Sony

You may have seen Peter's post on the main blog about the launch of the first Skype-certified webcam, the Asus AiGuru SV1. It's a very neat little gadget--I'm going to have one to play with this week and will be sharing my thoughts on it soon. But until then, here are some more recent Skype stories in the news:

Podcasting Tip

• Skype is used in the production of many podcasts; while recording the audio from one side will generally produce a "good enough" sounding file, the audio can sound more professional if both parties record their own side of the conversation, chat on skype, and then one person syncs up both audio files afterwards. Dan Benjamin details his process here.

"Celebs" using Skype

• Tori Spelling and her husband Dean McDermott learn about technology (and how to use Skype, about a third of the way in) in this video on PC.com. The video also features the Sony VAIO Mouse Talk, which I reviewed here.
• Kendra Wilkinson, Playboy Playmate and star of the reality show The Girls Next Door, appears on a talk show and mentions how she uses Skype to, erm, stay in touch with her boyfriend across the country (note that this clip isn't exactly safe for work).

Students and Soldiers

• Schools are using Skype to enable teachers to teach and students to learn when they can't be in the classroom because of illness or far away learning opportunities. High school teacher Sallye Clark was able to teach her students from home while recovering from knee surgery.
• And Brenda Page-Riley, in Louisiana on a science fellowship, was able to connect with her primary school students in Connecticut.
• Likewise, American soldiers deployed in Iraq are using Skype to stay close with family members, particularly young children who might not understand why their parents need to leave for so long. Capts. Tom Fischer and Nate Rawlings share their experiences here and here.

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 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.

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 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.

Announced last month at CES (and now being demoed at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week), Skype is now available on the Sony PlayStation Portable with software version 3.90 in the US and Europe. Villu has already heralded its arrival on the main blog (there's also a nice video there of John Koller, senior marketing manager for PSP at Sony, demonstrating Skype). I've been playing around with it and think it's pretty cool.

It's important to note that Skype will only work on the PSP Slim & Lite (PSP-2000) version of the PSP and not the original, because the newer PSP has more RAM. You'll also need either a Go! Cam or a headset and corded remote (which are currently sold seperately but will soon be bundled together) so you'll have a microphone to input your voice.

With Skype on the PSP you can make and receive Skype calls and make SkypeOut calls when you're connected to an internet connection via WiFi--I can see it as a good way to talk to the friends you play networked games against on the PSP, so it's easier to set up games (and, um, trash-talk?).

Some screenshots after the jump.

Continue reading "Skype on PSP: What it looks like" »

Skype on the go was a major theme of this year's CES. Another cool Skype-related announcement was the Sony mylo ("my life online") COM-2. It's a small internet device with a touchscreen and keyboard that supports Skype out of the box and improves upon a lot of the features of the original mylo.

The Skype integration is great--it means you can make and receive free Skype calls and instant messages (as well as make SkypeOut calls and receive SkypeIn calls) from anywhere you have internet access via WiFi. One nice thing for American mylo COM-2 users: WiFi access on the Wayport network is free until the end of 2010.

There's also a lot to do with the mylo when you're not Skyping...

Continue reading "CES Spotlight: Sony Mylo COM-2" »

So we have this tagline on Skypegear, on our front page—

Tell Skypegear how your Skype phone helps you at work, at home or on the move for your chance to win a brand new Skype phone every month...

Well, we haven’t been getting any entries because we haven’t been talking about any contests. At all. So we’d like to gradually change that, and to start we’re going to have a little competition. The prize is the Sony VAIO Mouse Talk VN-CX1 we reviewed a few weeks ago.

Over the next three weeks we want to hear about what Skype gear is doing for you. Is it making you more efficient or saving you time and money? Tell us. But here’s the catch. It has to be in the form of a haiku.

Continue reading "Skypegear Contest: Win a Sony VAIO Mouse Talk VN-CX1" »

The Sony VAIO Mouse Talk VN-CX1 is a slick little device that works as both an optical mouse and a Skype phone. I got my hands on one from the US Skype store, and after using it for a couple days I can tell you it's a really good choice for business travellers and others who want to combine the functionality of a headset and a mouse in a compact package. Read on for the full review.

Continue reading "Skypegear Roadtest: Sony VAIO Mouse Talk VN-CX1" »

                                                       

                             

                        

Well it appears in the white heat of CES that Skypegear missed out on a few of the Innovations awards that Skype partners had bagged at CES; turns out that it was in fact a grand tally of at least 7 rather than the still 3 that I reported previously.

Continue reading "Correction: Skype bags 7 innovation award winners at CES rather than 3...!" »

 

Now it's a long time since Skypegear was at uni, and checking out the new 'Skype U' Facebook group did bring a pang of nostalgia for a lost youth.

The site offers a veritable smorgasbord of interesting nuggets including members' photos, discussion boards, a Skype homesick-o-meter and offers hand-picked for Skypers.

On top of all that though, through November Skype and Sony are offering members in the US and Canada the chance to win one Sony Mylo every single day! NB For those majoring in Arts, that's a total of 30 Mylos.

Continue reading "Win a Mylo a day for a month...if you can haul yourself out of bed for lectures..." »

It's been a great week for Skype gear-makers this week. US-based Time Magazine got stuck in to Skype and the wonderful wireless world of wifi phones with a great roundup featuring Sony's delicious Mylo in all its curvy glory (more about the Mylo later), as well as Netgear and Belkin's new wifi phones.

There's undoubtedly still an education piece to be done for consumers on the possibilities wireless internet can offer, and it's great to see a venerable publication such as Time putting these devices in front of the noses of its readers.