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Vision Digital Video Phone marks underwhelming return of Ojo
Well, this answers that. Back in early 2008, we wondered whether or not Ojo had gone dark once and for all, but it seems as if the video calling outfit has been brought back from the grave... for no apparent reason. The Ojo Vision Digital Video Phone is now on sale through the company's revived website, offering a 7-inch color LCD, a video output and a design that simply had to have been ripped straight from 1994. Of course, it's not like we haven't been to this rodeo before -- Verizon itself gave it a whirl (twice!), and promptly decided that its funds would be better spent elsewhere. We suppose not everyone is ready to move right along to mobile video calling, and if that's you, the source link has all the details on monthly plans. Just grab a paper grocery bag to wrap the unit itself in, okay? Trust us, it's for the best.
Has the Ojo gone dark once and for all?
We don't have one with which to confirm, but we've heard that Worldgate, which took over Ojo from Motorola a ways back, has finally disconnected service. This after a report yesterday that the company was well on the road to bankruptcy. Surprising? Not so much, the grandma-videocalling market is remarkably small, and Ojo was never much of a technological eye-catcher, especially considering that monthly service. Ojowners, you having issues? Is this the end of the line for Ojo?
Ojo Shadow video phone hitting the US market
Just in case you were losing faith in WorldGate's ability to build back steam behind the trusty Ojo, we've got some positive news. The Ojo Shadow video phone will soon be loosed on the US market through a slightly unorthodox venue, as the Home Shopping Network snags the exclusive first launch privileges. The device is slated to make its television debut to American consumers at 8:00AM EST on HSN (set your alarms, folks), but for those of us who aren't down with waiting, a set of two is available right now from the company's webstore for $499.90. Users can expect a 854 x 480 resolution display, up to 20 minutes of video messaging, photo-based caller ID, and automatic white balance and backlight compensation, but we still say a webcam-based video chat would be much kinder to your wallet.
Ojo Portable Video phone
Ojo was showing off its latest device -- a travel version of the Ojo Video Phone -- and we had a chance to catch it in action. This was a prototype, but they do plan to have it to market by the middle of the year. The device is compatible with other Ojo Video phones like the Shadow and will retail for around $275, which is considerably cheaper than the Shadow. Aside from the smaller form factor and portability of the device, it is designed to be able to deal with poor connections at hotels and hotspots.More pictures after the jump.
Travel Ojo flip-video phone coming to UK?
At CES this week WorldGate Communications, a former partner of Motorola, unveiled its third Ojo video phone which they're calling the Travel Ojo. Unsurprisingly, they're pitching this model as a travel device -- the clue's in the name -- by packaging it up in a luggage friendly flip-phone style case. WorldGate has also announced a partnership with British Telecom, so the Travel Ojo could potentially be the first Ojo device to make the trip abroad. Current Ojo devices are priced somewhere between $300-400, so an exchange rate conversion would suggest a price of somewhere between £150-200. However, as our UK readers will no doubt attest, direct currency conversions tend not to fly when it comes to pricing UK gadgets, so expect to see some sort of premium over the US price. Either that, or we might see some sort of subsidized deal with a BT Broadband package. A geek can dream, can't he?[Via ShinyShiny]
