by wildcherry on Thursday, January 21st, 2010 | News, Tech/Gadget | No Comments

This is the post from the official Skype site.

We’re having some problems with our sign in server, so you may not be able to sign in to the Skype application or to your account as normal.

[2009/01/21@1746UTC] If you’re already signed in to the Skype application on your computer or mobile phone, you should be able to call/IM/etc as normal. This is only affecting people who aren’t already signed in.

[2009/01/21@1752UTC] Our forums are experiencing heavy traffic and so access may be slower than usual. Apologies! For more updates, watch this space or follow @skype on Twitter.

[2009/01/12@2002UTC] We’ve made some changes which should improve things. Stand by!

http://heartbeat.skype.com/

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by gadgetqueen on Friday, November 13th, 2009 | Business, News, Tech/Gadget | No Comments

Google has acquired Gizmo5, a company that offers voice-over-IP software for mobile phones and computers, for about $30 Million intending to roll the company’s engineers into the team that develops the telephony application/controversy magnet known as Google Voice.

Whereas Gizmo5 offers Skype-like software for calling people over the interwebs, Google Voice is a special telephony thingy that lets you use a single phone number for multiple phones - and turn your voice mails into emails. “While we don’t have any specific features to announce right now, Gizmo5’s engineers will be joining the Google Voice team to continue improving the Google Voice and Gizmo5 experience,” reads a post on the official Google Voice blog.

Google Voice is itself the child of an acquisition. It was first developed by GrandCentral, a startup Google gobbled up in 2007.

Last month, during Google’s third-quarter earnings call, CEO Eric Schmidt told the world the company was pulling out its checkbook now that the recession is supposedly over. “We believe the worst of the recession is behind us and now feel confident about investing heavily in our future,” he said. The Gizmo5 buy marks the ad giant’s second acquisition in the four weeks since.

Google Voice sits at the heart of not one but two ongoing controversies. Google nemesis AT&T has argued that Voice violates Google’s beloved net neutrality, while Apple is under investigation by the FCC for rejecting Voice’s entry into its iPhone app store.

According to the Gizmo5 homepage, the VoIP service can already be used in tandem with Google Voice. Google has now closed Gizmo5 to new users, but existing users can continue to use the service. Existing users cannot, however, sign up for new call-in numbers.

Unlike Skype, the Gizmo5 network is based on open standards: the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP). XMPP is what underpins Google Wave, the company’s new-age communication and collaboration thingy.

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by wildcherry on Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 | News, Tech/Gadget | No Comments

Add free Skype to Skype calls to your iPhone. This application can be use both on the iPhone and iPod Touch gadgets.

You can do free Skype to Skype calls from any WiFi zone. The possibilities to Call phones and mobiles from your iPhone contacts at great rates¹. You will be able to see who’s online and send and receive instant messages on the move.

Most 3G networks should support Skype presence and chat. However, Skype calling is not possible via the iPhone. Please note that data usage costs apply for using Skype over 3G mobile networks, so we recommend an unlimited data plan.

Skype presence and chat will work on all iPod touches. However, calling is only available on the iPod touch (2nd Generation) because Apple does not support microphones on the 1st generation.

The Skype application must be started and signed in to receive incoming Skype calls and chats. If the application has been closed, incoming Skype calls cannot be received and chats will not be delivered.

After downloading the iPhone App you can reach your contacts anywhere in the world at great rates with Skype. You can call and text (SMS) phones with Pay As You Go credit or with a subscription you get unlimited calls² to landlines (and mobiles in some countries).

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by wildcherry on Thursday, October 15th, 2009 | Deals, Hot, Products Review | No Comments

The latest deal from Skype includes monthly subscription and you can call to lots of country in the world for very low rate (mostly landlines for now) or choose a country that you have relatives or friends that you want to call for a cheaper rate. Go here for more detail on Skype - Unlimited Calls to World

You don’t need to be in the country that you sign up for so this is definitely good for travelers if you want to call your home country or business owners (Skype for Business) who constantly in touch with different countries and want to do conference call.

Most of us have some friends and family living, studying or travelling in different parts of the world. In the past, expensive international call charges meant that people often went for weeks or months without actually hearing their loved ones’ voices. These days, though, all that has changed. Thanks to Skype you can make free calls over the Internet. Skype with their Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, it’s now possible to call anyone, anywhere, at any time, for as long as you want - and it’s cheap, if not free (if they also have Skype – the whole world can talk for free ).

If you prefer to use phone instead of microphones or you need a webcam for your computer, you can go here to Buy Skype-certified phones and other accessories .

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by wildcherry on Monday, April 6th, 2009 | Deals, Products Review, Stores | 2 Comments

Introducing the highly anticipated Skype  now available on the Apple App  Store and Blackberry (coming soon).

Skype for iPhone

The application adds Skype calling and instant messaging to iPhones as well as any second general iPod touch. With a Wi-Fi connection, the millions of iPhone and iPod touch users worldwide can make free Skype-to-Skype voice calls or low-cost calls to mobiles and landlines. Users will not be charged by Skype for making and receiving Skype-to-Skype calls using an iPhone or iPod touch. Skype’s normal rates apply if using Skype to call landlines or mobiles.

Skype for iPhone delivers a true Skype experience, including:

• Free Skype-to-Skype calls from any Wi-Fi zone to other Skype users worldwide
• Call landline or mobile phones at Skype’s great low rates from any Wi-Fi zone
• Send/receive instant messages to/from individuals or groups via 3G, Wi-Fi, GPRS or EDGE (whichever is available)
• Receive calls to a personal online number on Skype
• See when Skype contacts are online/available to IM or talk

The Skype application for the iPhone or iPod touch is free to download from the App Store. To get Skype for iPhone, simply visit the App Store on the device. The App Store is also available through iTunes (www.itunes.com) running on a Mac or PC, which syncs applications to the iPhone or iPod touch using a USB cable.

Skype for Blackberry

The Skype for Blackberry beta also known as thin or lite version of Skype for Smartphones will have core Skype capabilities like;

• Make Skype-to-Skype calls to other Skype users anywhere in the world
• Send/receive instant messages to/from individuals or groups
• Make Skype calls at low rates to people on landline or mobile phones
• Receive calls to your online number on Skype
• See when your Skype contacts are online/available to chat

“With Skype on BlackBerry smartphones, we are making Skype available in the briefcases and purses of BlackBerry users around the world,” said Scott Durchslag, COO of Skype. “We have heard loud and clear that our users want Skype on whichever smartphone they choose to use. This fulfills our promise of making Skype available on the major smartphones so consumers and mobile professionals can connect to Skype whenever, wherever and however they choose.”

The lite version of Skype will be available to BlackBerry users worldwide. The ability to make calls will be available in 10 countries: Australia, Brazil (Rio de Janeiro & Sao Paulo), Denmark, Estonia, Finland, New Zealand, Poland, Sweden, the United States and the UK. English will be supported first, with additional languages to follow.

The beta of the lite version of Skype will be available as a free download to BlackBerry smartphone users beginning in May from www.skype.com/m using their BlackBerry® Browser.

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by wildcherry on Thursday, March 19th, 2009 | Deals, Hot | 4 Comments

Here is the detail:

To get started,   download Skype 2.8 Beta for Mac and then find a compatible hotspot and surf away ! (available at more than 100k locations!)

10,000 minutes of Skype Access completely free – simply connect as normal for up to 30 minutes at a time, and you won’t pay a thing.

For those of you who wants to know more about Skype Access, here are the basics:

Skype Access is a super-cool feature only found (at the moment) in Skype 2.8 Beta for Mac. It lets you pay by the minute for WiFi using your Skype Credit – except, of course, that until the 10,000 minutes run out, you won’t actually pay at all.

Click here to get your unique SkypeIn number

Why You should try Skype:
Free Skype-to-Skype calls on your mobile. Get the new 3 Skypephone mobile.

Get Skype for your Business – free conference calls and video calling. Free calls and Low rate local calls

Unlimited calls to landlines with Skype

Skype – cheap international calls

Promo details:

1. From March 17th 2pm GMT up to March 23rd 00.00 GMT (the ‘Promotional Period’), Skype registered users shall be entitled to use Skype Access for free, in accordance with these terms and conditions (‘Promotion’). Usage of Skype Access is possible in sessions each lasting for 30 minutes or less. Skype reserves the right to end the promotion upon reaching 10000 free minutes given away. End of this promotion will be communicated on Skype for Mac blog.
2. To qualify for this Promotion you must have downloaded the Skype for Mac 2.8 Beta software and you must have a valid and active Skype user name and account (‘Participant’).
3. Skype reserves the right to suspend, shorten or extend, change or cancel the Promotion at any time. Skype also reserves the right to change and amend the terms of this Promotion at its own discretion at any time without notifying you of such changes.

Source:MacWorld

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