September 2008

Here's a roundup of some recent Skype Gear-related news:

Hardware

• As Peter mentioned, British comedian and ubergeek Stephen Fry had some nice words for the 3 Skypephone S2 earlier this month.
• Computer Act!ve gave the Belkin Desktop Internet Phone for Skype a spin and liked what it found--I reviewed it here and also found it pretty slick.
• The Panasonic KX-WP1050 made Computerworld's list of 10 great Wi-Fi gadgets for work and play.

In Other News...

• Skyping the election--the US presidential election is certainly heating up following Friday's first debate between the candidates. It's been really interesting to watch how the candidates have been using technology as a part of their campaigns; this article in Forbes discusses Skype's role
• Using Skype to run a language tutoring business.
• Keeping in touch with a girlfriend while off on an adventure and keeping up with grandparents via video.
• One for the offbeat file: a Skype song. Is it electronica? Ambient? I'm not sure, but I like it.

Looking for a new Skype phone with style? Hulger's got you covered--their Pappa*phone is made out of wood (American walnut) and brass and has a very modern, minimalist design. Each phone is handmade out of a single piece of wood by Furni of Montreal--the unique wood grain runs from the handset to the base and ensures that no two phones are alike.

However, (bad pun alert) these phones don't grow on trees--they're relatively pricey at $300. They also aren't Skype certified. But if you're looking for a phone that's as beautiful as it is functional, the Pappa*phone could be a good choice. You can learn more about the phone at the Hulger website here; Moco Loco also recently published some interesting photos of the phones in production here.

[via Boing Boing Gadgets]

Here are some of the interesting places where Skype's been in the news recently:

Gear Notes

• The 3 Skypephone S2 is out in the UK and has been receiving some very favorable reviews. Peter noted a few video reviews on the main blog.
• Sony is getting ready to release an updated version of the PSP, the PSP-3000, which has a built-in mic so you can Skype on it without a headset. It's expected to be out in October.

Back to School

• Skype is a great way for college students to keep in touch with family when they're away from home--the Philips VOIP151 Travel Phone for Skype and Ipevo Free.2 both made it on Computerworld's list of 15 great gadgets for the back-to-school crowd.
• Teachers are using Skype to teach music, languages, and for remote learning generally.
• The directors of aquariums in France and California are using Skype to show kids some cool fish spawning rituals.

Skype & War

• Yet another soldier has been using Skype in the Middle East keep in touch with family: "In the past we could only talk every couple of weeks," Melissa Wall said. "We've really been spoiled by Skype. It's made the last three months much more agreeable."
• A young American journalist was using Skype to stay in touch with his parents daily while he reported from Georgia.

Miscellanea

• Digital artists are using Skype to collaborate on blockbuster movies.
• Skype can be the 'virtual water cooler' for your virtual office.
• Members of the Peace Corps are using Skype to stay in touch with far away family.

In my last post I mentioned how I was taking a flight on American Airlines and would have an opportunity to test out the Gogo Inflight Internet from Aircell (and see if I could get Skype working on it of course). Well unfortunately my plan was foiled (foiled!) because instead of a single long flight from the east coast to the west coast of the US, I had to fly through Chicago, meaning both planes were relatively small and weren't equipped with Gogo service. It may have been for the best though--Aircell is not happy about people making calls over their service. Alas, if you take a Gogo-equipped flight and are able to get Skype working over a VPN, do let us know in the comments.

My trip was not a total disaster in the Skype department though--on my return flight on United, the August issue of their Hemispheres Magazine had a full page feature on Skype gear. It's nothing we haven't covered on this blog before (Skype on PSP, Plantronics .Audio 910 Headset, Nokia N810 Internet Tablet, Panasonic KX-WP1050, Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000), but it's still nice to see Skype in a mainstream magazine like this. Here's a scan of the page (click to make it larger):