Five things Microsoft may do with Skype

1. Integrate it with the Xbox
Roughly 10 million Microsoft users already have cameras attached to their devices. That's the number of Xbox Kinect systems sold since the motion-sensing game system was released last year.
It seems like a no-brainer that Microsoft would integrate Skype's advanced chat technologies with that, as well as with its Xbox LIVE service.
The Xbox 360 already has a chat function. But gamers have largely been unimpressed, opting for other consoles like the PlayStation for multiplayer games that require real-time communication.
Similarly, Skype already has TV-compatible webcams and software, but it's hardly been a high-profile feature.
Putting Skype on the Xbox could push both products forward.
2. Improve the Windows Phone
Let's be honest: Windows Mobile phones aren't selling like the iPhone or the growing cascade of phones running Google's Android system.
The Windows Phone 7 system really hasn't had an answer for the iPhone's FaceTime app or Google Talk's newly added video. Now it will, with the best-in-breed video and voice chat app at its disposal.
"It's pretty obvious today that not everyone is doing video, particularly from their phone," Ballmer said. "That's an opportunity where there are a lot of things that could be done."
Of course, Apple and Android products can already run Skype apps. So it will be interesting to see how that plays out. (Ballmer assured current Skype customers that those platforms will still be supported.)
"Given that Skype has been in use for more than a half-dozen years and has a growing user base, it would be difficult for Microsoft to begin eliminating Skype support for other mobile platforms," Kevin C. Tofel wrote for tech blog GigaOM.
"But future features and other value-add services could be offered exclusively or first on Windows Phone 7 devices going forward, giving consumers a 'killer app' to consider when making a smartphone purchase."
3. Show up at your office meeting
One of the reasons Microsoft was considered to be high on Skype was so Google and Cisco Systems, both rumored to be interested, wouldn't get their hands on it.
In terms of workplace communication, the latter may be more important than the former. Cisco is the first name people think of when office video conferencing and teleconferencing are mentioned.
But Microsoft has made inroads with its Lync system, and adding Skype's software would move it one step further.
Oh yeah ... and it just so happens that Skype CEO Tony Bates is a former Cisco executive, as are other members of the Skype team.
Microsoft's Office 365, which will include an online-only option, is expected to be released later this year. The suite of workplace tools will include Lync.
4. Appear on Facebook
Yes, Facebook was rumored to be one of the tech titans in the running to buy Skype. The social media giant's interest seems a clear indication that Mark Zuckerberg and Co. would like to beef up Facebook Chat with video.
It was just a passing reference. But on Tuesday, Ballmer mentioned "social" as one of the possible uses for a Microsoft-owned Skype.
Microsoft actually owns a piece of Facebook, having bought in for $240 million in 2007. And the two have worked together on projects since then. (Skype now also lets users integrate their news feeds and friends lists.)
Getting a product in front of Facebook's 600 million or so users would be huge.
5. Bring some juice back to Hotmail
By virtue of its ties to Microsoft, Hotmail still has tons of users worldwide. But do you know anybody who's excited about it?
For the past year or two, Microsoft has been punching up Hotmail, an e-mail service that has lost considerable cool points in the wake of Gmail's rise.


http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/web/05/10/microsoft.skype.users/index.html

Everybody hates Cisco

Shares of the once-mighty networking equipment titan have fallen 12% so far in 2011. That makes it by far the worst performer in the Dow.

Adding insult to injury, Cisco's woes have come during what's been a great year for the market. The Dow is up nearly 10% and only three other Dow components are even in the red this year.

Cisco (CSCO, Fortune 500) will report its latest quarterly results after the closing bell on Wednesday afternoon, and investors are eager to hear if CEO John Chambers has a plan to get the company back on track.

Cisco has underwhelmed investors for awhile now. The stock fell more than 15% last year. Chambers has been super cautious during conference calls about the economic environment.
And it looks like the major cutbacks in government spending (especially at the local level) is one reason why Cisco has struggled as of late.
But many investors also feel that Cisco is now an unfocused, unwieldy mess.
In addition to its bread-and-butter business of making switches and routers for large corporate customers, it owns a big cable set-top box maker (Scientific-Atlanta), several online video conferencing businesses (WebEx, Tandberg) and divisions that make networking gear for consumers.
Some think Cisco got big for bigness' sake and it's time to slim down.
To Cisco's credit, the company has taken some baby steps to try and please restless investors.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/05/10/technology/thebuzz/index.htm

Google sets aside $500 million for mysterious ad probe

Google is no stranger to federal investigations of its ever-expanding empire. Here's a new one to add to the list: Google has set aside $500 million for a potential settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice regarding the company's advertising practices.
The news, slipped Tuesday into a regulatory filing, caught many by surprise. The filing appears to be the first time Google has disclosed the DOJ probe. It offered few details, saying only that the DOJ has been investigating "the use of Google advertising by certain advertisers."

The company has not yet settled, and declined to comment further on the nature of the investigation or the timing of any potential settlement.

At Google's (GOOG, Fortune 500) annual I/O developers conference in San Francisco, co-founder Sergey Brin dodged questions about the filing.

"Luckily, since we changed roles a few months ago, I don't have to deal with filings, and the DOJ, the SEC or other acronyms," Brin said.
When Larry Page took the reins as CEO from Eric Schmidt last month, Brin lost his "Google president" title and now focuses exclusively on engineering.

After setting aside the $500 million, Google said it revised its profit down for the past quarter, which ended March 31, 2011. It said it earned $1.8 billion, or $5.51 per share, down from the $2.3 billion, or $7.04 per share that it initially reported last month. The net income that Google initially reported already fell short of Wall Street's estimates.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/05/11/technology/google_doj_settlement/index.htm

Ultra-thin handheld microscope could sniff out skin cancer, forged documents

It may not look like it, but that sleek black thing pictured above is actually a microscope. Designed by engineers at Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF, this little guy boasts a 5.3mm optical length, rendering it slim enough to fit in the palm of your hand, yet powerful enough to deliver images at a scanner-like resolution of five micrometers, over a wide surface area. Fraunhofer's researchers achieved this balance by essentially tossing out the manual on traditional microscope design. Whereas most devices slowly scan areas and construct images on a piecemeal basis, this handheld uses several small imaging channels and a collection of tiny lenses to record equal sized fragments of a given surface. Unlike conventional scanner microscopes, all of these 300 x 300 square micrometer imaging channels are captured at the same time. With a single swipe, then, users can record 36 x 24 square mm shots of matchbox-sized objects, without even worrying about blurring the images with their shaky hands. The prototype is still two years away from going into production, but once it does, engineers say it could help doctors scan patients for skin cancer more easily, while also allowing bureaucrats to quickly confirm the authenticity of official documents. 

 

 http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/05/ultra-thin-handheld-microscope-could-sniff-out-skin-cancer-forg/