Still smaller

Skype on TV
Skype has left the desktop. The popular video-calling service,once the domain of computer-to-computer chatters and more recently smartphone users,is setting its sights on a more ubiquitous platform: the living room TV. New Web-connected televisions from Panasonic and Samsung now ship with the Skype software preloaded. Add a TV webcam and you’re ready to make high-definition video calls from the your sofa. But the TV-compatible webcams are not included with the TVs. For Panasonic sets,the $170 Communication Camera TY-CC10W displays video in 720p high definition (1,280×720). Samsung TV owners can buy the $150 Freetalk webcam,but they’ll have to settle for video resolution that tops out at VGA (640 by 480). Both models have four built-in microphones that provide enhanced directional sound. And they can pick up voices up to 12 feet or so,which means you do not have to crowd around the TV to make calls.

E-reader for kids
A Kindle for kindergartners? V.Tech hopes so,with this week’s release of V.Reader,formerly called FLiP,a $60 e-book player targeting early readers,ages 3 to 7,with a clear touchscreen and a membrane QWERTY keyboard. The V.Reader costs $60 and comes with one book. Additional titles cost $20. Unfortunately,the overall experience isn’t nearly responsive enough to keep up with a child’s active imagination. The page turns are sluggish,animation choppy and activities packed with instructions. This makes it hard to justify the price. The best feature is the ability to touch a word to hear it read aloud,in a clear voice.