August 2008

Earlier this week, American Airlines began offering in-flight WiFi on domestic flights in the US. This is great news for business travelers clearly, but it's also nice for the rest of us who need our regular fix of email, news and YouTube during what would otherwise be dead time. However the service provider, Aircell, is blocking Skype and other VoIP services; this article suggests that it's because 'phone calls' are prohibited by law on flights, not differentiating between calls over the internet and calls over mobile phones.

What a bummer. Skype would be ideal on a flight (so long as you're not being loud and obnoxious and disrupting your neighbors), especially when those air-to-ground phones cost so much. There does seem to be at least one way to push voice over the network through flash, but I'd like to use Skype. So I got to thinking: Aircell does say that it supports VPNs, virtual private networks that allow employees to appear as though they're on their company's network. VPNs usually mask traffic--could Skype possibly work from behind a VPN?

Fortunately for me, I'm actually taking an American Airlines flight this week and do have access to a reliable VPN, so very shortly I'll be able to test my hypothesis and report back. But for now:

• Do you think Skype should be blocked on flights?
• Could there be a lack of bandwidth on the plane's connection to the internet (which I assume is via satellite)?
• Would chatting be annoying for other passengers? Would you find it annoying if someone was on the phone next to you during a flight?

Let us know what you think in the comments.

Photo by Yodel Anecdotal

It's the Olympics! I'm not a huge fan of traditional professional sports like football, but when the Olympics roll around I just can't stop watching--the passion and determination on display from these (mostly) amateur athletes is just amazing. I even bought a TV this year so I'd be able to catch all the BBC's coverage.

There have been quite a few stories of Olympians using Skype to stay in touch with family and friends while they compete in Beijing. I heard that Dan Walsh, a member of the US men's eight and friend from my rowing days, was using Skype on his Sony PSP to keep in touch, so last week I asked him a couple questions over email and he found the time to answer them amidst his preparations. Dan was an alternate for the US rowing squad in 2004 when the US men's eight won a gold medal; this year Dan will be going for gold in the Olympic final on Sunday.


Skype Gear: So Dan, how did you first hear about Skype?

Dan Walsh: A friend of mine told me about it when I was traveling over to Japan [for the 2005 Rowing World Championships] so I figured I would give it a try.

SG: Who are you talking with on Skype? Are you making free Skype-to-Skype calls or calling phone numbers? Are you making video calls?

DW: I am usually just talking to family using phone numbers when using Skype. I am waiting to get a new MacBook with built-in camera then I will start the video calls.

SG: Do you just use Skype on your computer, or do you ever use it on a hardware device like a cell phone, wifi phone or Nokia internet tablet?

DW: I use my computer but while here in the Olympics I am using my PSP, which is awesome. As long as I have a wireless signal I can make calls and it sounds great.

SG: Do you schedule your calls with family and friends? Does the time difference affect when you talk?

DW: No scheduling is necessary. The 12 hour difference makes it easy.

SG: Have you used Skype to stay in touch when you've been away at international races in the past?

DW: I have used Skype for the past four years whenever I go overseas. My best use for Skype was when I broke my cell phone and I couldn't get a new one for about 4 days. I was concerned about not being able to call anyone but then I remembered "I have skype" and was able to check my voicemail, return calls, the whole nine.

SG: What's the most outrageous thing you've said (or done) over Skype?

DW: Just some dirty SMS messages to my girlfriend while in Germany.

SG: Who's the first person you'll call on Skype after winning the gold?

DW: My father.


Thanks to Dan for taking the time to answer my questions, and best of luck to him and the rest of his crew in their final, which is at 17:30 Beijing time on Sunday.

A smattering of links this Friday, about

Skype at the Olympics

• Dara Torres, the 41-year-old American swimmer, uses Skype to talk to her 2-year-old daughter every day from Beijing
• Members of the US Water Polo and Soccer teams are also using Skype to stay in touch with far away family and friends

Gear Notes

• Technology blogger Om Malik likes the Ipevo Skype Desktop phone.
• A new version of Skype for Windows Mobile Professional (the one with the touchscreen) is out that works on WM 6.1.

Love over Skype

• Couples use Skype to stay in touch over long distances when they can't afford to travel
• Skype enables a soldier to see more family while on leave from Iraq

Usage Tips

• The Orlando Sentinel shows how to use Skype and Pamela to save voicemails you've received on your mobile phone for posterity
• The Motley Fool UK offers tips on saving money with Skype when you're traveling
• The Grouse at PopSci is pleased when he replaces his landline with Skype

Miscellanea

• Mike Bartlett, Skype's director of product management, talks about where Skype is going in an interview on TechRadar, touching on the 3 Skypephone, High Quality Video and other topics
• Skype is used to facilitate classroom discussions with authors

Laptop guarding cat iz suspicious. Photo by gillicious.

Here's a story: Man visits classroom. Man steals instructor's MacBook Pro computer, becomes Thief. Instructor is a Skype user, has Skype set to automatically answer all incoming calls and turn on built-in webcam. Instructor calls computer. Thief appears on screen, is identified and eventually arrested.

It sounds a bit implausible (and stupid on the thief's part), but it's a true story. It happened earlier this year at Utah Valley University. Michael Birkeland, an actor who has appeared in several low budget films, had visited an art instructor's class in April, and after class the laptop disappeared. Fortunately for the instructor, he had Skype installed and running, and when he called his computer he saw Birkeland on his screen. Birkeland covered the camera and refused to give the laptop back directly, and eventually was arrested.

It's a nice Skype story (thanks to Skype Journal for spotting it), but it makes me wonder what a person without Skype set to automatically answer (or facing a smarter criminal) could do if his or her laptop was stolen.

Continue reading "Skype to the Rescue" »