Archive for the 'voip' Category

I’m right now participating in a Skypecast. This is a new Skype service that is basically a moderated group conversation where up to 100 people can join. You can even create your own Skypecast around your interests and promote it on Skype’s website. Having just launched, there aren’t many interesting conversations going on right now, but this stuff has the potential of becoming very popular, as it is free and possible uses are limited only by people’s imagination.

Technorati Tags: skype, skypecasts.

I’ve been a Skype fan since I started using it a few months ago and have bought some SkypeOut and Skype Voicemail credit already.

Not being much of a traveller, I haven’t used much of my credit, yet, but I can foresee using it much more when I’ll start working from home and traveling more, this summer.

Anyway, I’ve always recommended Skype to everyone, but now that I can make some money doing it, the better. So, I signed up for the Skype Affiliate Program and started by putting a small button in the “Ads” column on the right side here.

If you want to discuss this or anything else, please feel free to Skype me!

On related news: the latest Skype beta for OS X (1.0.0.30) supports multi-user chat. Besides being great for VOIP, Skype is quickly becoming my favourite IM client.

Note to self: remember to buy a new headset with mic to replace the old one that is breaking down.

Free Phone Calling To Your PC: Teleo Better Better Than SkypeIN – Robin Good's Latest News: “After Skype has recently made the headlines with its release of the SkypeIn service, which allows Skype users on any computer platform to receive phone calls from any standard telephone line, a new tool challenges this latest feature, with an impressive PC-based offering where, those who call you on your PC, do not need to pay for the call.”

I think this is wrong on various counts:

1. The use of “free”. As far as I can see, only the 30-day trial is free, then is either $4.95 per month, for the basic plan, or $2.95 for the “Lite” plan. It's not clear whether you can use it for PC-to-PC calling without subscribing to either plan. With Skype, I can do PC-to-PC calls for free without any kind of subscription.
2. Inbound calls from a landline phone are free for the caller, hardly so for the callee. You have to subscribe to the basic plan which is $29.70 per six months, whereas SkypeIn is $30 per one year.
3. “Second, Teleo integrates itself seamlessly inside Microsoft office applications.” Might be an advantage for someone who uses Windows. I don't, so it's not much of an advantage to me.
4. When you read things like “Due to the overwhelming success of Teleo's beta launch, we are unable to accept additional beta testers at this time. Please check back later, and stay tuned for our full v1.0 launch later this year!” the term “vaporware” starts clicking in your head. Also, there's no date set for a 1.0 release, so are beta testers expected to have a one-month free ride and then start paying for using a beta product?

OK, I might be a bit overly suspicious here, but I've seen too many vaporware products touted as the next best thing since sliced bread not to be just a little wary.

Skype Voice Mail & SkypeIn Rates: “Skype slips into their website help section a new knowledge base which unofficially reveals their pricing strategy for voicemail and SkypeIn.”

Initially, SkypeIn numbers will be available in a selection of top US cities and states, 0870 numbers in France, 0207 numbers for the City of London in the UK and 819 numbers in Hong Kong.

Also, Skype VoiceMail Beta is available for Windows only, which probably means I'll have to wait a little while before testing it.

(Via Skype Journal.)

Skype 1.0.0.0 for OS X is finally out. Go download it and if you feel like, just Skype me!