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11 Jan 05 - 10:08 PM (#1377175) Subject: Tech: Skype From: Shanghaiceltic Is anyone using Skype amongst the mudcatters as a VOIP? I am thinking of using it to cut down international phone bills etc but I wanted to know of any pitfalls or pratfalls. |
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12 Jan 05 - 12:11 AM (#1377229) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: JohnInKansas No experience using it, but there have been numerous complaints from corporate VOIP users that the VOIP transmissions can provide an entry by which unauthorized users can access their whole (they say "otherwise invulnerable") networks. I wouldn't expect that to be much of a problem for typical individual users, although you might want to investigate before telling someone your credit card numbers over VOIP. Most of the VOIP systems (that I've seen) for which there have been complaints have used wireless links somewhere in the system, so the vulnerability may be more due to the wireless than just to VOIP. John |
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12 Jan 05 - 02:33 AM (#1377260) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: open mike i donot know what skype is, or what VOIP is.though there is a porcess called something like that that they do to tires which amounts to slashing cuts in them..skipinig i think...it is supposed to make them better traction on water oir wet roads. but i would recommend using paltalk to substitute for telephone. one of the fellows who sings in my music room on there regularly uses it to communicate with his brother in Scotland. He is in New Zealand...he is a mudcatter..calls himslef Jocko i believe. www.paltalk.com--there is a new improved version out just recently. good luck and let us know what you find out. |
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12 Jan 05 - 03:15 AM (#1377275) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: Shanghaiceltic Skype is very much like Paltalk but claims to have better 'lines' and clarity. Thanks for reminding me that Jacko in NZ uses it. |
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12 Jan 05 - 04:46 PM (#1377669) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: nileview I've been using SKYPE for about a month now. I live in Egypt and my family is in the US. It only costs about 2 cents a minute to make calls and the connection is very clear. I do sometimes have trouble with brief moments of interference (we can't hear each other). I'm wondering if I had a broadband connection instead of dial-up if that might be better. I'm very happy with the clarity-- I use a Plantronics USB headset. This is my first experience with VOIP so I don't have anything to compare it to but I would definitely recommend it. |
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12 Jan 05 - 05:04 PM (#1377688) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: jacko@nz Gidday folks, Hi Frank, PalTalk can indeed be used for contact, but I think you should investigate Skype, Frank. I tried it when it started and at the start of a call the sound quality was very good but we found that it deteriorated. Mind you Skype recommends XP and broadband while we were using ME and dial-up. If you and your correspondents have the necessary then you'll likely find Skype the answer. Let me know how you go. Cheers Jack |
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14 Jan 05 - 01:47 AM (#1378799) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: Shanghaiceltic I loaded Skype and used it to talk to my boss in the UK. I am using broadband with Win2000. The connection was really clear. The front end was dead easy to use too. I have asked my son in Wellington to sign up to it so we can talk and not worry about phone bills. I have not tried Paltalk so I cannot comment. But Skype worked for me. |
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22 Jan 05 - 06:31 PM (#1385538) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: GUEST,jim.bishop@gmail.com Watch out! Skype will take money from your bank and not credit your Skype account with talk time. When you attempt to get help from Skype, they will not answer. Buyer beware! |
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22 Jan 05 - 06:42 PM (#1385547) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: Teresa I just started using it ... I don't plan to use it for long distance; only for PC-to-PC, which is free. Skype seems to be more geared toward individual conversations, with conferencing for up to six users. PalTalk is more a group and public chat program, but individual calls can be made as well. Teresa |
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22 Jan 05 - 07:18 PM (#1385562) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: GUEST I now use it for long distance but I have not signed up for the pc-phone connection which is charged and you have to give credit card details. |
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29 Jan 05 - 02:02 PM (#1392423) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: GUEST,WISEGUY ****************SKYPE*THEIVES*************** CHARGES FROM THIS COMPANY JUST **APPEARED** ON MY CHECKING STATEMENT! NEVER HEARD OF THEM BEFORE, WENT TO THE WEBSITE, THEY HAVE NO DIRECT CONTACT NUMBERS, FORCE YOU TO ENROLE AND GIVE UP LOTS OF INFO JUST TO E-MAIL THEM, AND FROM WHAT I'VE READ, THEY'VE RIPPED OFF LOTS OF PEOPLE THIS WAY! CHECK YOUR BANK STATEMENTS, WHATCH OUT FOR THESE ***CROOKS***!!. |
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27 May 09 - 12:01 AM (#2641623) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: Ebbie I'm refreshing this OLD thread because a number of people I know are using Skype and without problems of any kind. Skype-in-computer, so far as I know, is what they all are using. I'm interested. I haven't done my homework yet but from what I understand the download is free and as long as both ends are using Skype even the use is free. My daughter used Skype to 'call' me from China and it cost her 2 cents a minute; would have been free if I'd had it also. Anyone here using it? |
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27 May 09 - 12:04 AM (#2641624) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: Stilly River Sage Doesn't eBay own Skype now? |
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27 May 09 - 12:29 AM (#2641634) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: Charlie Baum I used Skype to keep in contact with my sweetie Lisa at home when I went overseas to Israel for a week. If you both download Skype (as we did), and use it over the Internet instead of the phone system, it's absolutely free. We both have laptops with built-in webcams and microphones, so it was essentially a picturephone. I was able to give Lisa a tour of Israeli friends' gardens, and Lisa showed me my mail. The quality goes off from time to time, the voice gets tinny. but it's not too bad, and well worth the price :-) You need to be in places with WiFI, or some other Internet connection; fortunately, all of my friends had neighbors with unprotected/unshielded WiFi networks. Since we haven't set up accounts tot connect via phone lines, Sjype has no billing information for either of us, and therefore couldn't charge us if they wanted to. --Charlie Baum |
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27 May 09 - 03:50 PM (#2642120) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: Weasel I've used the free version of Skype for voice calls between computers for years and never had any problems. I never paid for the extra facility of calling phones. I only use it rarely now because I get free calls from my internet provider with my broadband package. Cheers, |
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27 May 09 - 05:36 PM (#2642226) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: sian, west wales I use the free version of Skype both for work and leisure. I regularly phone my aged mother in Canada (from the UK); she isn't online so the last 'leg' of the connection is via her landline. It works great. There are only two of us as full time workers in my organization, but we have a national remit. We both work from home and are in touch constantly through the day via Skype - sometimes for well over an hour if we're sorting through a lot of stuff. We use microphones and the computer speakers so it's hands-free too. Recently we've started holding Board meetings over Skype which has proved Most Excellent. Our Board were scattered across Wales and it was getting impossible to find dates when everyone could meet and also have the time to travel sometimes 3 hours to (then another 3 from) the meeting. This way two or three who live close will get together on one site and we'll all link up. We can even send files back and forth during the meeting. We'll now have more, shorter meetings rather than the day-long ones, but have 2 meetings a year which are face-to-face. I think this will help us get a wider geographical spread of Board members in the future and keep the ones we have more involved. sian |
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27 May 09 - 07:08 PM (#2642302) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: Tangledwood A friend was showing me his new iPhone last night. It has internet access of course so as long as he is in range of some kind of wifi network he can use Skype on a mobil phone. |
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27 May 09 - 10:59 PM (#2642406) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: GUEST Skype is great. Talk with my son in Amsterdam 2X, 3X per month for zero charge, computer to computer. As clear as if he were actually sitting next to me instead of 9 time zones away.
Thanks. -Joe Offer- |
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27 May 09 - 11:19 PM (#2642418) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: artbrooks Herself uses it to talk with #1 daughter and new grandkid...mostly goo-goo ga-ga stuff, but it is free. You do need to have a pretty fast connection if you are goin to use it as a picture-phone, though. |
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27 May 09 - 11:30 PM (#2642425) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: John on the Sunset Coast Oops, sorry, I am guest at 10:59PM |
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13 Jul 09 - 09:05 AM (#2679033) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: GUEST,Grandad in Dublin Newcomer to Skype.I use it for video link with my daughter and new grandson in Atlanta. Can anyone advise me on how to "save" live video link-up? I notice on You tube that Real Player "pop-up" invites me to download video content. Can I "interface" Skype and Real Player to perform a similar function? |
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13 Jul 09 - 09:21 AM (#2679040) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: Royston H GDad, There are a few audio and video stream recorders out there but they are more or less fiddly to use and I don't know if they would be 100% successful with a Skype stream (I expect they would). I'd recommend, for ease of use, having a look here http://www.skypecap.com/ Because it is designed to do exactly the job you need. RealPlayer download (and any other downloader) won't be able to intercept a true, live stream. They can only capture a discrete video file and even then they can have unpredictable results especiially if a video file is streamed and not cached on the receiving PC. |
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13 Jul 09 - 10:17 AM (#2679080) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: Maryrrf I downloaded Skype and found that it slowed down my computer considerably. I had to uninstall it. |
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13 Jul 09 - 11:00 AM (#2679102) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: GUEST,Gary Baumgarten Skype is great for one-on-one conversation but Paltalk (where I work) expands this to allow you to communicate with as many people as you wish and ALSO allows for one-on-one chat. Voice, video and text. Basic service is free. |
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13 Jul 09 - 11:52 AM (#2679146) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: GUEST,laurapf I've used Skype for well over 2 years to connect from Argentina and the sound and images were very clear on most days. I only use the computer-to-computer free access. Another good alternative is MSN. |
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13 Jul 09 - 11:57 AM (#2679153) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: scouse I've been using SKYPE for the past six to eight months albeit PC to PC and it's worked fantastic.. Don't think I'd go any where near their other sort of things they offer though, seems a minefield I could do without. As Aye, Phil |
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13 Jul 09 - 04:23 PM (#2679381) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: vectis I use Skype to stay in touch with my sons in NZ and other rellies abroadf and it works very well. We can and do do conference calls you just have to switch off the video and use sound only. |
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20 Feb 10 - 12:39 AM (#2844781) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: GUEST,Al no cookie Has anyone used skype to have a virtual jam session? |
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20 Feb 10 - 01:36 AM (#2844789) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: GUEST,Matt What a wonderful idea! A jam over skype, if the latency issues can be dealt with....people on all the continents could play together. Sounds like fun! |
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20 Feb 10 - 03:50 AM (#2844811) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: Fidjit I use Skype almost every day. With web cam since my Daughter turned up in San Francisco. No problems with one on one other Skype users. Takes minimal money if you land line someone. Chas |
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20 Feb 10 - 09:52 AM (#2844991) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: EBarnacle "I use Skype to cover my international call for social and business purposes. No problems. Do not buy MagicJack. They only work with the higher levels of connection, you cannot reach the company directly and their version of support is laughable. They do not back up their product the way you would expect a reputable company to work. |
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13 Feb 11 - 10:40 PM (#3094772) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: Beer Thanks fr that info EBarnacle. I used skype this evening to book a musician who i have been trying to get in touch with. He popped up on skype and we talked for about 30 minutes. I gave him three gigs for June. In interesting fact is that I am in Canada and I just found out he was in China vacationing. Truly amazing. I'm not sure how long skype has been operating but for conversation sake, five years ago I would have booked someone else. ad. |
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13 Feb 11 - 11:28 PM (#3094784) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: The Fooles Troupe Since this has been refreshed, check out the Mudcat Sky jam thread - some big names are interested in the sessions like we used to do on Paltalk, which does not work well on Linux or older versions of Windows. |
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01 Jan 13 - 03:35 PM (#3460129) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: gnu Soooo... any new news? Should I Skype or not? |
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02 Jan 13 - 10:42 AM (#3460368) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: EBarnacle I have been working with a friend who uses Skype for a webcast. He has been complaining about the signal quality, independent of the type of microphone he uses. Generally, he originates the webcast from his local McDonald's. My suspicion is that the problem is related to the number of wireless users in the McD system at that store. |
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25 May 14 - 12:29 PM (#3628191) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: wysiwyg Is computer-to-computer video calling still free? ~S~ |
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25 May 14 - 12:45 PM (#3628196) Subject: RE: Tech: Skype From: GUEST,davemc Yes |