Voice on the Web » Skype Hardware

Skype from your Home Phone: Now Available in U.K.

Jim Courtney — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 13:25:11 +0000

Last week I provided a review of my experience with a recent production model of the FREETALK® Connect•Me Adapter for Home Phone, initially available in the U.S. and Canada. To quickly recall its primary feature, the Connect•Me Adapter allows you to make PC-free Skype and SkypeOut calls and, optionally, landline calls from an existing home phone.

It turns out that adapting this product to other countries involves more than simply supporting another plug for the power connection. The landline telco industry backbones in each country also have variables that need to be addressed in order for the landline component of the FREETALK® Connect•Me Adapter for Home Phone to work properly in an individual country.

Effective today U.K. residents can “Skype from your Home Phone” with the launch of the FREETALK® Connect•Me Adapter for Home Phone U.K. edition. It’s available at the U.K. Skype Store, with options that include three month subscriptions for:

up to 300 minutes** of international calls to landlines and mobiles, or
unlimited* calls to landlines in the UK and Ireland and up to 300 minutes of international** calls to landlines and mobiles, or
unlimited* international calls to landlines and mobiles in 41 countries***

It’s also available at Amazon U.K. and the eBuyNow UK store with similar options for Skype calling plans.

Of course Skype-to-Skype calls worldwide continue to be free.

For those U.K. residents who want a new dual mode PC-free phone (Skype and PSTN landline) a Philips VoIP855 cordless phone has also become available. This option allows you to include up to 200 of your Skype contacts in a phone book (and 100 names for landline numbers) as well as to make use of Skype’s presence feature. The previous GE Digital Cordless Expandable Telephone and RTX Dualphone 3088 are other options available.

Aside from the power adapter and firmware to support the U.K. landine PSTN, the discussion points in my previous review apply.

In conjunction with these product announcements Skype has issued a press release covering a survey they recently sponsored:

No job too far – 50% of Brits say accepting a job abroad is easier with advances in communication technology

Note re the calling plan offerings:

*A fair usage policy applies. Excludes service, special, premium and non-geographic numbers. UK landline calls are those made to area codes beginning 01 and 02.
** The actual number of minutes may vary depending on your calling destination and the number of calls you make. A connection fee applies.
***Unlimited calls to landlines and mobiles in Canada, China, Guam, Hong Kong S.A.R., China, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Thailand, United States
Unlimited calls to landlines only in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg,Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia (Moscow and St.Petersburg only), Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom

Make and Receive Skype Calls on Your Home Phone

Jim Courtney — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:30:00 +0000

Today the Skype Store launched two new ways to place and receive Skype calls, including SkypeOut calls, from your home phone. Each also has an option to continue using your landline.

The options are:

Make and receive Skype calls on an existing home phone using the FREETALK® Connect•Me Home Phone Adapter for Skype.
Make and receive Skype calls from a new GE Skype-enabled Digital Cordless Phone.

One of the major limitations on using Skype at home is the requirement to have Skype installed on a PC (especially if it’s a desktop at fixed location), smartphone (iPhone, Android phone) with battery life limitations, iPad or, more recently, a Skype-enabled TV or BluRay player.

Yet the world’s most familiar phone interface has been the standard 12-key Touch Tone phone. And the most widely available touchtone phones today are DECT-supported cordless phones allowing one landline connection to be accessed from up to four or five rooms around the house.

Many people today continue to use their home phones as their primary means of communication. If you are one of these people, you will be pleased to learn that you can now have a true Skype experience on your existing handset…

The other change over the past few years has been the inclusion of a router provided with most broadband Internet connections, whether cable or DSL. With this one common requirement for a router, either of the above solutions allows you to use a familiar touch tone home phone to:

create a dual line operation (landline and Skype) around the house or apartment
place and receive free Skype-to-Skype voice calls without a PC
place long distance calls to landlines and mobile phones using a Skype Calling Plan or Skype Credit
receive calls via a Skype Online number (as well as your landline number, if you configure that option)
call forwarding (requires Calling Plan subscription or Skype Credit)
support for up to 200 Skype contacts
Skype-to-Skype voice calls can be made to/from any other Skype access point: Skype for Windows/Mac/Linux, Skype for iPhone/iPad/Android and Skype for TV
Emergency e911 calls are directed automatically over the landline connection, if configured.
participation in Skype multi-party calls, as an invited party only

FREETALK® Connect•Me Home Phone Adapter

According to Helen Blackburn, Skype’s Head of the Partner Product Management team:

Many people today continue to use their home phones as their primary means of communication. If you are one of these people, you will be pleased to learn that you can now have a true Skype experience on your existing handset with the release of the FREETALK Connect•Me Home Phone Adapter for Skype.

The FREETALK® Connect•Me Home Phone Adapter, initially available for U.S. and Canada, works with an existing home phone with a RJ-11 connection. Both an RJ-45 Ethernet cable and RJ-11 telephone cable are included with the device; it plugs into a standard 110 volt power source.

: FREETALK Connect Me Configuration

The Home Phone Adapter does require access to a PC to configure settings:

Call settings: use Skype or your landline as the default for domestic and/or international calls
Contacts and Speed Dials: for making Skype-to-Skype and SkypeOut calls
Call Forwarding to another landline or mobile phone

To get started simply make the Ethernet and telephone cable connections, plug the adapter into a power source, navigate to the setup wizard (for either a Windows or Mac PC) and follow the set-up wizard instructions. Once configured calls can be placed and received via the phone, without any requirement for PC access. The Connect•Me portal’s home page gives an overview of the setup and options:

FREETALK Connect Me User Portal

Skype-to-Skype calls are made by setting up a Speed Dial associated with a Skype contact. A speed dial then requires you to dial * plus a speed dial number (1-99) to place a call to a Skype contact from the phone set. Speed dials can also be used for frequently called SkypeOut numbers to landlines and mobile phones.

You always have the option to dial a landline/mobile call normally (see Call Settings in the image above):

# plus a number [1][area code][local number] uses your landline for calls to US/Canada numbers
** plus a number +[country code][area code][local number] uses SkypeOut to place calls internationally at SkypeOut charges.

Note that a landline connection is an option; the device could be used solely for Skype-to-Skype and SkypeOut calling from a home phone set. The adapter uses the wideband G722 codec for crisp voice quality on Skype-to-Skype calls.

The Skype Website provides additional information about the FREETALK® Connect•Me Home Phone Adapter, its use cases and requirements.

The FREETALK® Connect•Me Home Phone Adapter can be purchased via the U.S. and Canada Skype Stores; the actual transaction, including delivery, is managed by the eBuyNow (formerly InStoreShop) ecommerce store. Note that there are options that include Skype Calling Plan subscriptions.

GE 31591 Digital Cordless Phone

The GE 31591 Digital Cordless Phone is a new version of a PC-free Skype cordless phone that takes advantage of additional Skype features including:

Uses Skype SILK superwideband technology for crystal clear Skype-to-Skype calls
Log into Skype via username/password.
Manage your presence status; see Skype contacts’ online status
200 Skype Contacts download; 100 name local phonebook
Skype voicemail access; message waiting indication
View Skype and landline calls history: 50 name/number call log
CallerID (with Skype name if Skype-to-Skype)/Call Waiting

configure via a Skype client on your PC

Handset speakerphone
Software upgradeable
Expandable to 5 handsets

Note that the GE Digital Cordless Phone includes additional Skype features. such as SILK technology support, beyond what has been available in the legacy RTX Dualphone 3088.

The GE 31591 Digital Cordless Phone can be purchased via the U.S. and Canada Skype Stores; the actual transaction, including delivery, is managed by the eBuyNow (formerly InStoreShop) ecommerce store. Note that there are options that include Skype Calling Plan subscriptions.

What Skype account do you use?

One major consideration is what Skype account you use for either of these options; it depends on the context in which you want to use your phone. I have elected to use a separate account because:

My primary Skype account has over 500 contacts; these devices can only support 200 contacts

there are probably only 30 to 50 contacts that I would access regularly via a Connect•Me adapter.

I want to separate the “business” calls on my primary Skype accounts from personal calls received around the home.

As a result I am using a separate account for the Connect•Me device I have been testing using a 20 year old Nortel home phone; a full review will follow in a separate post.

In a press release today, Neil Stevens, Skype’s vice president and general manager for product and marketing, stated:

“Our mission is to make Skype available everywhere so consumers can enjoy conversations whenever and wherever they are. We are delighted to have partners that help us deliver on this mission through the introduction of new products such as the Connect•Me Home Phone Adapter. Now, using Skype at home is as simple as picking up a handset and dialing.”

Bottom line: Skype has expanded on its Skype Everywhere theme by allowing Skype to become the “long distance” service associated with a landline phone service and a touch tone “home phone”. It also addresses the ability to make emergency calls via the landline service. In my case, by removing the long distance service associated with my Bell Canada line, I have removed an associated $11.00/month service charge just to have a long distance service – before making any calls. And I get the advantage of either free or low cost calling while I can maintain free calls via the landline for my local calling area around Toronto.

With new Skype adaptors, Grandma can now Skype you from her landline (thenextweb.com)
New Freetalk adapter makes Skype more like MagicJack (skypejournal.com)
Now you can use your home phone for Skype calls (gigaom.com)

SkypeKit: “Naked” Skype Support Arrives for Hardware-Embedded Skype and PC Applications

Jim Courtney — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:18:10 +0000

This morning, at the CEA Line Show in New York, Skype is taking the first step in the evolution of its revamped developer platform with the beta release of SkypeKit, “empowering consumer electronic and desktop software innovators to embed Skype into their products”.

In summary:

Most importantly, SkypeKit allows developers to embed all the functionality of Skype into their offering without the need for the end user to have the Skype client open. They call it a “Headless” Skype toolkit whereas the developer community had been using the term “Naked” Skype.
Initially SkypeKit is available as an invitation-only beta.
Today API’s are available for Linux; API’s for Windows and Mac OS/X will be available in three to four weeks.
The current program is targeted to consumer electronics and other telephony device manufacturers as well as desktop software developers
SkypeKit includes support for Skype’s royalty-free ultrawideband audio SILK codec.
SkypeKit supports Skype functionality beyond simply voice, including Skype video and H.264 processors embedded within hardware (such as with the FREETALK Everyman webcam).
Skype’s developers have put significant effort into both security and scalability to sustain two of Skype’s key features.
Skype will be promoting SkypeKit developers offerings through a “plugged into Skype” logo as well as making them available via the Skype Store.
SkypeKit provides a long requested complement to the legacy Skype Public API’s used in applications such as Pamela, VodBurner, OnState, InnerPass and others.

This morning I had the opportunity to discuss the SkypeKit beta launch with Jonathan Christensen, Skype’s General Manager and Head of Platform. It provided an opportunity to dig deeper into Skype’s goals and strategy for the SkypeKit platform.

Primary goals of SkypeKit are:

To provide developers with a “naked” Skype such that a Skype client is not necessary for the deployment of Skype on a hardware platform or Skype-enhanced application
To provide an SDK that supports ALL the functionality of the current Skype clients, including video and SILK.
To promote the incorporation of SILK into end point devices, making possible high quality audio calling such as experienced with the recent release of Skype for iPhone 2.0.
Make the adoption of Skype into a device or application as friendly and readily adaptable as possible while providing appropriate levels of security and scalability
To provide developers with a robust, scalable and proven channel for readily marketing their devices and applications worldwide.

In our discussion Christensen pointed out that Skype had not only reviewed developer requests for a revitalized and enhanced SDK but also incorporated the need to support all Skype functionality as well as maintaining the level of security and scalability required to meet the demand levels of Skype’s user base.

Christensen emphasized that Skype will be aggressively pursuing hardware vendors to license and adopt SILK as a standard feature of their offerings and to effect interoperability for Skype. IP-phones such as those offered by Linksys, Aastra, Polycom, snom and Grandstream would certainly be good candidates; their adoption of SILK would contribute significantly to Skype’s efforts to make SILK a standard. But it also means we could see the incorporation of SILK into, for example, the Skype for TV offerings available for certain models of Panasonic, LG and Samsung TV sets.

On another topic, Christensen emphasized Skype’s intention to facilitate marketing of the resulting offerings through both Skype’s “plugged into Skype” designation and the option to have them carried on the Skype Store. While any vendor can develop and market an offering on their own, it only receives the “plugged into Skype” designation required to be offered on the Skype Store by meeting two conditions:

it was developed using SkypeKit
it meets Skype Certification standards when it comes to establishing a baseline for audio and video quality

Finally he pointed out that Skype launched this new SDK platform effort with this approach because “having an SDK for devices and desktop applications are a natural place for us to start extending Skype capabilities today”. As for supporting web developers, Skype only said, “We know there is demand among web developers, but we have nothing to announce at this time.”

To give a sense of developers intending to use SkypeKit, FREETALK (with their Webcam for Samsung TV), Panasonic, Litl with their Webbook and Grandstream are participating in the Skype booth at the CEA Line Show this week.

Bottom line: There’s quite a collection of legacy Skype hardware collected around my office over the past four years; most of it is no longer available due to lack of ongoing support by previous Skype management, technology changes and vendor disappearance (who recalls US Robotics, for instance?). Frankly, if we look at Skype Certified hardware available on the Skype Store today, we only see offerings from FREETALK, Logitech, FaceVsion, RTX and some speakerphone vendors, such as Yamaha and ClearOne.

SkypeKit represents Skype’s first step in rebooting and revitalizing its hardware device support; it certainly fits in with Skype’s “Skype Everywhere” strategy. Last week at CommunicAsia, Skype CEO Josh Silverman was talking about his vision of “fixed-mobile convergence” for Skype where a user can transparently move from device to device and seamlessly continue a conversation without the need to even log on from one device to the next. But the final proof is in the execution:

Has Skype made the business and ongoing support case for developers to employ SkypeKit and deploy offerings?
Will SILK become an industry standard for audio quality? and will IP-phone vendors realize the value of SILK?

As for other Questions and Answers, check out that section at the end of Jonathan’s post today.

Full disclosure: In Store Solutions, producer of the FREETALK line of Skype hardware, has become a client of Denali InterConneXions, publisher of Voice On The Web, building on the author’s previous business development experience with establishing partnerships that can assist with the promotion of a primary vendor’s offerings. A more complete statement will follow shortly.

The SkypeKit SDK releases. Say hello to the next generation of Skype. (thenextweb.com)
Skype Opens Up SkypeKit SDK To All Devices And Desktop Apps (techcrunch.com)
SkypeKit beta SDK adds Skype to any application or device (engadget.com)
Skype Opens Platform with SkypeKit SDK for Developers and Manufacturers (readwriteweb.com)
Skype Releases SkypeKit SDK, Will Bring Skype Everywhere [Skype] (gizmodo.com)
SkypeKit SDK promises devs invisible Skype access for apps & hardware (slashgear.com)
FREETALK Everyman Headset – Works with Skype on the iPad (voiceontheweb.biz)
FreeTalk Wireless Stereo Headset: A June Special from In Store Solutions (voiceontheweb.biz)

FREETALK Everyman Headset – Works with Skype on the iPad

Jim Courtney — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 07:42:39 +0000

Blogger colleague Dan York, Director of Conversations at Voxeo, recently ordered and received a Camera Connection kit for his iPad. In most dramatic fashion Dan shows he can break through Apple’s packaging and demonstrates two ways to transfer photos from his Nikon D90.

But wait –that’s not all! Being the geek that he is, he has to try other USB devices in the USB dongle that comes as part of the Camera Connection kit. First choice: a FREETALK Everyman USB Headset. And – it works with the Skype Test Call.

Check out Dan’s video: Emerging Tech Talk #52 – Unboxing the Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit

and follow his version of “Adventures with Skype Test Calls on iPad” using the FREETALK® Everyman USB Headset. (Does anyone have a report confirming the use of the FREETALK® Wireless Stereo Headset? – imagine wireless rock, roll and rap from your iTunes library, freed from the tether of a wired headset.)

Two future expectations for iPad support from Skype:

running Skype in Background with iOS 4’s multi-tasking making Skype a true “always on” service (will this become available with the launch of iOS4 next week?), and
Skype for iPad – a version of Skype for iPhone that takes advantage of the larger iPad screen format (will this await the launch of iOS4 for iPad later this fall?).

I assume it runs with these headsets over both 3G wireless and WiFi delivering the crystal clear sound of Skype’s SILK codec. Andy called me from an iPad when we did the freeway-to-freeway calling two weeks ago reported in the post linked in this paragraph.

And corroborating Dan’s success using the FREETALK Everyman USB Headset is Steve Garfield over at “Off On A Tanget”: Skype Voice Calls Work on iPad with Freetalk Everyman Headset.

Both the FREETALK Everyman USB Headset and the FREETALK Wireless Stereo Headset are available at the Skype Store. Don’t forget this configuration also requires the iPad Camera Connection kit which Dan appears to have ordered from the Apple store on the Internet.

Extrapolating from a number released of 100,000 sold in the last five months of 2009, it would appear to be safe to assume that over 150,000 FREETALK Everyman Headsets have been sold since its launch last July; some other posts linking to blogger reviews:

FREETALK® Everyman USB Headset: The Bloggers Speak Out
FREETALK® Everyman uSB Headset: From Twitterville and More Bloggers
FREETALK Everyman USB Headset for Skype: A Reprise (includes a video demonstration by jkontherun’s Kevin Tofel)

FREETALK Customer Support is available for any questions re your order and using these headsets.

Note: while Dan has demonstrated that the FREETALK Everyman USB Headset works with the iPad, it should also mean that any Skype-certified USB headset should also work for this configuration.

FreeTalk Wireless Stereo Headset: A June Special from In Store Solutions (voiceontheweb.biz)
Voice and Chat over iPad: Skype and Truphone Fill the Gap (voiceontheweb.biz)
Skype’s SILK Codec: Working Towards Adoption as a Standard (voiceontheweb.biz)
iPad Camera Connection Kit Enables USB Headset, Keyboard Support (magicaltablet.com)
Apple launches ‘Find My iPhone’ app to remotely wipe and find your lost treasure (engadget.com)

FreeTalk Wireless Stereo Headset: The Reviews

Jim Courtney — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 10:23:23 +0000

My initial experience with an FreeTalk product was back in December 2007 when I was provided with the FreeTalk Wireless Stereo Headset – Model 5191. I found I was using it continuously for the next couple of years – I could answer the door when Fedex arrived or let the dog out the back door, yet continue my Skype call (or listening to the audio of a YouTube video). Its ongoing performance is one reason I took on some partner marketing and blogger relations activity for In Store Solutions as a client.

Why do I say for two years? Last fall In Store Solutions introduced an upgrade – the TALK-5192 FreeTalk Freedom Wireless Stereo headset with improved overall headset design, including a more robust “head size” adjustment and more comfortable ear pads. There is a more complete description, including a comparison with the FreeTalk Everyman Headset and a discussion of its unique wireless features in my post at the time of its introduction: FreeTalk Freedom Wireless Stereo Headset “2.0? – When You Just Can’t Sit Still During a Skype Call.

But, frankly, it’s not not my opinion you should be relying on; here’s some other blogger feedback:

Jonathan Jensen at sevendotzero:

Call quality is fantastic – being wireless makes no difference to the quality of Skype calls. Plus, the headset is very comfortable to wear. The range is good and allows me to stay connected a couple of rooms away. The sheer convenience has certainly encouraged me to use Skype even more.

….

Overall this is a great device that makes Skype calling even better and means I can fix myself another Nespresso in the middle of a conference call! Although not cheap at £79.99 from the Skype store, I don’t think anyone buying one will be disappointed.

Over at the PhoneBoy Blog, Dameon Welch-Abernathy reports:

Like its wired cousin, the Freetalk Everyman Headset, which I reviewed a while back, the focus is on audio quality. It rocks, even without wires! Skype-to-Skype audio quality is just like being there! It’s light and comfortable to boot.

….

While this headset is clearly geared at Skype (or other desktop VoIP usage), you can also use the headset to listen to music. Just like with Skype, the music sounds great!

Unlike the Freetalk Everyman Headset, which is priced absurdly inexpensively, the Everyman Wireless is more pricey but still respectable at $79.99 from the Skype store (prices vary outside the US). It comes with the dongle, a mini-USB cable, the headset, and the carrying case, as shown in the picture above. People looking for great audio quality without wires should seriously consider picking one of these headsets up.

For more product information and another viewpoint check out Skype Gear blogger Andrew Brennan: Skype Gear Roadtest: FREETALK Freedom Wireless USB Headset. One of the most telling proofs of its popularity is the number of calls I have made testing Skype HD video calling where the other party is wearing this headset.

(Update April 2011) So why did I bring up a post about the TALK-5192 FreeTalk Freedom Wireless Stereo Headset in June 2010?

Because during the month of June, 2010 there was a promotional offer at the Skype Store. You can still buy them at the Skype Store. But each FREETALK product still comes with FreeTalk customer support with a 24 hour response time, as well as a one year warranty and a 14-day “no questions asked” return policy.

It’s Been a Week for New Skype Video Experiences

Jim Courtney — Mon, 17 May 2010 12:08:49 +0000

Over the past week I have been experimenting with two relatively new features that build out the Skype video experience:

HD video using the recently released FREETALK® TALK-7140 HD webcam and Skype for Windows 4.2
Skype Group calling using the beta release of Skype for Windows 5.0

FREETALK^® TALK-7140 HD Webcam

At a price point that makes it attractive even for Skype High Quality Video calls (VGA resolution @ 30 fps), the FREETALK^® TALK-7140 HD Webcam:

Enhances the video image quality to HD’s 720p resolution at frame rates up to 22 fps, provided the Sender has sufficient Internet upload bandwidth (>1.2 Mbps).
Requires 30 seconds to four minutes at the beginning of a call to come up to HD resolution; after some initial “network negotiation” by the connecting software the aspect ratio changes from 4: 3 to HD’s 16:9.
Works with Skype’s High Quality Video calling where end point conditions do not provide sufficient bandwidth for HD calling.
Falls back to lower resolutions when network conditions degrade as a result of Skype’s network bandwidth adaptation feature that adjusts video resolution to network conditions. But the image will self-restore to the maximum resolution if the network conditions recover and return to improved quality.
Is Skype certified for HD Video and High Quality Video calling.
Is recognized as a webcam by MacBooks and iMacs; however, currently will only operate on MacBooks at up to VGA resolution at up to 30 fps until Skype releases a new version of Skype for Mac that supports HD video calling.

The image to the right comes from a half hour, two-way HD call with TechCraver’s Jason Harris who had an upload speed in excess of 4Mbps while I was supported by a network upload speed of 1.8Mbps using Rogers recently introduced DOCSIS 3.0 Ultimate service (50 Mbps download, 2 Mbps upload). Expanding the image to a full screen display (22” in my case) gives a close-to-Telepresence experience.

Note that if only one Sender on a one-to-one video call has the upload speed to support sending HD video, the recipient, if also using Skype for Windows 4.2 or later, will be able to receive and view the full 720p HD image provided his/her download speed is above 1.2 Mbps – well below the download bandwidth maximum for most broadband Internet services.

So this brings up the issue of upload bandwidth speeds available to consumers. Om Malik had something to say on this subject in a recent post, Faster Upstream Speeds for Cable Broadband:

U.S. cable companies expect that by 2015, nearly 100 million of the nation’s homes will be able to send data upstream at speeds of around 20 Mbps. This will eventually be followed by further upgrades to 50 Mbps, by way of enhancements to DOCSIS 3.0 tech. That compares to current upstream speeds of 6-28 Mbps (shared).

So we don’t need to wait for Fibre-to-the-Home if you’re on cable. As mentioned above, Rogers now offers a 50Mbps download/2 Mbps upload DOCSIS 3.0 service for which they recently reduced the price by 1/3 to under $100 per month with a 175 GB/month cap. Bell Canada is introducing a 25/7 fibre-to-the-home service for $54 per month but with only a 75 GB cap; their current issue is coverage. Whereas it’s available in central Toronto, there is only limited availability around the suburban Toronto area. In the U.S., where available, Comcast is offering DOCSIS 3.0 services with up to 10 Mbps upload speeds but have services at 2 and 3 Mbps upload as well; also Verizon offers its FIOS Fibre-to-the-Home service. This scenario recalls the era ten years ago when broadband Internet services were rolling out sporadically over a three to four year period.

I’m still experimenting with the HD webcam and will have a more complete report once I have experience with a wider range of user endpoint conditions. The TALK-7140 HD webcam is available at the Skype Store.

Skype Multi-Party Video Chat (beta!)

In a separate post I’ll deal with Skype Multi-Party Video Calling; in the meantime check out Phil Wolff’s posts on this subject at Skype Journal and Andy Abramson begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting’s Skype Multi Party Video Makes Others A Thing of The Past at VoIP Watch. As shown in one of Phil’s posts, I participated in a five party call for about fifteen minutes simply to ensure I had a configuration where it would work.

Caveat: Skype for Windows 5.0 is still beta software and needs user feedback and some work prior to any final release; it’s not suitable for ongoing production use at this time.

Bottom line: we’re seeing how far video calling can be pushed with respect to video resolution and multi-party video chat sessions; it’s still early days. For full realization of the potential of video calling we need implementation of faster Internet services for both consumers and SMB’s with reasonable pricing. Also we need more experience and development of the underlying video calling software and hardware, especially when it comes to the User Interface. In the meantime VGA resolution video calling (High Quality Video) remains a quite acceptable user experience – especially when it’s free.

Some posts from the High Quality Video launch in late 2007:

Time Warner Cable to Boost Broadband in Texas, Ohio and New York? (gigaom.com)
AT&T’s U-verse gets 24Mbps downloads (news.cnet.com)
Skype for Windows 4.2: Enhancing the Skype Call Experience (voiceontheweb.biz)
CableLabs announces 5Gbps cable data technology (feldmanfile.blogspot.com)

FREETALK Everyman: Techland Review includes Audio Quality Test

Jim Courtney — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 03:19:02 +0000

Seems like Techland reviewer Doug Aamoth finally found a replacement for his vintage keyboard headset (what museum did he borrow that intro headset from?). For an entertaining review of the FREETALK Everyman watch the video:

And in his review you’ll find an audio comparison of the audio quality between FREETALK Everyman and another popular headset. His conclusion:

Bottom line: If you’re a Skype user and you don’t want to spend a lot of money on a fancy headset, there’s not too much to think about with the Freetalk Everyman Headset priced at $23.

For other blogger and Twitter feedback check out:

And for a description of the FREETALK Everyman: FREETALK® Everyman for Skype: Not “Just Another Headset”!

Full disclosure: In Store Solutions has become a client of Denali InterConneXions, publisher of Voice On The Web, building on the author’s previous business development experience with establishing partnerships that can assist with the promotion of a primary vendor’s offerings. A more complete statement will follow shortly.

FREETALK’s New Webcam Product Line: Delivering 720p HD to Skype Video Calling

Jim Courtney — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 01:33:33 +0000

At CES 2010 last week In Store Solutions announced they will be adding three webcams to its FREETALK^® product line that set new standards for video calling hardware.

The primary service goal for these webcams is to support up to 30 frames per second transmission over Internet services available via widely deployed broadband (cable and DSL) connections. Here’s a summary of the specs that have been developed incorporating features requested by Skype while contributing to a robust, reliable, user-friendly video calling experience:

Product	FREETALK^® HQ Everyman Webcam TALK-710x	FREETALK^® HD Webcam TALK-7140	FREETALK^® HD PRO PLUS TALK-7181

Maximum Resolution and Frame Rate	VGA: 640 x 480 @ 30fps	720p: 1280 x 720 @22fps VGA: 640 x 480 @ 30fps	720p: 1280 x 720 @22fps VGA: 640 x 480 @ 30fps
Sensor	1 megapixel HQ 24-bit true color	5 megapixel HD 24-bit true color	5 megapixel HD 24-bit true color
Microphones Range	0 n/a	0 n/a	4 using Skype’s beam forming algorithm 4 meters
Video compression	via PC’s CPU	On board	On board
High performance Optical Lens	Yes	Yes	Yes
Auto Exposure and Auto White Balance	Yes	Yes	Yes
Focus	Auto	Auto and Manual	Auto and Manual
Target Audience	One-to-one video calling	One-to-one video calling Multi-party video	“One-to-one” video conferencing (larger room)
Minimum CPU	Dual Core	1.8 GHz Dual Core	1.8 GHz Dual Core
Upload bandwidth required	384 kbps	1.2 Mbps for 720p 384 kbps for VGA	1.2 Mbps for 720p 384 kbps for VGA
Skype Version	Skype for Windows 4.2	Skype for Windows 4.2 (one-to-one) Skype for Win 5.0 beta (multi-party)	Skype for Windows 4.2
Target Price (subject to change)	$40	$70	$140
Availability	July 2010 on the Skype Store	May 5, 2010 on the Skype Store	July 2010 on the Skype Store

Notes:

This table has been updated to reflect changes in webcam specifications as of the launch date for shipping the TALK-7140 HD webcam, May 5, 2010.
While all three cameras will support High Quality Video calling on Windows, Mac and Linux at VGA resolution, only Skype for Windows 4.2 will support 720p HD calling on the HD webcams.
A 1.2 Mbps network speed is required to both send and receive video; the real challenge with this requirement is the scarcity of Internet users whose upload speed meets this requirement. Receiving HD video, even if you can’t send HD video, is still possible for download speeds > 1.2Mpbs.
Should an HD webcam encounter network conditions that do not fully support HD video calling, they will revert to support of either High Quality Video at its VGA (640×480) resolution if conditions permit or even lower resolution if conditions degrade further.
The FREETALK Everyman HD Webcam also requires either a FREETALK Everyman Headset for Skype (or equivalent) or use of Skype’s echo canceling feature on PC’s with an internal mic and speakers.

And to clarify the video calling terminology:

High Quality Video refers to the VGA (640 x 480) video calling offered by Skype on Skype for Windows in November 2007.
HD (High Definition) Video calling refers to the 720p (1280 x 720) video calling announced at CES 2010 and initially to be available in May 2010 in Skype for Windows 4.2 (currently in beta).

Bottom line: the FreeTalk-7140 Everyman HD webcam allows a much broader public to take advantage of Skype’s High Quality video at a lower hardware price point; the 7140 and 7181 will establish the benchmark for the emerging world of HD video calling not only on PC’s but also TV’s.

First Skype HD webcams from In Store Solutions detailed (engadget.com)
Skype 4.2 Supports 1280 x 720 HD Video Calls (shankrila.com)
Skype Starting To Support 720p HD Video Calls (ghacks.net)
Skype 4.2 Beta Makes HD-Quality Video Calls (lifehacker.com)
GIPS Explains Its Positioning in HD Voice and Video (voiceontheweb.biz)

FREETALK Everyman USB Headset for Skype: A Reprise

Jim Courtney — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:37:39 +0000

Since its launch in late July, 2009 tens of thousands of FREETALK Everyman Headsets for Skype have been distributed around the world. Its unique combination of superwideband audio support, flat-fold design and stereo plug adapter to become an iPod, iPhone and/or Blackberry speaker headset have provided a superb listening experience whether taking advantage of Skype’s SILK codec on a PC-based call or listening to your iPhone’s iPod player during a flight (as the author is doing as he drafts this post).

As a steady user of both the FREETALK Everyman or FREETALK Freedom Wireless Stereo headset, both set new standards for voice quality on Skype conversations as well as listening to music or podcasts whether at home, in the office or in a mobile environment.

Kevin Tofel at jkontherun, a blog about mobile devices and experiences, sums it up best in his video:

Dave Cryer at UK-based Geekanoids has also provided an excellent video demonstration of the package and many features on You Tube.

In other recent posts Jonathan Jensen at The Really Mobile Project says, in First Look: FREETALK Everyman headset for Skype,

Build quality and comfort are good, considering the price point of the headset. I was amazed how light it is and would happily wear it for a couple of hours at a time.

Jeb Briliant at aBrilliantBlog writes:

The Everyman Skype headset is fantastic. It’s a basic stereo headset with a boom mic but it’s much more then that. I’m no audiophile but I know this, it sounds great on every single call I’ve used it for. It’s light, small and packs easily into a travel bag. I’ve taken it on a few trips now and it’s treated me quite well.

Check out earlier feedback posted on Voice On The Web at:

Compact Audio: Yamaha USB Microphone Speaker Opens New Experiences for Road Warriors and Personal Offices (voiceontheweb.biz)
Skype Launches “Real Canadian Skype Store” (voiceontheweb.biz)
Skype: the “Unofficial” Personal Communications Software for the 2010 Winter Olympics? (voiceontheweb.biz)

RTX 3088 Dualphone: An Ideal Home or Small Office Solution for Easy Worldwide Calling

Jim Courtney — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0000

The DECT 6.0-compliant RTX 3088 Dualphone allows North American consumers to continue to use their legacy PSTN phone service while seamlessly incorporating Skype into their routine “home phone” activities. And it’s one reason why you will see those Skype Mood Messages that say “Using Skype without my computer”.

Over the years we have become used to grabbing a phone, “dialling” a number and start talking. It’s a simple algorithm – every phone user is familiar with it. Over the past couple of decades supplementary services such as voice mail, call forwarding and call waiting have become all too common. More recently, if you walk down the phone aisle of North American retailers selling cordless phones, you’ll see the term DECT 6.0 prominent on the phone packaging and promotional collateral.

So how can one “just add Skype” calling to this most familiar consumer calling experience?

With a few years of using Skype and evaluating a range of VoIP phones, the criteria I have come up with include:

Just pick up the phone handset and initiate a call using a habitual calling process
Use the familiar 12-key touchtone dial pad
Continue availability of all the legacy PSTN service provider services such as voice mail, call forwarding and call display
Employ cordless phones’ crystal clear, interference-free DECT 6.0 protocol
Add Skype without using a PC
Add an option to select either a PSTN (landline or mobile) call or a Skype call when you hit the “Call” button
Use Skype for both free Skype-to-Skype calls and SkypeOut calls at low Skype calling plan rates
Provide access to a directory that includes both Skype contacts and PSTN contacts
Provide access to Skype services such as Skype voice mail and contact status

Over the past three years several Skype partners offered cordless phone hardware that met this criteria. One of the veteran vendors has been RTX with their various USB phones and cordless Dualphone offerings. Recently RTX approached In Store Solutions as a recommended distribution channel; they concluded an agreement for worldwide distribution of their 3088 Dualphone via the In Store Shop on the Skype Store.

However, expanding sales into North America required adaption of the DualPhone to not only a North American approved power plug but also the North American rf channels available for DECT, known by the term DECT 6.0, which provides the audio connection between the base station and handsets on the majority of cordless phone packages sold today.

The RTX 3088 Dualphone includes many standard phone features such as handset speakerphone, 2.5 mm headset jack along with a standard 12-key dial pad. The starter package includes:

Base station for connection to both a PSTN line (RJ-11 jack) and an Ethernet connection (RJ-45 jack) back to the home cable or DSL router
A cordless handset, with a belt clip, connected to the base station using the crystal clear, interference-free DECT 6.0 standard for cordless home phones.
Ethernet cable and phone cable
Up to 50 meter indoor range, 300 m outdoor range
Charging cradle, along with AAA rechargeable batteries.

Additional features to support Skype include:

Color LCD screen
Embedded Skype firmware that takes advantage of several Skype features: free Skype-to-Skype calling, SkypeOut calling, voicemail, call history and, for Skype contacts, status
Contact list for both Skype and landline/mobile with automatic updates via a Skype account
Add up to three additional optional handsets that facilitate:
- intercom connection between handsets
- concurrent Skype call while another handset is on either a PSTN call or another Skype call

Over the past two years I have been using another brand of cordless PSTN/Skype phone that is no longer available due to supplier issues. However, because it has almost identical firmware, it gave me the user experience with such a phone with the following comments and recommendations:

Use a separate Skype account from any account you may be using for, say, business or personal privacy reasons. You don’t want the rest of your family or roommates answering your private business or personal calls.
When placing a call you have the option to select either Landline or Skype
SkypeOut availability takes advantage of Skype’s low cost rates or calling plan subscriptions to almost every country worldwide.
It’s also smart enough for dealing with the North American area codes where one may or may not need the “1” to place a call within or across area codes (Toronto region’s four area codes with two overlays, yet varying local calling reach, is an ideal example of this).
DECT 6.0 certainly delivers on the interference-free, crystal clear voice quality
Having the Call History and Skype directory for both PSTN and Skype calls are perhaps the most useful features, aside from the free Skype-to-Skype calls
Have four handsets in various locations around the house without worrying about wall jacks to the wiring is definitely a benefit.
With its own embedded “computer”, its operation over Skype is totally independent of call disruption from other programs running on a PC, such as Outlook.
The base station’s portability has been a useful feature when diagnosing problems with my Rogers Home Phone cable modem (different from the Internet cable modem) and its one wired connection required to a central location in the house. Service can continue by placing the base station at the modem site while problems are diagnosed and the wiring is repaired.
It eliminated the need to repair the home phone wiring setup (beyond the base station connection) when lightning went through some devices in my home last summer.

The RTX Dualphone for North America is available via the In Store Solutions Shop on the U.S. Skype store (with introductory promotional pricing of US$149.99 until December 14). It will be available soon on the Canadian Skype Store.

Bottom line: if you’re looking for a way to have you entire household on both your local PSTN service and Skype through a single handset, the RTX Dualphone provides a user friendly, easy-to-install solution. From up to four locations within your house or apartment, it supports both local PSTN and worldwide Skype calling at a very low overall cost.

Review: The Luxury Cordless DualPhone (Dualphone 3088) For Skype Voice Internet Calls!

Compact Audio: Yamaha USB Microphone Speaker Opens New Experiences for Road Warriors and Personal Offices (voiceontheweb.biz)
FreeTalk Freedom Wireless Stereo Headset “2.0″ – When You Just Can’t Sit Still During a Skype Call (voiceontheweb.biz)
Bang & Olufsen takes VoIP into high style (crunchgear.com)
RTX Dualphone 3088: The Bloggers’ Have Their Say (voiceontheweb.biz)

FreeTalk Freedom Wireless Stereo Headset “2.0″ – When You Just Can’t Sit Still During a Skype Call

Jim Courtney — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:11:21 +0000

Partial disclosure (the full disclosure is at the end): Since receiving Version 1.0 of the FREETALK^® Wireless Stereo Headset about two years ago, it has become one of my few “must have” accessories. I’ll try to keep to the descriptive details and let other bloggers comment on their experiences with it.

In the fall of 2007, In Store Solutions introduced the 5191 FREETALK Wireless Stereo headset; its feature set has resulted in its becoming a best seller amongst Skype headsets and number 1 amongst wireless headsets for Skype. From my experience:

Its fifteen meter wireless range allows its use around the house; in my particular case the limitation of range to “one room away” resulted from the steel studs in the walls – crossing two walls sometimes made a difference. However, I could readily answer the front door when Fedex came (they only come during calls, right?) or I needed to let the dog out the back door without interrupting a call. I’ve often used them to listen to my iTunes music or listen to podcasts as well while working around the house.
The audio quality has continued to amaze:
- Its AvneraAudio^TM chip has supported the various wideband codecs that Skype has provided over the past two years, including the recently released SILK^TM codec with its support of 12KHz audio for Skype calls. In fact, when Skype provided me with samples of audio with progressively larger audio bandwidths – 4KHz (narrow band), 8KHz (wideband) and 12KHz (superwideband supported by SILK) – I could only detect a difference between the 8KHz sample and 12KHz sample when using this headset.
- But the speakers actually support a wider bandwidth; they support the full 20KHz required for high fidelity music listening.

However, there were issues with the wearing comfort over a long period of time and the robustness of the headband over time. As a result In Store Solutions recently released “Version 2.0” – the Model 5192 FREETALK Freedom Wireless Stereo Headset – with a much more robust headband and redesigned ear pieces including leather padding for improved wearing comfort.

For simplicity here’s a brief comparison of the FREETALK Wireless Headset and the FREETALK Everyman Headset:

Feature	FREETALK Freedom Wireless Stereo (5192)	FREETALK Everyman (5115)
Replaces PC Audio Chip	Yes. AvneraAudio^TM chip	Yes
Speaker Audio Bandwidth	20 Hz to 20 KHz, stereo	20 Hz to 20 KHz. stereo
Supports Skype’s SILK codec	Yes	Yes
Adjustable Headband with Mic	Yes	Yes
Ear Pad controls	Accept/End Skype calls, adjust volume; Power On/Off (hold) plus mic mute (tap)	No
Connection to PC via USB	2.4 GHz WiStereo^TM wireless protocol, 15 meter range	Two wire connection via USB dongle
3.5 mm Jack for iPod, iPhone, BlackBerry, etc	No	Yes, for listening via speakers only (no mic)
Flat-Fold design	Yes	Yes
Ear pieces	Leather padding	Foam pads
Plug-and-Play	Yes, PC and Mac	Yes, PC and Mac
Weight	142 g	124 g

Other features include:

Up to 5.5 hours continuous use per charge (in “ready” mode)
Continue conversations while the 2 meter charging cable is attached to headset
includes a compact travel case to contain the headset, USB dongle and battery charging cable

As for the battery management, I have usually kept the charging cable plugged in when at my PC but can readily disconnect when I need to walk away. This is just “gut” feeling due to many years of experience with battery powered devices.

While operating in the same unlicensed rf band as WiFi, I have never encountered interference between WiFi and the headset. So how does this unique WiStereo^TM protocol work in terms of effect on the user experience?

It’s intelligent enough to work outside any active WiFi channels
Between 10 to 15 users in the same room have been able to use headsets concurrently.
It is designed to support the full 20KHz audio bandwidth much more readily and effectively than any Bluetooth protocol
There is a sideband channel for the control signals that manage Skype calling via the right ear piece.
It adapts the active rf power levels, in real time, to the distance between the USB dongle and headset.
If the user goes out of range and returns to within range, the wireless connection is automatically re-established

The Model 5192 FREETALK Freedom Wireless Stereo Headset is available on Skype Stores via the In Store Solutions Shop supporting 40 currencies and 67 countries under “Headsets”. All In Store Solutions products come with a 7-day (from delivery) “No Questions Asked” return policy.

And, which do I use? Everyman or Freedom Wireless? - both: one on my laptop and the other on my desktop PC.

Every Man, Woman or Child on Skype Needs an Everyman Headset (joyofgadgets.com)
FREETALK Everyman for Skype: Not Just Another Headset (voiceontheweb.biz)
Compact Audio: Yamaha USB Microphone Speaker Opens New Experiences for Road Warriors and Personal Offices (voiceontheweb.biz)
Skype: the “Unofficial” Personal Communications Software for the 2010 Winter Olympics? (voiceontheweb.biz)
FREETALK Everyman: The Bloggers Speak Out (voiceontheweb.biz)
FREETALK Everyman: From Twitterville and More Bloggers (voiceontheweb.biz)
In Store Solutions: Building Worldwide Distribution for Skype Hardware (voiceontheweb.biz)

Compact Audio: Yamaha SoundGadget USB Microphone Speaker Opens New Experiences for Road Warriors

Jim Courtney — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:47:53 +0000

Yamaha launches their PSG-01S Microphone Speaker for Skype to be sold via the In Store Solutions shop on the Skype Store.

During my recent European trip I had my first ever encounter, after several decades of traveling on Air Canada, with their baggage scales and new weight limits: 23 kg per checked luggage piece and 10 kg per carry-on item. As a result my wife and I had to reorganize our luggage at the airport to comply with these limits. Given that I would also be on RyanAir for a couple of trips while in Europe – with 15 kg checked baggage and 10 kg carry-on limits, it made me much more conscious of what I would be carrying in my laptop briefcase. Out went the spare battery (Air Canada has laptop power outlets at the seats); I was also reduced to carrying one book along with my laptop. If I want a printer while traveling I can simply fax a document to the hotel fax using PamFax. So when it comes to adding complementary devices for a laptop, such as a device to support audio, I look at not only the feature set but also the weight and “bulk”.

Prior to my trip on RyanAir to eComm Europe in Amsterdam I was given a Yamaha SoundGadget USB Microphone Speaker to determine where I could find user experiences that facilitated my business travel; in addition I arranged to have several units sent out to bloggers for their feedback over the past couple of weeks.

So why would one want this audio device in a market that has many speakerphone offerings?

It’s the combination of size and feature set. It’s not “just a speakerphone”. At about 200 grams in a very portable 12 cm x 4 cm x 5 cm package, the recently released Yamaha USB Microphone Speaker is a personal microphone/speakerphone combination that allows one to combine Skype calling, wideband audio recording and music or podcast listening into a compact, yet feature rich, device. Some of the other features on which feedback came:

Sound quality: supporting a 300 Hz to 20KHz audio bandwidth for both local (voice and music) recording and listening, the sound quality in such a small size package was the first feature always commented on. While it’s definitely not the boom box that one would have at home, the consensus appears to be that, for its size, sound quality is excellent for voice calls and listening to music or podcasts in a hotel room or small office environment.
Skype calling: With its Skype client that supports all three of Windows XP/Vista/7, one can use the buttons on the device to answer and end calls as well as manage the speakerphone volume. To date it appears to be the only Skype speakerphone that has the appropriate client for all three versions of Windows and, in particular, Windows 7. (And yes, while the Mac will recognize it as an audio device for Skype calls, a request has been made to Yamaha for a Mac client that would achieve full integration with Skype.)
- Note, for audio quality purposes, that the microphone supports Skype calling up to 7Khz – sufficient to take advantage of Skype’s wideband SILK codec feature; however, this limitation is removed for “local” voice or music recording.
360 degree “around-the-table” pickup: unique in a Microphone Speaker is its four microphone array on the top complemented by the internal echo cancellation and background noise reduction firmware. As a result several people can be positioned, say, around a small office table and all parties heard equally well instead of having everyone facing the device from one side.
Tilt for (stereo) listening: while vertical it supports Skype calling and recording in mono mode; tilt it to a horizontal position and the two speakers go into a stereo mode for listening. Not much physical separation but then I see a lot of iPod devices out there where the two speakers are combined into one unit.

My experience: it came in very handy during my trip, for instance, my wife and I could participate in calls back home together while sitting across a table; in one case, it was beneficial where a person in the room only spoke Spanish but I had a translator as the called party. When horizontal, it came in handy in my lodging as a speaker for the iTunes media player on my laptop – much better audio quality than the embedded laptop speakers.

As a result, it appears to be the ideal complement to the laptop for road warriors and for use in a personal office. And it could be considered as a holiday gift for the laptop addict amongst your family members or colleagues.

However, as outlined in the full disclosure below, I am probably considered to be a bit biased, although I did a fair bit of research on speakerphones in coming up with this post. I will either add to the end of this post or, in a couple of weeks, put up a post pointing to blogger and Twitter feedback. Update: as I wrote this, the first blogger feedback has appeared from Jonathan Jensen on “The Really Mobile Project”.

But the real test comes if users have a chance to experience it and use it for themselves; perceived audio quality tends to be a very personal experience. So here’s the deal: Normally priced at US$219/£199/€199 – including delivery and VAT/Sales taxes, until December 31, 2009 pricing has been reduced to US$199.90/£179.90/€179.90 – including delivery and VAT/sales taxes. It’s available at any of the Skype Stores that Yamaha has shown on their website for this product. And where’s the value-add? Being able to take advantage of the inherent audio enhancement feature set while traveling, but not paying those €20 per kilogram overweight charges on RyanAir or €5 per kg on Lufthansa.

But you also need assurance that you will have a positive and satisfying personal experience with it. Should you buy the Yamaha SoundGadget USB Microphone Speaker during this promotional period and then decide – for any reason, “no questions asked” – that this device does not meet your expectations, simply return it to In Store Solutions, shipping prepaid, by January 31 and a full credit will be issued. The timing on this return policy is such that you can gift it to a family member, friend or business colleague during this holiday season and still give them enough time to decide if they like it.

In Store Solutions: Building Worldwide Distribution for Skype Hardware (voiceontheweb.biz)
eComm Europe 2009: Taking You to the Bleeding Edge (voiceontheweb.biz)
Geeky Podcasting Mike Avidly Absorbs Audio (wired.com)
B&W announces headphones, computer speakers (macworld.com)

Skype Launches “Real Canadian Skype Store”

Jim Courtney — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:56:46 +0000

Skype launches a Canadian Skype store customized to the Canadian market.

When Skype began working with hardware vendor partners a few years ago, it also realized there was an opportunity for revenue generation by hosting a store where a Skype user could purchase Skype Certified headsets, phones and webcams. However, it also quickly became apparent that operating a multi-national retail web-based store came with the logistics challenges of delivering atoms (as opposed to bits), collecting revenue in multiple currencies and as well as inventory management, warehousing, shipping and “local” customs agencies and their rules. Not to mention that every political jurisdiction likes to collect its taxes.

Over the past year Skype has been quietly overhauling its Skype Stores on a country-by-country basis. Skype came up with a strategy that involved working with country-based shopping comparison sites who would, in turn, introduce shoppers to products as well as with In Store Solutions who have been developing their own “In Store Solutions” stores that now supports 40 currencies across 67 countries. The Skype Store for 21 countries (U.S., U.K., Australia, several western European countries and several Latin American countries) comprises both a shopping comparison site shop and an In Store Solutions shop whereas In Store Solutions is the sole Skype Store shop in 47 additional countries including Japan.

The shopping comparison sites facilitate purchase of products from vendors such as Logitech, Plantronics, Netgear, Belkin and Polycom while In Store Solutions sells their FREETALK line of headsets (FREETALK Everyman and FREETALK Wireless Stereo Headset) and the FREETALK Buddy Cam.

Prior to April this year, if, from a Canadian IP address, a Canadian visited the Skype Store at shop.skype.com, s/he would simply get a web page with a message to the effect that there was no Skype store for Canada. Since April but until last week the same situation would lead the visitor to a Skype store but with a U.S.-based shopping comparison vendor in addition to In Store Solutions. And pricing was in U.S. dollars. Neither a terribly relevant nor successful store in terms of sales generated.

As of last Thursday this situation changed completely. Canadians will now find a “Real Canadian Skype Store”¹ involving a Canadian shopping comparison site as well as In Store Solutions. And all pricing is in Canadian dollars.

Bottom line: Canadians can now order Skype Certified Hardware, including the FREETALK Everyman Headset and other FREETALK hardware, knowing what their final C$ price will be at the time of purchase. If, for some reason, you do not find C$ pricing check that you are in the Canadian store by looking for the “Canada (English)” selection in the footer of the store page. A “Canada (French)” version is under development.

Full transparency: A real Canadian Skype store has been under development long before it was announced last week that Canadians will have a “shareholder” interest in Skype.

¹“Real Canadian Skype Store” is a parody on a Canadian grocery and housewares retailer who had a chain of stores called “Real Canadian Superstore”.

FREETALK Everyman: From Twitterville and More Bloggers (voiceontheweb.biz)

FREETALK® Everyman USB Headset: The Bloggers Speak Out

Jim Courtney — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 12:49:44 +0000

In my post, “FREETALK^® Everyman for Skype: Not “Just Another Headset”!, outlining the background leading to the production of this headset, I mentioned that the most important feature of any headset is the user experience. But reporting on the user experience has to rely on feedback from a cross section of independent evaluators who can try it out under different conditions on both Windows and Mac PC’s.

My major criteria for inclusion in this post is that there have been an actual reported user experience; posts that simply repeat the specifications do not qualify.

The first full review came from Tom Keating at TMCnet who reports on its “fold flat” feature, apparent durability and of course his Skype calling experience; Tom concludes with:

I made some test Skype calls and the audio quality was excellent. I also connected my iPhone using the 3.5mm jack and was able to play music using the iPod application on the iPhone. Slightly better bass response than my iPhone ear buds due to the larger speakers. All in all, a pretty good Skype headset.

Neil Thompson at Spoken Like a Geek provides a brief history of his experience with previous Skype phone handsets and then gets into his feedback:

The call quality was excellent both for me and the other party who commented on how much better it was than usual. The headset makes use of what Skype calls super wideband audio which is included in v4 and improves call quality even at low bandwidth. Having your ears covered means that there is no distraction from external noise which obviously also makes things better.

Neil likes the fold flat feature; he then went out and bought a pencil case for storing it in his laptop bag; he concludes with: “So, to summarise, the Freetalk headset is a recommended device, particularly for those on the move who want good quality combined with portability.”

TechCraver.com’s Jason Harris, in The Everyman Headset for Skype: Killer Audio, Sweet Price, outlines “a few things that set it apart from the rest of the pack” and tried three different calling tests:

In all three cases, I was absolutely blown away by the Everyman. If the manufacturer of this headset was looking to make a reasonably priced headset that sounds perfect and was comfortable to wear, they absolutely nailed it. After about 2 hours of wearing the Everyman, I was impressed with it’s comfort and how it felt on my head.

Jason goes on to describe his experience listening to his iPod and points out that “it’s great for those who talk into your computer for creating training videos or video-conferencing”.

Ken Camp at Stardust Global Ventures, in “The headset for Everyman, woman and child – FREETALK Everyman USB Headset”, starts out with “I’ve been using Skype since the beginning.I can’t count the number of different headsets I’ve used. This one is the only one that’s made me step back and say wow.”

He then goes on to discuss the comfort level, the benefits of supporting Skype’s SILK codec and why road warriors should like the “fold flat” feature. Ken concludes with:

Gadgets are sometimes a dime a dozen. Headsets aren’t often something to get excited about. The FREETALK Everyman headset is absolutely different. It’s worth every penny of the $22.88 price in the online Skype store. Go check it out and order yours here. It’s an investment you’ll get more than full value from.

In a comment on Voice On The Web “Skype In Your Business” Public Chat, Hudson Barton, whose Borderless Communicator tracks Skype statistics, stated:

I can confirm that this is a nice piece of hardware. One thing that I have not seen pointed out elsewhere is the fact that the “Everyman” headset is light and comfortable. I had given up on my former headset for this reason because I want to have it on whenever I’m at my computer, and that can be for hours at a time. (You can quote me on that if you wish.)

Dameon (PhoneBoy) Welch-Abernathy, in Every Man, Woman or Child on Skype Needs an Everyman Headset, provides a brief background on the evolution of audio support on PC’s and outlines why FREETALK Everyman is different. He concludes with:

When you consider the price: under $23 shipped to your door, purchasing this headset is absolutely a no-brainer. It will be one of the best investments you can make to improve your calling experience with Skype.

Joel Evans, producer of the Geek.com podcasts, appears to have been frustrated with microphones and the quality of his recordings. So he gave the FREETALK Everyman a trial:

For my tests I used the FREETALK Everyman Headset in Skype, Quicktime and iChat. In all tests it performed perfectly and even my chat partners commented on how clear I sounded. The design of the headset allows for adjusting the boom and even the position of the microphone, so it did take a bit of fine tuning, which I did while recording tests in Quicktime. Once it was adjusted, though, it sounded great and I’ve been using it for voice chats, and even used it to record the Podcast that will be going live tomorrow.

Bottom line: the reviews speak for themselves. I’ll add more reviews to this post as they become available.

FREETALK Everyman for Skype: Not Just Another Headset (voiceontheweb.biz)
Official Skype Headset (ubergizmo.com)
Skype Unveils Its Very Own Headset (thenextweb.com)
Skype Unleashes A “Super-Secret” Project: A Cheap Headset (techcrunch.com)

FREETALK® Everyman USB Headset for Skype: Not “Just Another Headset”!

Jim Courtney — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:01:25 +0000

So why would Skype announce support for, and In Store Solutions develop and launch, the FREETALK^® Everyman headset in a seemingly crowded market? Let’s step back a bit and look at some issues related to headsets:

Skype’s research has found that a Skype user’s “end point” configuration is one of the main contributors to churn. A major component of the end user configuration is the PC’s audio chip; they have found evidence pointing to a lack of consistent audio quality across the various PC audio chip sets.
The recent introduction of Skype’s “superwideband” SILK audio codec, supporting a 12KHz audio bandwidth, has set new bars for incorporating HD Voice performance into a headset – both the speakers and the mic.
Headsets have always been an issue for road warriors trying to fit them into their briefcase or PC carrying case. Speakers that are at right angles to the main headband suddenly demand a space with about 3 to 5 inches of width. Breakage and loss are often the result. (Full disclosure: I have never found a headset that was suitable for easy insertion into my multiple PC carrying cases over the years.)
Complementary to the PC has been the widespread adoption of (smartphone) media players such as iPod, iPhone and BlackBerry; standard earbuds are not capable of adequate overall audio quality, especially for bass tones.
Cost: try to find a good quality headset for under $30 or $40. A “no brainer” impulse purchase is certainly assisted by keeping the cost low.
Finally, in this age of online e-commerce, why do the devices that are shipped as a result of an online purchase need plastic clamshell packaging that goes straight to landfill (and generates emergency room visits when cutting the packaging open)? The sale has been completed; there’s no need for the packaging to be a “sell piece”.

Since late 2007 In Store Solutions’ wireless stereo headset has been a top seller on the Skype store. It has been my PC headset of choice ever since I received one in December 2007.

When Skype recognized the need for a headset that provided both consistent audio quality across all PC models (desktop and laptop) while also fully supporting the audio bandwidth demands of their SILK codec, they approached In Store Solutions about producing a new basic headset that addressed Skype’s audio quality concerns. But with In Store Solutions’ previous retail distribution and audio hardware experience they designed a product that also addressed the other issues outlined above.

The result of this partnership was the recently launched FREETALK Everyman Headset. It’s a USB headset incorporating an audio chip in the USB dongle. But on the headset side the USB dongle has a 3.5 mm speaker jack into which is plugged the removable speaker wire coming from the headset.

The physical headset itself comprises a unidirectional microphone to reduce background noise along with neodymium speakers supporting 20 Hz to 20 KHz stereo audio. Weighing in at 124g/4.3 oz, the headband and microphone are adjustable. (Hint: headset microphones work best when the microphone is positioned near a corner of your mouth.)

Compatible with both Windows 2000® / XP® / Vista™ and Mac OS 10.22 or later, the only other requirement is a USB port on the PC.

FREETALK^® Everyman incorporates:

HD Voice support within the audio chip via its support for the SILK codec used in Skype for Windows 4.1 and Skype for Mac 2.8 (or later) and an overall 20Hz to 20KHz audio bandwidth.
Plug & Play such that Skype immediately recognizes and acknowledges the headset as the default audio device for Skype (no need to go to Skype audio settings; no driver installation required)
A flat fold-down design that compresses the entire headset to a thickness less than 3 cm or 1.25 inches; it readily fits into your PC carrying case.
A removable speaker plug such that, when not using the headset with your PC, you can plug the speaker plug into any media player with a 3.5 mm audio jack, such as the iPod, iPhone (3G and 3G S) and BlackBerry.
Eco-friendly “brown box” recycled cardboard packaging that not only eliminates sending plastic clamshells to landfill but also helps to reduce shipping costs.

And, to encourage “no-brainer” adoption, it’s available at the Skype Store at US$22.88/£19.88/€19.88 – including delivery (and VAT in Europe).

But the most important feature of any headset is the user experience. Several bloggers and columnists are currently reviewing the FREETALK Everyman; links to their posts will be incorporated into a forthcoming post summarizing the feedback as they become available. But two initial posts for more information and feedback:

Skype’s Andrew Brennan: Skype Gear Road Test: The FREETALK Everyman Headset
TMC’s Tom Keating: FREETALK Everyman Skype Headset Review where he concludes:

I made some test Skype calls and the audio quality was excellent. I also connected my iPhone using the 3.5mm jack and was able to play music using the iPod application on the iPhone. Slightly better bass response than my iPhone ear buds due to the larger speakers. All in all, a pretty good Skype headset.

Earlier today, Alec Saunders interviewed me on SquawkBox; with about twenty participants including both ISS’s Product Manager and Skype’s Hardware Product Manager contributing to the discussion. I’ll be adding a post covering this interview and incorporating a player for the recording shortly. (Update Aug. 25: you can now access the conference call recording on Saunderslog at SquawkBox August 13 – FREETALK Everyman.)

Hints (based on some initial user feedback): when you receive your FREETALK Everyman headset, ensure you plug the speaker plug into the speaker jack on the USB dongle for listening to your Skype calls or any multimedia playback from the PC. And to keep the cost down the volume control is carried out via the volume control slider in the Skype clients.

Bottom Line: Addressing the audio quality issue is only one aspect of the Skype user’s end point configuration that can affect the overall Skype call quality. The PC processor, active software programs, operating system (Windows or Mac) and user’s Internet connection can also contribute to the finalSkype call experience. However, the FREETALK Everyman headset optimizes the audio configuration of the PC and its associated audio hardware such that it consistently meet the standards required to support Skype’s SILK codec and its contribution to the overall calling experience.

Earlier posts related to Skype’s approach to call quality issues:

At his talk to VON Canada in April 2006, Skype Goal: “Better than a phone”, Stefan Oberg outlined many user issues that Skype still needed to address at that time. During that talk Stefan mentioned Skype’s frustration with the fact “terrible user experience” when the user could not readily locate the audio jacks on the rear of (older) PC’s.
In April 2007 Skype 3.2 was launched incorporating echo cancellation – which allowed users to use their basic PC mic and speaker for Skype calls without having to deal with echo feedback from the speakers back into the microphone.

Skype Unveils Its Very Own Headset (thenextweb.com)
Skype Unleashes A “Super-Secret” Project: A Cheap Headset (techcrunch.com)
Official Skype Headset (ubergizmo.com)
Global IP Solutions: Positioning Codecs, Including SILK (voiceontheweb.biz)

In Store Solutions: Building Worldwide Distribution for Skype Hardware

Jim Courtney — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:28:03 +0000

Note: Denali InterConneXions, publisher of Voice On The Web, has taken on In Store Solutions as a business development client; see the more complete disclosure at the end of this post.

Over my three years of following Skype as a blogger there have been many ups and downs in the availability of Skype Certified hardware. In my October 2007 Skype Primer series, published at the time Skype had announced a search for a new President, I had stated in Skype Hardware – If and When Available:

Having been involved for several years in the hardware distribution channel, the formula is not that difficult:

Skype, as the real time conversations service provider and royalty recipient from the hardware vendors, not only needs to set the engineering standards for these phones, in particular via the firmware (and they do this quite well), but also needs to execute a significant “Skype Sanctioned” marketing campaign to generate awareness and “pull” (à la “Intel Inside” for PC’s).

At the same time hardware vendors, many of whom already have distributor relationships, need to incorporate standard distribution marketing practices, such as market development funds and appropriate promotional packaging, into their cost models as the hardware vendor is ultimately responsible for the “push”.

These criteria apply even in these days of electronic purchasing via e-commerce sites.

With the recent launch of the FREETALK^® Everyman Headset, Skype has partnered with long-time hardware distribution partner In Store Solutions to provide the first in a new line of hardware specifically designed to address issues with improving the Skype calling experience.

Two years ago at CeBit I was introduced to In Store Solutions as a distributor of Skype Certified hardware. Having had over 20 years experience working with PC distribution channels I was impressed with how COO Craig Smith approached the retailing of hardware, especially in terms of packaging and building distribution networks. In the interim I have had some dealings with In Store Solutions where customer service and ensuring that customers were satisfied with their purchases was definitely a priority. For the past twenty months my primary headset for Skype calls has been the FREETALK^® Wireless Stereo Headset for which a second generation version was recently released.

My previous experience with PC hardware distribution within North America was relatively “simple”. I dealt with two countries (Canada and U.S.) and two currencies (US$ and C$) along with any associated federal and provincial/state taxes; systems were set up to provide rapid delivery while dealing with (sales and value-added) taxes in different jurisdictions. And customs clearance along with warehousing logistics were also distribution issues.

However, to be successful across Skype’s worldwide market geography, Skype Certified hardware needs to be distributed to over 180 countries, to deal with a maze of local tax issues, to execute transactions in at least 40 currencies and, at the same time, to be marketed in at least the 28 languages supported by Skype. Add to this the issue of increasing sales of hardware via e-commerce platforms while getting stocked with inventory at various retail operations.

At this point, In Store Solutions has developed:

Key product supply relationships with Skype Certified hardware manufacturers
A strategic partnership relationship with Skype involving not only the design and distribution of Skype Certified hardware but also its marketing
An e-commerce engine that is currently operating, via the Skype Store, in 67 countries covering 40 currencies and multiple languages
A forthcoming line of hardware that will address leading edge requirements for headsets, Skype phones, webcams and business products.
A worldwide network of distribution warehouses to minimize delivery times and customs clearance issues within specific countries
Retail distribution via WalMart, Sears and Synnex in the U.S., Staples and Maplin in the U.K. as well as retailers in Europe and Australia
Customer support that includes a “no questions asked” return policy to ensure user satisfaction

Over the next few months In Store Solutions will be not only launching additional FREETALK^® products but also distributing Skype Certified products from other hardware manufacturers. It’s not simply about the e-commerce platform but rather the inclusion of logistics infrastructure and back office transaction-related issues such as payments handling, currency, order tracking and fulfillment along with customer support that are required to build a worldwide online commercial operation.

PayPal operates as an “uber-bank” supporting payments in 18 currencies across 190 markets linking back to banks and credit card services worldwide. Skype operates as an “uber-communications” infrastructure supporting conversations worldwide, independent of underlying carriers or service providers. In a similar vein Store Solutions is developing a “uber-store” capability that ensures Skype hardware products can be purchased worldwide at low cost while addressing country-specific issues such as currency and delivery times.

Skype Without a Personal Computer

Jim Courtney — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 11:38:32 +0000

I follow several forums about Skype, for instance at LinkedIn and on eCademy. Recently I have noticed a thread on the LinkedIn Skype for Business Group asking about using Skype without a PC. While eventually I intend to have more detailed information in response to such a question in the reference content on this site, let me summarize what is available as of today. The sales channels for these products are largely through the Skype Store (which is country-specific). Unfortunately several players who had good offerings have abandoned their Skype hardware offerings over the couple of years; however, we are starting to see the emergence of new devices.

Mobile Phones

Update: March 1, 2010: Access to Skype on mobile smartphones has evolved to several platforms; there are several posts that provide an update to what is stated below:

Skype for Mobile – Now Focusing on a True Skype User Experience includes a summary table of options, as of March 1, 2010, for running Skype on mobile smartphones.
Skype for iPhone: Now Legally Available for Canadians

Update: May 30, 2010: Skype for iPhone now works over GSM 3G/HSPA+ networks:

Obviously the most popular is Skype for iPhone. With over 1 12 million downloads since its introduction in late March 2009 earlier this week, the major caveat is that you need either an iPod Touch (with a microphone accessory) or iPhone. In both cases you also need to be at a WiFi access point to take full advantage of Skype’s voice and IM features; however, you can also use Skype IM (presence and text chat) on the iPhone using a carrier’s 3G or 2G/EDGE data plan (but not voice). Currently Skype for iPhone is not available in Canada pending resolution of a patent licensing issue. Skype for iPhone does require that the application be open in order to received messages and Skype calls.

Skype Lite for Nokia has been replaced by Skype for Symbian.

Skype has also been developing Skype Lite for a wide range of Java-enabled phones, including the Nokia N- and E-series phones. Again one can use Skype IM (presence and text chat) for those phones that support a WiFi connection (such as many of the Nokia N- and E-series smartphones). But for voice, one needs a carrier for which Skype is setting up arrangements in ten countries. Skype announced earlier this week that a Skype Lite for BlackBerry will be available in May, 2009.

As mentioned in the first update post above, Skype for Windows Mobile has been withdrawn.

Skype for Windows Mobile has been available for several years, recently released version 2.5 and demonstrated the Skype for Windows Mobile 3.0 beta. They recommend its use via WiFi access points; however, its use on a Windows Mobile smartphone over 3G may have performance limitations, especially with respect to battery life.

If you are in one of the nine countries served by 3 as a carrier, you will find the Skypephone 2 available as well as a few other devices that supports Skype operation. Later this spring Skype will appear embedded into Sony Xperia X1 and new Nokia smartphones.

There are two third party solutions that I have used quite often: iSkoot (BlackBerry, several Nokia smartphones) and IM+ for Skype (BlackBerry, iPhone/iPod Touch, a few Nokia smartphones). On the BlackBerry they can take advantage of the inherent background processing to allow Skype chat sessions to remain active while executing other applications; they also require both a voice and data plan (2G or 3G GSM) in order to complete voice calls; chat sessions are supported over a WiFi connection.

There are several other third party offerings which provide Skype access, including Truphone (iPhone, BlackBerry, some Nokia models), Fring (iPhone, some Nokia) and Nimbuzz (iPhone). Suffice it to say that, while one can carry on conversations via these services while dealing with user interface, performance and/or call quality issues, the best service level is achieved from a service where Skype has full control of the software and network connections.

Skype’s strategy for mobile was recently outlined by Skype COO Scott Durchslag.

Dual Mode Phones

About two years ago several hardware vendors introduced dual mode PC-free phones that allow you to connect to both Skype via a broadband Internet connection and the PSTN. However, currently these devices are undergoing a transition as Skype restructures, the only phone that is readily available today is the Philips VOIP3211 which can be found for several countries via the Skype Store. Update, Fall 2009: The only dual mode phone that is readily available as of fall 2009 is the RTX 3088 Dualphone; feedback here. The one caveat for these phones is that they support voice and presence but have no chat capability.

IPEVO also offers their Skype Desktop Phone S0-10, which only provides Skype calling over an Ethernet connection into a router.

Skype Video Phone

I recently received an evaluation ASUS Eee Videophone AirGuru SV1, which provides support for both Skype voice and Skype video calling along with presence information (no chat). My few conversations with it have been quite satisfactory and the user interface provides easy setup of calls. Basically all operations are done via a five-way trackball where you have up/down/right/left to navigate and a central push button to perform an action. While it is basically a video speakerphone, there are headphone jacks on the rear.

To get started you simply plug it into an Ethernet port on a router or switch with a minimum broadband Internet service and enter the setup routine to provide your Skype account information. Optionally it also supports WiFi access if you are not attached via an Ethernet connection.

WiFi Phones

These are again available via the Skype Store with models provided by Netgear and Belkin that support voice and presence. I have never been a fan of the Skype WiFi phones, especially from a price/performance perspective, as they have very limited functionality and have found them to have battery life issues amongst other problems. But some people seem to like them. More recently IPEVO has offered their WiFi Phone for Skype S0-20.

Others

Skype can be found on the Nokia N800 and N810 N900 small tablet handsets; Sony Mylo and some Sony PSP models. However, these are examples of embedding Skype into a device as part of Skype’s “Skype Everywhere” strategy where conversations become one more feature of a specialty device.

Conclusion

“Skype without a Computer” is inherent in Skype’s new “Skype Everywhere” strategy recently outlined by the new Skype executive team. With the current restructuring of Skype where more mature business processes are being introduced to incorporate product marketing, build partnerships and spread the availability of Skype across many platforms, we can expect to see new “PC-free” Skype hardware coming out in the future. In their visioning statements, beyond mobile devices, they point out that we may see it attached to TV sets, automotive dashboards and embedded into other hardware.

Skype for iPhone: What’s the point? (news.cnet.com)
Skype is Coming to the iPhone. For Real. (mashable.com)

HD Voice: “Priceless”

Jim Courtney — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 16:10:13 +0000

VoIP Pioneer Tom Evslin articulates the Skype HD Voice experience.

One of the last sessions I attended at Fall VON was on the topic of HD Voice where several presenters talked about various means to achieve much higher quality voice conversations. Several examples were given about how HD Voice, with its much higher bandwidth, actually provides productivity improvements for call centers and other operations where one can encounter a wide range of accents, personal voice impediments, etc. resulting in lots of “could you repeat that again”, etc. It is the one quality improvement that even conventional PSTN networks could change to differentiate their service as is, according to one speaker, being implemented by Franc. But Skype was a low profile pioneer when it comes to HD Voice.

Fundamentally, the PSTN phone network for years has worked in an audio bandwidth of about 4KHz – sufficient to communicate the basic voice message but still with a squawky tone that we knew was not good enough for any good quality music. HD Voice provides at least double the bandwidth by (i) communicating harmonics in your voice whose absence distorts the conversation and (ii) eliminating those artifacts that can lead to the “could you repeat that again” questions. Nothing artificially done here other than wider bandwidth codecs; it’s a simple case of capturing a much wider range of your own natural voice. At this Fall VON session, a couple of the speakers mentioned how Skype had been a pioneering leader in providing HD Voice.

With some recent testing of High Quality Video I commented on how, when switching between Skype and SightSpeed, not only did we observe a much higher quality video picture via Skype but I could immediately sense a significant difference in voice quality on audio part of the call where the voice on Skype was much crisper, more natural and easier to listen to. The FREETALK Wireless Stereo headset I recently reviewed has a >20 KHz bandwidth on the speakers, making my Skype calls somewhat noticeably richer. I now prefer to use this headset if possible when making Skype-originated calls. When testing the Sony Mylo a year ago, I had a mylo-to-mylo conversation with Andy Abramson where we noticed the much better voice quality. In the mylo case it was the embedded voice engine software from Trinity Convergence that contributed to the quality. Polycom has implemented HD Voice in its Communicator C100S Skype Speakerphone; on the floor user experiences at Fall VON once again demonstrated, through personal experience, the advantages of HD Voice. In fact, in stereo setups, I call it “in your head” because the other party sounds like they are speaking in your head.

Recently Tom Evslin, probably one of the most experienced with not only the use, but also implementation, of VoIP services, put up a post about calling a colleague in Israel, When Vonage could not make the connection he was looking for, he found his party also had a SkypeID. Of the resulting call he says:

Fortunately the person I was calling is an active Skype user and he was on his computer and saw and answered my Skype call. He apparently had a decent quality headset as well. Skype devotes extra bandwidth – you’re paying for it, not them – to making call quality good when the call is between two Skype users. The quality was not only good – it was superb. Usually when I speak to someone for whom English is not his native language, there is a lot of “what” and “please say that again” and “I didn’t quite understand you” in both directions. None of that. We were on Skype an hour and sound quality made the conversation much better than a phone conversation has ever been.

I used to think the reason I have a hard time understanding people on the phone is because I can’t see their lips and their expressions. Now I realize much of the problem is the terrible audio quality – which we’re so accustomed to – of a traditional phone call.

As more and more of our communication goes over abundant Internet bandwidth and bypasses the telephony last mile and as the handset and headset manufacturers have an incentive to spend a little extra on speakers and microphones to support HD voice, we’re going to start insisting on getting what we’ve been missing.

And on (telecomm) innovation, where Tom has more experience than most of us, comments: “Is any more example needed of lack of innovation on the traditional phone network?” Definitely worth reading the post in its entirety.

Bu there’s one more service where you can take advantage of HD Voice. Recently HiDef Conferencing launched a new version of their multi-party (up to 500 participants) conferencing service that supports Skype as one means to access their conference calls. As mentioned in my previous post on this launch, all Skype participants on the call will hear each other at the high quality HD Voice bandwidth. And the best part is that Skype participants on the HiDef Conference calls have unlimited usage provided the host has subscribed to the service.

As Tom concludes his post: “Skype-to-Skype calls are free anywhere in the world. That’s just money, though; HD voice is priceless.“

Tags: Skype, HD Voice, Tom Evslin, Fractals of Change, FREETALK Wireless Stereo Headset

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Skype Hardware Presence on the CES 2008 Show Floor

Jim Courtney — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 01:44:21 +0000

Philips, Sony, IPEVO, Nokia, Belkin, Intel MID demonstrating Skype-enabled hardware.

As outlined in my recent Skype Primer series there are many dimensions to the Skype ecosystem: core real time conversation services, hardware, mobile and partner solutions. At CES we encountered two of these dimensions:

Skype itself was promoting the spread of mobile access to Skype, supported by displays from three mobile device partners
Skype hardware partners were demonstrating various phone, headset and webcam offerings.

While providing a brief overview here, there will be future posts as we gain more experience with these offerings.

Philips was exhibiting their 841 PC-Free Dual Mode Cordless Phone (lower left), introduced at CES last year, along with two new offerings:

Their VoIP251 (upper right) allows for the addition of a DECT 6.0 cordless Internet phone for Skype calls to a home or office environment to complement an existing landline phone. Users are no longer confined to a USB connection. The VoIP251 integrates a built-in display so users can view active, online contacts at all times. And it supports both PC and Mac platforms.
Their VoIP151 (center right) is designed as a travel companion USB Skype phone; it also supports both PC and Mac platforms. The integrated display lets users easily view their contacts; the handset has been designed for simple cable management by neatly rolling the cable around it.

IPEVO demonstrated their ability to craft unique solutions with their exhibit that included two unique products:

Their POV WebCam that lets users share their “point of view” during Skype sessions. One feature that makes it unique for Skype users: snapshots captured with the camera can then be sent to other Skype contacts via Skype’s file transfer. It also includes software for remote monitoring via Skype Video. But its main differentiator comes from their press release:

Unlike conventional web cameras designed to focus on the user’s head, PoV is a detachable viewing tool that offers the freedom to capture images and video from any angle and vantage point.

With its pen-like form factor, PoV encourages picking up and pointing. When not held, the camera naturally rests on a base that stands on a tabletop or can be clamped to a laptop or monitor. A well-designed holder clip allows PoV to be attached or detached with a simple drop / pull motion.

Six newly WiFi-enabled IPEVO SOLO desktop phones allowed booth visitors to call anywhere worldwide via Skype or SkypeOut. I was able to make a call back home with excellent voice quality. (You can see people in the background of the picture above making calls.). From their press release:

An always-on device, SOLO lets users place Skype calls without a computer. Equipped with an RJ-45 Ethernet connector, SOLO works wherever a broadband Internet connection is available. In addition, the new Wi-Fi Dongle unveiled at CES brings wireless capability to the device, enabling both home and office users to choose the best spot for their Skype calls, as they no longer need a wired connection to a router.

IPEVO’s North American GM Edware Lucero emphasized to me IPEVO’s focus on “experience-driven” internet devices, responding to customer needs; they certainly demonstrated it here with these unique offerings. Much of this customer feedback comes from their previous affiliation with Taiwan’s PChome Online portal service from which IPEVO spun off last summer. They also need to be commended for finding a way to get a reliable and robust WiFi connection amongst the “WiFi” confusion and limitations that are often encountered at large exhibitions such as this.

Sony had two stands with Skype-enabled products: the PlayStation Portable and new mylo COM-2. Skype will become available to current PlayStation Portable owners via a system software update to the PlayStation Portable; the feature set includes, in addition to Skype-to-Skype and SkypeOut calling, contact list management, presence and acceptance of SkypeIn calls. No mention is made of Skype text chat in the press release. On the other hand a footnote to the press release mentions: “To enjoy Skype features on PSP, users will need Memory Stick DuoTM, a wireless Internet connection and a Skype compatible audio input device.”

The Belkin booth demonstrated a new dual mode Skype PC Free desktop phone with a full color display; while buried in a “model” bedroom, booth personnel were very aware of the Skype phone’s presence. More interesting at the Belkin booth was their Flywire system for wirelessly controlling home theatre systems.

The second generation Sony mylo COM-2 provides a variety of web entertainment applications including web browsing, a 1.3 megapixel camera, support for IM via Yahoo, AIM, Google Talk and Skype, widgets for Google Search and YouTube amongst others, a music player and games.

For Skype it builds on user experience with the original mylo by introducing a significantly enhanced Skype user interface as well as supporting additional traditional Skype features. Full Instant Messaging (presence and chat), Skype calling and a much more complete account management feature set are amongst the capabilities introduced on this version. In the demonstration I was given, they showed how one can take a picture and then use Skype’s file transfer to send the snapshot to other Skype users. MacSkype? According to the press release: “the new COM-2 mylo communicator devices will receive free access to participating Wayport® hotspot locations in the U.S. including more than 9,000 McDonald’s™ locations until Dec. 31, 2010.”

When I visited the Nokia booth I found that both of the Nokia 810′s available for booth visitor trials had the Skype client open. Obviously a popular feature. The slide-out QWERTY keyboard should provide a better keyboarding experience although I found it almost as difficult as an iPhone for getting the right keys. Also the limited WiFi connectivity in the booth did not allow for any serious evaluation.

Finally the Intel MID booth showed several manufacturers prototype Mobile Internet Devices; however, they were not able to locate the unit with the Skype demonstration. According to Skype’s press release the first implementation of Skype for Mobile Internet Linux on Intel MID’s will be made available “during the first half of 2008″. The full Intel booth also showed strong promotion of WiMax, which is to be supported in MID’s.

Tags: Skype, Skype Hardware, Skype Phones, Philips, Philips VoIP, IPEVO, IPEVO POV webcam, IPEVO SOLO, Belkin Skype Phone, Sony PlayStation Portable, Sony mylo, Sony mylo COM-2, Nokia N810, Intel MID

AT&T and Rogers Emulating Skype?

Jim Courtney — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 09:11:59 +0000

In spite of the recent pricing announcements, Skype has always been known for its free Skype-to-Skype calls. This not only covers calls between two parties who are simply using Skype but also to those parties in a conference call who are on Skype. And international borders do not exist for these calls.

Seems like the larger telcos and cablecos are starting to catch on:

Andy at VoIP Watch reports on AT&T’s announcement of Unity, a plan where any AT&T cellular customer can call any AT&T landline customer without incurring additional usage fees or using their wireless minutes. This extends AT&T’s program for its wireless customers who apparently can already call each other free. Andy makes the bigger point:

For all the VC’s and investors who thought the idea of minute stealing and the prospect of millions of customers flocking to cheaper calling by VoIP services like Packet 8 and Vonage making their investments the next Amazon, Google, Yahoo, eBay or even Microsoft what may be their worst possible nightmare is now unfolding before their eyes.

To quote AT&T’s press release:

The AT&T Unity^SM plan, which is available beginning Sunday, Jan. 21, brings together home, business and wireless calling, creating a calling community of more than 100 million AT&T wireless and wireline phone numbers.

At home here in Canada, Rogers, which has dominate cable and wireless services within the Canadian consumer market, is starting down a similar path with its Home Phone service. From their website:

With My Home Connections, Rogers Home Phone customers get FREE Long Distance calling to all Rogers Home Phone or Rogers Wireless customers, anywhere in Canada. Talk for as long as you want, whenever you want without any Long Distance charges.

Call over 5 million people for FREE!

When it comes to long distance to non-Rogers (Bell Canada and Telus) customers within Canada or to the U.S., Skype’s North American plan still wins out at C$17.50 per year vs Rogers C$19.95 per month. More justification for those USB dual phone products, such as the VoIPvoice UConnect and RTX Dual Phone, as well as the PC-Free dual phones that were announced at CES to be entering the market. Now if Rogers could just figure out how to make calls amongst their wireless customers across Canada free!

However, overall, combined with 3 Group’s new X-Series services in the U.K., it appears that Skype’s concept of creating calling communities is becoming infectious. But Skype remains the only fully featured voice service with a truly international calling community of any significant size.

Voice on the Web » Skype Hardware

Skype from your Home Phone: Now Available in U.K.

Make and Receive Skype Calls on Your Home Phone

Skype on a Home Phone

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