high definition

As far as buzzwords on the top of the list recently, "high definition" is a phrase I've been hearing nonstop. From product advertisements to television broadcasts and Internet phone calls, it seems like people are totally into living life in HD. And apparently online shopping is no exception. While taking advantage of a coupon that popped into my email inbox, I was browsing through running shoes on popular shoe retailer DSW's website. I'm pretty fussy about my running shoes and usually like to see them in person before I buy, but the online-only discount was too good to pass up.

Then I noticed a "View in HD" button above the shoes I was checking out. High def online shopping? Really? Turns out the HD view is really just a large image of the shoe that you can view from any angle (including top and bottom) and spin in a complete 360-degree circle. I'm not knocking the feature — if I'm buying a product online I like to get the best view possible — but the use of "HD" made me giggle. I wonder how many other sites will follow suit!

I relied heavily on Skype to contact family and friends when I spent a few weeks in Japan last year, and even though I thought the video and voice quality were pretty fly I guess there's always room for improvement. Skype announced yesterday that the newest version of their software would bring HD-quality VoIP calls to your PC and will also be partnering with LG and Panasonic to bring the high quality calls to Skype-embedded Internet-compatible TVs later this year.

In addition, Skype will be producing a line of high def webcams for your TV set so you can make the HD calls right from your living room — no PC required. The FV Touchcam N1 ($70 - $100) will ship in February, and the FreeTalk HD Pro ($120) will hit the virtual Skype shelves in March.