Peter Howe (from the Boston Globe) had an interesting article about a Kendall Sq. Cambridge-MA startup called iSkoot (hat tip: Slashdot).  For an annual $10 software rental fee, iSkoot allows mobile subscribers to make international calls to other Skype users for just the price of the local air time for the link from their cellular phones to their home computers.  Of course, this is much cheaper than what the traditional wireless operators have to offer for LD rates, and even cheaper than SkypeOut, which usually charges an extra 2-3 cents per minute in Europe and East Asia.  iSkoot's CEO (Jacob Guedalia) is no stranger to the world of entrepreneurs, having started 3 companies (all sold, including most recently Mobilee, a speech rec company bought by NMS  in 2001).   more »

Hitachi launched a brand new technology called miragraphy in mid-July (hat tip: J@pan Inc Gadget Watch).  The idea is to combine a half mirror and a diffusion film to directly display digital info such as text, photos, videos, flash animations, TV shows, etc.  Miragraphy also integrates sensors, barcode and RFID readers, cameras, etc.  The mirror can automatically respond when folks are around and even create a personal experience based on the end-user's sensed identities.  I mean the possibilities are endless - imagine combining this with biometrics or with other technologies.  Uses would include the fashion and plastic surgery industries (to allow consumers to play "what if" scenarios) in addition to advertising (in public spaces such as restaurants, hotels, train stations, airports, etc.)

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