Nokia

Some recent Skype stories in the news:

Gear

• The new Nokia N97, which will soon have a Skype client built-in, is among the new smartphones reviewed in the UK's Times.
• The USO (which provides on-site support for American soldiers abroad) will be installing the IPEVO S0-10 Desktop Phone for Skype in 18 of its service centers to make it easier for soldiers to call home.

Business

• Use Skype to work remotely, says Gina Trapani of Lifehacker on her Harvard Business blog. One commenter explains how he Skypes into his work computer all day to converse with coworkers.
• A handbag company is using Skype to show its wares to prospective customers.
• Preparation for job interviews and career coaching is being offered over Skype.
• First-time entrepreneurs shouldn't forget Skype to keep costs low.

Entertainment

• Michelle Pfeiffer keeps in touch with her family using Skype.
• A Baldwin brother uses Skype before departing from I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here.
• A theater group used Skype to collaborate on its latest play and hold its first read-through.

Health

• An Iraqi father and daughter being treated in the US keep in touch with family in Iraq through Skype.
• A cancer patient is able to attend his high school graduation through Skype.

Education

• A Durham University (in the UK) visiting professor from Australia isn't actually leaving Australia--she'll be using online tools including Skype to collaborate with Durham professors.
• Skype is among the tools recommended for teachers for collaborative projects.
• Two classes of middle schoolers compete in a reading challenge over Skype.
• A soldier uses Skype to answer a class's questions.

Family

• The new CEO of Best Buy watched a basketball game 'with' his sons over Skype while on a business trip.
• One American soldier uses Skype to keep in touch with family from Iraq; another got to see his newborn twins for the first time through Skype, and another his daughter's graduation.
• No more empty nest loneliness for parents who keep in close contact with their college-aged children through Skype. Here's a similar story from the student's perspective, and another similar story with some good tips.
• A weekly Skype call keeps far away grandparents in the loop.

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):

It's been quite a while since we've mentioned the Nokia N800 and N810 Internet Tablets. What's new with them? Well, the open nature of Nokia's Linux-based OS2008 has allowed people to continue to add new features and exploit the devices in new ways. We already know that the N810 and N800 provide a great way to use Skype on the go, but what's been improved since they came out and how are people using their Internet Tablets?

• Last month Nokia released the OS2008 Feature Update, which adds better GPS support to the N810, over the air firmware updates, and an improved email client and other software improvements to the N810 and N800.
• People are talking about using the N800 as a laptop substitute and running Java applications on the N810.
• Some enterprising coders managed to install Google's Android operating system on the N810, an interesting proof of concept
• New applications make it possible to run Palm applications on the N810/N800 and geocache more easily
• And of a (only slightly) less technical nature, here's how to crochet a pouch to hold your N810 or N800.

It's great that people keep finding novel ways to use their Internet Tablets.

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.

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" »

You may recall the great fanfare with which I welcomed Skype on the Nokia N800 Internet Tablet last summer. Well, now the N800 has a new sibling--the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet--and it also runs Skype. It's now shipping in the US and will be available very soon in Europe.

I think it's fair to call the N810 a sibling to the N800. The insides of both are nearly the same: they have the same processor, screen, connectivity through WiFi and bluetooth, amount of RAM and battery life. The main difference is that the N810 adds a slide-out keyboard and GPS receiver. The N810 also has a fixed camera on the front where the N800 has a pop-out camera that rotates, and the N810 has 2GB of memory built in (but only one SD slot where the N800 has two). Look here for a nice comparison.

The Nokia N810 runs OS2008, Nokia's Linux-based operating system for its Internet Tablets, and in mid-December (according to this page) a final version of OS2008 will be available for N800 users, bringing many new features to the older tablet (I love a good firmware update!).

Last week I was able to play around with a pre-release Nokia N810 and was quite impressed. I'm not prepared to give it a full review (as it was beta hardware), but I have a few observations...

Continue reading "Nokia N810 Internet Tablet (with Skype) is out!" »

You may recall how we very excitedly noted the launch of Skype on the Nokia N800 Internet Tablet a few months back. In case you've been living under a rock, the Nokia N800 is a Linux-based WiFi Internet Tablet with a 4.1" 800x480 touchscreen and 330 MHz processor. In addition to a Skype client, it has a great browser (Opera), email client and RSS reader, as well as a player for music and video. It has an active and open development platform and new applications are coming out for it all the time.

On that note, I've got a few updates and recent reviews to share...

Continue reading "Loads of Updates for the Nokia N800" »

It's been promised for quite a while and now it's finally here--Skype is running on the Nokia N800 Internet Tablet. I've been testing out a unit with Skype for about a week now and in a nutshell I think it's a great addition that really increases the functionality of the device. Read on for my full review.

Continue reading "Skypegear Roadtest: Skype on the Nokia N800 Internet Tablet" »

  

Errr, well the Marketing guys at Three don't muck about with the messaging on their new product advertising, as you can see from the above. Reading between the lines on the above ad, it appears that maybe, perhaps, Three are now offering the whizzy E65 as part of their lineup of 'X-Series' phones.

Continue reading "Exclusive Nokia E65 now available from 3's X-Series UK" »

The Nokia N800 has already begun shipping in the US, and although we may have to wait a while before Nokia's latest internet tablet gets full Skype support, their announcement at CES that the N800 would add Skype calling to its list of features some time around the middle of the year is most definitely good news.

Continue reading "CES 2007: The Nokia N800 Skype-enabled some time around the middle of the year" »