TechBytes: Skype Adds Group Chat

May 6, 2010— -- Skype is adding group video chat which will allow up to five people to participate in a video call at the same time. Skype will offer the service for free next week, but eventually plans to charge for it. Skype is also expanding its monthly subscription service to include calls to cell phones and landlines in more than 170 countries.

A major glitch on Facebook has many of its members worried about the site's ability to protect their privacy. The security hole gave users access to private information from their friends' accounts, like chat conversations. The problem was quickly fixed Wednesday, but it adds to recent concerns about Facebook's privacy measures.

Google is fine tuning its search results and its appearance. The most noticeable change is along the left side of the results page. A new tool bar makes it easier to dig deeper. For example, a search for "dresses" will give you a link to Google's shopping pages. Type in "sports event" and you'll get links for news, images and more.

Now that Google is planning to launch a digital book store it would put the search giant in competition with Amazon, Apple and Barnes and Noble. The New York Times' Nick Bilton says that's great news for book lovers."If prices come down in one marketplace, they're going to come down in other marketplaces too. And if the Kindles of the world want to continue to charge $9.99 or $12.99 for a book, they're going to have to actually offer a better experience and something that's a little bit more in-depth than the competitors they're going be going up against that are less expensive." Google's e-book store is expected to open this summer.

If you think video games are a waste of time, they weren't for a 23-year-old from Alabama. He just won $1 million playing Major League Baseball 2K10 The game's maker offered the prize to the first person to pitch a perfect game, something that's only been accomplished 18 times in major league history.