About Skype

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honyakusha said:
Here are my experiences with Skype:
Click to expand...
.... said:
My conclusion is that you if you have a headphone, install Skype on your
system, make a Skype test call which is built into the Skype software.
In the test call, you speak a few words to a server in some country and
then listen to your voice yourself. If you can hear your voice OK, your
system works and you can communicate using Skype without problems. Go
for it.

HTH a bit.

honyakusha
Click to expand...

Thanks for that review, Honyakusha. That helps a lot.

-Craig
 
honyakusha said:
Here are my experiences with Skype:
1) I installed Skype on my system running Windows 2000 Pro.
2) I got a Logitech headphone/webcam set for about US$50 and installed
it.
3) I searched for a few friends in other countries from within Skype.
4) I spoke with them through the microphone that comes in the headphone
and our conversations were crystal clear; no phase lag (using broadband
of course).
5) I speak daily with friends in Australia, India and Japan who also
have Skype installed on their PCs and we have no complaints at all.
6) I have not tried the PC to landline service for which you need to pay.

My conclusion is that you if you have a headphone, install Skype on your
system, make a Skype test call which is built into the Skype software.
In the test call, you speak a few words to a server in some country and
then listen to your voice yourself. If you can hear your voice OK, your
system works and you can communicate using Skype without problems. Go
for it.

HTH a bit.

honyakusha
Click to expand...

Same recommendations:
- use it for PC to PC. Then the call is crystal clear.
- on PC to landline their is some loss of quality but the tariff is
really low.
- PC to mobile phone: more expensive than traditional telephony. For
more precise info look at the web site
- audio conferencing PC to PC: up to 5 participants, excellent quality
- video telephony (PC to PC) just great
- video conferencing: I heard people are quite satisfied. easy to manage
(just a click)

- the calls are encrypted all way through the web but none besides Skype
and the telephone monitors of the web know how the calls are encrypted

- equipment: the larger the bandwidth the better

- installing: the easiest of the VoIP I tried. no hazzle with firewalls
(which can be difficult with others)

Frank

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- installing: the easiest of the VoIP I tried. no hazzle with firewalls
(which can be difficult with others)

Frank
Click to expand...

The easiest VoIP at the moment is
JAJAH - Web-activated telephony in a click! No download, no
installation necessary. Use your normal phone - call anyone, anywhere
(landline or mobile)
http://www.jajah.com/
 
Ross said:
The easiest VoIP at the moment is
JAJAH - Web-activated telephony in a click! No download, no
installation necessary. Use your normal phone - call anyone, anywhere
(landline or mobile)
http://www.jajah.com/
Click to expand...

From their PRIVACY POLICY:
"7. Phone Calls
Among the services JAJAH offers, Users may gain initiate phone calls
between them. Any information which You may reveal to the other party
during such phone call, including any personal information shall not be
deemed private. JAJAH cannot guarantee the security of such information,
that you disclose or communicate in such phone call and you do so at
your own risk. "
 
On 05 Apr 2006, Chris wrote
From their PRIVACY POLICY:
"7. Phone Calls
Among the services JAJAH offers, Users may gain initiate phone
calls between them. Any information which You may reveal to
the other party during such phone call, including any personal
information shall not be deemed private. JAJAH cannot
guarantee the security of such information, that you disclose
or communicate in such phone call and you do so at your own
risk. "
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure that's going to be the case with all VOIP calls,
though; surely none of them can guarantee privacy/security?

FWIW, apart from the convenience of their software ringing your
phone and then the recipient's phone, there doesn't seem to be any
saving for landline-to-landline calls between this and existing
services like telesavers -- the jahjah price from the UK to NZ is
USD 0.0283/minute; telesavers is 1p/minute, which is a bit less.

The rates to mobiles are good, though.
 
HVS wrote:
.... said:
I'm pretty sure that's going to be the case with all VOIP calls,
though; surely none of them can guarantee privacy/security?
Click to expand...

I haven't investigated this but for those concerned: Phil Zimmerman,
creator of PGP, has released a new protocol for VOIP called ZRTP. It's
included in his newly released voip client, Zfone, and is also available
as a plug-in (dunno how that works) for other voip clients.

It seems like a serious push since he and a couple of others have
submitted the ZRTP to IETF for endorsement. More here:
http://www.philzimmermann.com/EN/zfone/index.html

-Craig
 
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