Skype
This is where you will find all the pages tagged Skype.
Skype Licenses HelloSoft's Internet-Telephony Technology
HelloSoft, Inc., the world's leading provider of VoIP products, announced today that Skype has licensed HelloSoft's Internet-Telephony technology which will be incorporated into Skype's communication software. HelloSoft's technology will allow consumers to enjoy free, high-quality voice calls anywhere their smartphones and Pocket PCs can connect to the Internet."HelloSoft products being a low-footprint design are extremely cost-effective and power-efficient," said Krishna Yarlagadda, HelloSoft's President and CEO. "Our technology will support today's mobile and wireless generation as they use Skype(TM) on the go. We are excited to be working with Skype to enhance the performance of Skype for Windows Mobile."
Skype Licenses HelloSoft's Internet-Telephony Technology
Skype 2.5 for Mac
Now out of beta and available for download. Improvements abound including sms and video calling.
Mac 2.5 with SMS goes Gold - Skype for Mac
ASUS Launches the AiGuru S2 Internet Phone with Skype
It certainly pales in comparison to the iPhone. A fate that is sure to befall most manufacturers for some time to come.
The AiGuru S2 is a cordless USB Internet phone offering support for Skype™ software, Windows® Vista™ SideShow™, and both Apple iTunes and Windows Media® Player for wireless music play. The AiGuru S2 remains true to ASUS' three main product design concepts – style, ease of use and seamless integration with PC applications that users are no longer tied down to their PCs or laptops. The premium slim design, brilliant color display and backlit keypad make the AiGuru S2 comfortable to use around the house or office, regardless of where the computer is located. Access to broadband Internet is required.
VoIP takes hold with small businesses
It may be a truism but, nonetheless, voice over IP has the capacity to transform how companies deal with their communications. Large enterprises have been dipping their toe in the water for several years and now it appears that small and medium-sized companies are following suit, says Anthony Plewes.Investing in voice over IP has become a priority for SMEs, with some 60 per cent considering investing in it during 2007, according to a survey by silicon.com and The Bathwick Group. In terms of planned investment, it only lags behind laptop and handheld computers.
This trend is significant as VoIP lies at the heart of convergence; it allows voice to be carried over data networks, eliminating the historical divergence between voice and data.
VoIP takes hold with small businesses - silicon.com
The iPhone is launched
The iPhone has arrived, but not from Apple.Linksys, a division of Cisco Systems, introduced two VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol) handsets adding to five others the company already offers. The group of phones is now part of a Linksys family of products called iPhone.
The Linksys iPhones aren’t quite what some people may have been expecting. Apple is rumored to be working on a combined cell phone and digital music player and the mythical device has been dubbed the iPhone, after the popular iPod digital music player, by Apple enthusiasts.
Linksys’ newest iPhones include the CIT400, a cordless phone with a base station that attaches directly via Ethernet to a network and comes preloaded with VOIP software from eBay Inc.’s Skype Internet telephony service. The phone allows users to make and receive Skype calls without having to turn on and use their computers.
Macworld: News: The iPhone is launched ... by Linksys, not Apple
Pay as you go (phone) plans
When traveling I prefer to use local sim cards on a 'pay as you go' type plan. These plans are quite popular in Thailand and readily available. Other countries like Taiwan place some restrictions but in combination with Skype for internal calls, it's a far more economical alternative to roaming.
The following provided by wikipedia is a short introduction to the concept:
Pay As You Go, often shortened to PAYG, is used as a general term for the concept of a prepay mobile phone. In many countries this is referrred to as "prepaid" mobile service.
The concept was initially developed by Eircell in the Republic of Ireland in the 1990s, as a method of letting different types of people (those under the age of 18, those without bank accounts and those without proof of identity) obtain a mobile phone. Originally limited to one TACS handset, costing £99 upfront, the system was an amazing success, despite the high price of calls and a 7p service charge on every operation. The system was branded as Ready To Go, a name still used by Vodafone, who now own Eircell.
A user would buy a phone, usually pre-loaded with some amount of credit, and would purchase extra credit when required. A call cannot be made unless the user has the amount required for that call's minimum charge. Some networks charge more for the credit than you get in call value, often due to service charges and VAT on phone calls; however the opposite is often true, with users paying, for example, €20 for €22 call credit.
The concept has since been copied in many other countries, with virtually every network in every European country supporting it. On many networks, such as Ireland's Meteor, Pay As You Go is the main mode of operation, with account phones being very much second-class. Conversely, in the United States, account phones offer the best features with pay as you go services being far more restricted in functionality.
Often, Pay As You Go customers pay more for their calls and SMS messages, and are limited in what they can do with their phone - calls to international or premium rate numbers may be blocked, and they may not be able to roam. These limitations are often due to the complexity of managing the credit system for high price calls, or when the user was not on their home network.
In the United Kingdom, operators have started placing restrictions on PAYG users (for instance, having a minimum topup amount of more than £10) and raising the price of PAYG phones in an effort to attract users to contract plans (which tend to earn more money than prepay overall).
Pay as you go (phone) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Soon no more free phone calls with Skype
Skype, the Internet calling service owned by eBay, said Tuesday that as of Jan. 1 it would begin charging $30 a year for unlimited calls to landline and mobile phones within the United States and Canada. Those calls had been free since last spring.The new annual fee for unlimited calling, while still nominal compared with other Internet calling plans, is part of a broader strategy by eBay to expand Skype’s product offerings and revenue.
EBay, the online auction giant, paid $2.5 billion for Skype in October 2005, prompting criticism from some analysts that it had overpaid for a start-up company focused on a different market and technology.
Skype’s Free Phone Call Plan Will Soon Have Annual Fee - New York Times
30 tips for better business travel
My favourites from the list:
Stay healthy. Would you really eat peanuts and crisps, drink wine, have chocolate and drink coffee all day at the office? OK - so maybe you would. But on a plane, you need to keep hydrated to avoid getting tired. Take water and perhaps some fruit - and avoid coffee and alcohol. -- Simon Briskman, lawyer, Field Fisher WaterhouseIf you aren't yet a Skype subscriber then think about becoming one. In some countries, using VoIP in the hotel lobby or a wi-fi zone can save you a small fortune in mobile phone roaming charges. Don't forget to pack your headset. -- Simon Moores, columnist, silicon.com
Pack paper and pen - they have a longer battery life than your laptop and are more multi-functional. -- Rob Bamforth, analyst, Quocirca
Buy a light travel bag that holds a change of clothes, laptop, charger, phone, pen, paper and has a handle, shoulder and backpack straps. -- Rob Bamforth, analyst, Quocirca
Ask for a specific seat when checking in. Make a note from past travels on a route or, if you're travelling to or from the US and know the plane/airline, use seatguru.com - even the best business or first class seats can vary by being close to or far from galleys, toilets or even other seats. -- Tony Hallett, editor, silicon.com
30 tips for better business travel - silicon.com
How Skype has changed the way I do voice communication
You can save allot of money when working abroad by using various voip software and services.
I have been pretty pleased with Skype so far. Here is a snapshot of how I use voice communications now.
