Skype beta now supports 720p HD video calls on PCs and embeds Skype software into Internet-connected TVs. Very cool.

PR: http://about.skype.com/press/2010/01/new_era_in_face_to_face.html

I thought I’d write a bit of an plug for a program I participate in, using a lot of the computers I use to write my articles with.

I use my idle computer time to contribute to a project called Folding@Home. Folding@Home uses the spare processing power on your computer to run simulations of protein folding. Before proteins carry out their function, they have to assemble – or fold – themselves. Unfortunately, the folding process can and often does go wrong, leading to serious diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Mad Cow, Parkinson’s, and others. By simulating the folding process, scientists can use the results to find out more about these diseases, and eventually find a cure.

There’s a good chance that you or someone you love will encounter a disease related to protein folding at some point in life. Instead of feeling helpless in the fight against that disease, you can join devoted scientists that are helping to cure it!

Check out the folding@home website to get your hands on the Folding@Home client. Once you’ve downloaded it, begin the installation. It will guide you through a number of steps to get started. Remember to enter team 35054 when it asks you for a team number! That’s ours.

Folding@Home FAQ: http://folding.stanford.edu/faq.html
Our Folding@Home Team Page: http://leovillefolding.com

Team 35054′s Folding Statistics

Thanks for your help, if you can contribute!