Skype Gear

Want to be able to import all the numbers in your mobile into Skype, so you can call them easily using a Skype unlimited calling plan or pay as you go Skype credit? Andrey Goltsov did, so he created SkypeSync, a Skype Extra that allows SyncML-compatible phones (most European mobiles and some US mobiles) to import their contact lists into Skype.

It isn't exactly automatic--you need to make an account at ZYB (a free synchronization server) and after installing the Extra you need to follow a rather detailed set of instructions. And SkypeSync isn't free--it costs 12 euros (you can purchase it in the Skype Extras Manager using Skype credit)--though you can use it in trial mode to import 15 contacts.

Once you have your mobile contacts in Skype, you'll likely save money by calling them using Skype credit or a Skype unlimited calling plan rather than your mobile all the time. I know I do when I'm calling family and friends in the US from London. You could also use Skype for your mobile from your mobile to save on international calls. You can learn more about SkypeSync here, and read an interview that Andrey Goltsov recently did with Skype Journal here.

A while back I wrote up a few tips for ways you can use your webcam when you're not using it for video calls on Skype. I hit on remote monitoring, lifestreaming and "media librarying." Recently Lifehacker, one of my favorite blogs for productivity and web tips, put together their own post for ways to use a webcam you might not have thought of. I particularly like the idea of using your face to log into your computer and setting it to record and upload videos of thieves if your laptop is stolen. Also using it for time-lapse photography is a pretty neat idea.

Of course the best use for a webcam is to make video calls on Skype, but these tips are cool for getting more value out of something you've already got.

[photo by Nic Launceford]

Earlier this week our friend (and former Skype blogger) Jaanus Kase noticed an issue that's affecting some users of the FREETALK Wireless Headset--it appears that the headset's microphone doesn't work properly in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. Commenters on my original review have noticed poor performance on Mac, and Jaanus noted in his post that the mic does work properly when he's running Windows through Parallels on his Mac.

I've been asking around and I'm still not exactly sure what the issue is, but Skype Support has informed me that they're aware of the problem and are working with ISS (the company that makes the headset) and Apple on resolving it. They haven't been able to reproduce the error on Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger (which was the OS used for Mac Skype Certification).

If you have a FREETALK Wireless Headset and are experiencing poor performance on Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, you have two options. You can either wait for an updated driver that will resolve the issue, or you can return it for a refund / replacement.

If you've purchased the headset from the Skype Store in the past 30 days and wish to return it, you can return it through the Skype Store's normal return policy (here's the EU Store's policy).

If you've had the headset for longer than 30 days, are running Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard and don't want to wait for the updated driver, you can speak with Skype Support. They'll give you the option of getting a refund or a replacement unit (if you think your problem might be due to a hardware fault).

Here are some recent stories about Skype gear in the news:

• Video: in the classroom, at the conference, and at the Cannes Film Festival
• 3 Skypephone: reviews and commentary
• Skype at work, anywhere

It's all after the jump...

Continue reading "Skype Gear News Roundup" »

You may have already heard about the Skype Nomad--intrepid Australian Rebecca Campbell is travelling the world for 33 days, only sleeping while on the move, blogging about her trip, and raising money for charity (Motivation). She's using Skype to stay in touch and plan parts of her trip (you can send her recommendations and tips--she's 'theskypenomad').

In addition to all her travelling and photo-taking and blog writing, Rebecca's been writing a column in the UK's Telegraph. But one thing that she hasn't mentioned yet is the full list of gear she's carrying. There are tons of ways to use Skype on the go, but Rebecca is perhaps taking it to the extreme--when you're constantly on the move, light gear is of utmost importance.

Here's her full list:

• 3 Skypephone
• Nokia N810 Internet Tablet
• Nokia N95 8GB (for Skype for your mobile)
• PSP and headset
• Macbook Air (with 3 USB broadband dongle)
• Solar powered battery charger
• Panasonic HD Video camera
• Canon IXUS 70 (SD1000) Digital camera

She's got some neat stuff with her--and with the 3 Skypephone and 3 broadband dongle she can get online really easily whenever she's in a 3 territory. Still, she's already found that WiFi isn't exactly ubiquitous and you can't always be connected.

Rebecca's going to be passing through the UK later on her trip, and I'm going to try to be one of the many meeting up with her when she's stopping at Skype's office in London. Do you have any questions you'd like me to ask Rebecca? Leave 'em in the comments.

Here's a video of Skype for your mobile running on a Nokia N95 8GB. You can learn more about Skype for your mobile from my full post about it and you can download it for your phone here. Don't forget that it's beta software: known bugs are here, and you can report any you find here.

Whoa whoa whoa! Hot on the heels of Skype's new global calling plans comes (in my geeky opinion) some even more exciting news--the release of Skype for your mobile beta!

So what is it and what can you do with it?

Skype for your mobile (beta) is a 'thin' client for Skype that works on Java-enabled mobile phones. It lets you use many of Skype's features on the phone you already have. On the main information page (here), you can get instructions for how to install it on your phone and you can see a list of phones that Skype for your mobile has been tested on (though it may work even if your phone isn't listed, the phone needs to be Java-enabled).

Using Skype for your mobile beta, you can

• Make Skype-to-Skype and SkypeOut calls
• Receive calls from Skype contacts and from people calling your online number (SkypeIn)
• Send and receive instant messages (including group chats)
• See whether your contacts are online
• Set your online presence
• Adjust your account settings

There are a couple things to be aware of though:

Continue reading "Hello, Skype for your mobile!" »

Some recent Gear-related news on this fine Tuesday:

A double take on the Belkin Skype WiFi Phone

I just caught this video review of the Belkin WiFi Phone for Skype by Chris Hogg (and Chris Hogg) on Digital Journal TV. We've reviewed it before here. "They" run through what the phone does and say that it kicks derriere. I'm not sure of the camera and computer tricks DJTV used to make the video, but it's pretty neat. Watch it here:

 

PSP'd

If you've got a Sony PSP Slim & Lite and haven't tried Skype on it yet, have a look at these step-by-step instructions on Instructables. The author also goes into how to rip and convert DVDs for viewing on the PSP.

 

Webware 100 Winner!

For the second year in a row, Skype is a winner in CNET's Webware 100 Awards in the Communication category. Users (like you! Thanks if you voted!)chose the winners of these awards; no doubt this year more people are using Skype in more ways beyond the computer (like on a Nokia Internet Tablet, 3 Skypephone, a Skype WiFi phone, a Sony Mylo--the list goes on...). Check out the Skype's winning page here, and all the 2008 Webware 100 winners here.

Caught a neat bit of unconventional Skype Gear this week--David Bue Pedersen has created a "a DIY instant messenger online contact signalizer picture frame thingy" which works pretty much as described--it lets him see who's on Skype in a physical, visual way as he lounges across the room getting fanned and fed grapes. Or doing whatever he, um, normally does.

David used polycarbonate to make a picture frame for five photos, and backlit each photo with a LED. Then using some circuit wizardry and the Skype API, he got the LEDs talking to Skype and lighting up when the person in the photo is online. Pretty neat.

If you're of the Do-It-Yourself / Make Magazine persuasion, you can make your own light-up frame for up to 22 people--David provides schematics. More info (and some other cool DIY projects) on David's site here.

Some exciting news out of the CTIA Wireless conference in Las Vegas, USA this week--Nokia officially announced the N810 Internet Tablet WiMAX Edition. The N810 WiMAX Edition takes the very Skype-friendly Nokia N810 and adds WiMAX, a new wireless broadband technology. It's going to be out in the US this summer in areas where WiMAX is available. What exactly is WiMAX? The press release spells it out quite clearly:

WiMAX is a standards-based wireless broadband technology that delivers an open Internet experience similar to that of fixed broadband technologies with typical data download speeds of up to 2-4 Mbps per user with peak download speeds of up to 10 Mbps. Unlike current single point local area technologies like Wi-Fi which have a range of a few hundred feet, WiMAX networks consist of a number of interconnected base stations, each with a radius of up to 2-3 miles, that allow for handoffs from one base station to another as users move about a region or metro area. Additionally, WiMAX networks integrate technology designed to maximize the quality of service for each subscriber.

I think this is pretty awesome--it adds a whole new layer of mobility to the N810. Rather than needing to be at a WiFi hotspot or tethered to your mobile through bluetooth to check your email or make a Skype call, you'll be able to get online wherever you have a WiMAX signal (presumably in large metropolitan areas to start). Check out a video of the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition in action after the jump.

Continue reading "MAXed out: Nokia N810 Internet Tablet WiMAX Edition" »