SightSpeed this week released version 2.0 of its Internet video chat application and it is slick. Chief among the highlights is a new version for Macintosh that allows PC-to-Mac conversations and a new, simplified pricing model that gives all users unlimited access for only $4.95 a month. The user interface is also improved, with the number of windows that open with the application reduced via such features as picture-in-a-picture for the self-view.
SightSpeed has also made a number of under-the-cover enhancements such as improved stability on poor network connections, greater firewall transversal capabilities, better audio during high latency situations, and the ability to turn of the camera (thereby reducing memory and CPU usage) when the application is idle. Another neat feature is the e-mail-to-a-friend button that allows you to invite a buddy into a chat even if they don't have the SightSpeed client installed. An e-mail directs the invitee to a unique Web page under the SightSpeed domain that uses the embedded SightSpeed client that allows the invitee to see and talk with you.
In addition to lowering the price, paid customers can talk to non-paying customers (normally capped at 15 minutes a day) for as a long as they want. "We made it so paid members do not see any reduction in services," says CEO Brad Treat.
Users of SightSpeed 1.0 will be forced to download version 2.0. The download is about 2 megabytes.
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