Now in Stores, Hot New Gizmo Resembles Cell Phone, Rings and Lights Up with Incoming Calls, and Makes Video Chatting as Easy as Picking Up the Phone
PLEASANTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE via COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--Nov. 6, 2000--The future of personal communication has arrived at major retail outlets, Ezonics Corporation (www.ezonics.com) announced today.
The fun, cool, easy-to-use EZPhone Cam makes video chatting over the Internet as EZ as using a telephone, and connecting it to a PC system no more difficult than plugging a phone into a jack.
The EZPhone Cam is a great new way for college students, parents, friends and family to stay connected. Its fluent translation of new technology from geek-speak into a consumer-friendly, useful gadget demonstrates many of the design principles that made the Ezonics EZDual Cam the market leader and a PC Magazine ``Editor`s Choice`` earlier this year.
``I don`t video conference with my family, I chat with them. This is an evolutionary solution that revolutionizes communications,`` said Ping Liu, founder and CEO of Ezonics Corporation. ``We are allowing everyday consumers to reach out to loved ones through real-time video chats using a familiar product that looks just like a cordless telephone. Once people experience the spontaneity and fun of video chatting, the old desktop phone will seem old-fashioned.``
The EZPhone Cam looks like a consumer-friendly cell phone, right down to an audible ``ring`` and a stubby ``antenna`` that flashes when someone requests a video chat. It takes only a single press of a button to answer an incoming call.
EZPhone Cam hooks up through a plug-in USB port with no add-in card or rebooting required. It comes with EZBuddy List software that shows snapshots of people who are in the user`s phone list -- in color if they are online, in black and white if they are not. Making a call is as easy as clicking on the desired color image.
The user can also create a message and save it as an executable file with full motion video and audio, and send it as an attachment through email. The recipient double-clicks the attachment from inside their email program to see the full message, almost like a live conversation. Or the EZPhone Cam user can take a still picture with one press of the button and attach it to email messages, print it, turn it into a card or calendar, or even enhance the photo with special effects.
Technical Details
The Twain-complaint EZPhone Cam uses a 320,000 pixel CMOS that delivers a VGA image at 640 x 480 pixels or various lower resolutions, in 24-bit color at up to 30 frames per second. The manual focus lens brings in a sharp image from 10 cm to infinite distance, delivering it to the PC through a 2.0 meter USB cable. Software ``buttons`` control the shutter, change video modes and adjust for contrast and brightness. Programs bundled with the camera include EZ Video Chat,
Greeting Cam Deluxe, and an EZ Suite interface, all from Ezonics. In addition, the device comes with Live Express Video Panel, Composer, Live Monitor, and Snapshot from Live Express, and iPhoto Express 3.0 from Ulead. The camera is compatible with Windows 98, Windows ME and Windows 2000.
Pricing and Availability
The EZPhone Cam is available through major retail outlets including Best Buy, CompUSA, Office Depot and Fry`s Electronics at a manufacturer`s suggested price of $119.99. It is also available online through Amazon.com and RadioShack.com. To inquire about distribution, please contact Michael Ostwind at [email protected].
About Ezonics
Founded in January 1998, Ezonics Corporation makes high-tech products of exceptional value that are fun and easy to use. By leveraging superb Asian hardware and software design and manufacturing capabilities, Ezonics is able to provide consumers with the best-performing, best-priced products on the market. From the company`s initial product, the PalmZIP PCMCIA, a ZIP-compatible drive
for notebook computers, Ezonics has offered a variety of best-value products through major distributors. Ezonics produces the complete line of EZCam USB PC video cameras, including the best-selling EZCam USB and the EZPhone Cam -- the best quality, best value PC video camera on the market. Committed to making video mail even easier and more enticing, Ezonics is developing other electronic products to make high-tech life as EZ as 1-2-3. The company is located at 5870 Stoneridge Drive, Suite 4, Pleasanton CA 94588. To learn more about Ezonics, visit the company`s Web site at http://www.ezonics.com.
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