Directeur Général Amérique de Vringo. “L’AFP est un apport précieux pour le catalogue de contenus de Vringo et nous sommes heureux d’élargir notre sélection de sonneries videos au-delà du domaine du divertissement.”

L’AFP rejoint d’autres fournisseurs de contenus tels que Discovery Channel et Universal Music pour offrir un plus grand choix de sonneries vidéos aux abonnés de Vringo.

A propos de l’Agence France-Presse (AFP)

Agence mondiale d’information et fournisseur de contenus multimédia, l’AFP couvre l’actualité de la planète 24 heures sur 24. Avec 4.000 collaborateurs, elle est présente dans 165 pays et diffuse à partir de cinq centres régionaux. Sa production au quotidien est de 5.000 dépêches en six langues, 2 à 3.000 photos, 80 infographies et 30 sujets vidéo.

Pour plus d’information sur l’AFP, consultez notre site www.afp.com.   

A propos de Vringo

Vringo a crée le premier réseau mondial de partage de ringtones vidéo. La société fait de la personnalisation 2.0 une réalité en rendant capable le grand public d’utiliser et de partager des ringtones vidéos pour la première fois et sur un grand nombre de modèles de téléphones portables.  Vringo est soutenu par Warburg Pincus et par des investisseurs privés.

Pour plus d’information sur Vringo, consultez notre site  www.vringo.com

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Contacts

Pour l’AFP:
Pierre Fernandez
AFP
+33 1 4041 4923
pierre.fernandez@afp.com

Pour Vringo:
Sue Huss
Comunicano, Inc.
+1 619 379 4396
sue.huss@comunicano.com

GiftVOX from MOBIVOX

Can Kids Keep in Contact if Gramps Gags on Gadgets? New Poll Finds Technology Gap Impacts Cross-Generational Communications

GiftVOX from MOBIVOX Bridges Gap by Providing Free International Calling to Entire Families…Whether They’re on a Razor or a Rotary

MONTREAL – Dec. 11, 2007 - Younger people hooked on instant communications like SMS and IM communicate differently with their grandparents due to the fear of new technology common among older people, according to a new poll released today by international call provider MOBIVOX*. 

While it may not entirely explain why kids don't reach out to Grandma as often as their parents would like, there are clear generational differences in how we communicate with family and friends.  Almost 60 percent of those under 35 say that they communicate differently with older, less tech savvy family members and friends.  This is probably not surprising since Grandpa is two times as likely to say that technology “gives him a headache” (less than 10 percent of those over 65 use SMS or IM regularly and over half still use letters).  And the impact of these barriers on relationships is felt across generations – one in three Americans, regardless of age, say that they don’t connect as often as they would like with those they love because they don’t use the same communications technology.

All hope for bridging the gap and sharing holiday cheer this season is not lost however. The poll also reveals that 60 percent of those under age 35 said that family and friends call them for help with their technology woes.  Now – thanks to MOBIVOX – they have a new way to overcome the generational digital divide and make connecting easier than ever.

MOBIVOX today launched GiftVOX, which lets every family’s go-to person set up free international calling for family members.  All the recipient has to do is call their local MOBIVOX access number and – during that first call – opt-in to activate their account.  No hassles.  GiftVOX eliminates the need to ever go online, program a contact list or learn to use a new gadget.

The benefits extend to the gift giver as well.  Since MOBIVOX members talk for free, GiftVOX means both the giver and recipient get free international calls.

“GiftVOX lets you give the gift of free calling to those you love most,” said Stéphane Marceau, MOBIVOX CEO.  “They don't need a computer, a credit card or even a calling card number. All they need is a mobile or landline phone and a loved one to talk to.” 

Because MOBIVOX allows members to connect from any phone, it is especially easy for older generations to use since eight in 10 of those over 65 rely on home landline phones to communicate (versus 50 percent using mobile phones and only one in three on email). 

“The beauty of GiftVOX is that it makes all the benefits of state-of-the-art global communications available to everyone,” continued Marceau.  “And the fact that it is free eliminates a major hurdle to staying close for both the Grandfather and his college student grandson.”

MOBIVOX is an international calling service that makes it possible to call friends and family around the world for free from ANY phone.  Calls are free to MOBIVOX members in more than 40 destinations and members save up to 98 percent on all other international calls. 

After registering for free at www.mobivox.com and uploading contacts, MOBIVOX members dial a local MOBIVOX access number to connect with friends and family a world away. 

Upon calling, members simply say the name of who they want to talk to – no need for a calling card and PIN numbers; computers, special software or complex downloads.  Additionally, the calls can be placed from any phone – mobile or landline. 

MOBIVOX is a privately held company whose investors include: IDG Ventures Boston, IDG Venture Investment China, IDG Ventures Vietnam, Brightspark and Skypoint.

For more information, please visit http://www.mobivox.com/.

See how free calls between MOBIVOX users work at www.mobivox.com/help/FAQ/.

* Telephone survey conducted by CARAVAN® Survey among a national probability sample of 1,017 adults comprising 509 men and 508 women 18 years of age and older, living in private households in the continental United States.  Interviewing was completed during the period November 23-26, 2007.  Full survey results available upon request.

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Contact:
Sue Huss
Sue.huss@comunicano.com
1-619-379-4396

SIGHTSPEED Tip #1: Web Cam Placement

With the use of Web cams increasing, and more and more people using Internet video calling and Web conferencing to stay in touch and do business, SightSpeed has developed a Top 10 list of tips about how to become video ready. These simple but helpful tips provide good, solid direction for those who are new to Web conferencing. Check out these helpful and entertaining video clips. And for more great tips on video communications visit http://www.sightspeed.com

Webcam Placement: By placing your webcam on the top-center of your computer, it will appear as if you are looking at the person you are conversing with. If you place your webcam on the side of your monitor, the other party will only get a side view. This is only a good thing if you love your profile. Having the camera in the center also allows you to watch the person you are conversing with while making it appear as if you are keeping eye contact with them. 

SIGHTSPEED Tip #2: Good Lighting

Make Sure You Have Good Lighting: It is crucial that you have good lighting. If there is a bright window or strong lighting behind you, it will make you look dark—but direct sunlight can make you look washed out. To achieve the perfect color, close your blinds or curtains and use indirect lighting to illuminate your face (no tanning required).