Skype Certified

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" »

If you’re a regular reader of this blog you’ll be well aware of my affinity for Skype Certified products. It’s for good reason: after the engineers at Skype put a product or piece of software through its paces, you’re pretty much guaranteed to have a great Skype experience when you use it.

But what does this ‘putting a product through its paces’ entail? The certification process is a whole lot more than just slapping a logo on a box. You can learn a lot about what goes on, including specific checks made for different product types, in the Skype Developer Zone, but to be honest some of the information there is a bit dry—it’s meant for the people who actually develop the products.

With nearly 200 products now Skype Certified, I wanted to learn more about how the certification process actually works, so I asked Pontus Randén, a Skype engineer in Estonia, a few questions and he was kind enough to provide answers.

Continue reading "Skypegear Interview: Skype's Pontus Randén on Certification" »

Big news for US Skypers today—Skype and Wal-Mart have announced a partnership that makes Skype-certified products available at 1,800 Wal-Mart stores across the US starting today. What sorts of gear will Wal-Mart be carrying? There’s a pretty wide range:

Continue reading "Skype, Wal-Mart; Wal-mart, Skype." »