Skype Journal: SkyQube - the freedom to connect and roam.
April 24, 2006 10:01 AMIt’s not often you get a chance to look over the shoulder of engineers in their workshop. But that is what I did. QOOL LABS a Singapore based company, invited me to test some of the functionality and Bill, myself and Qool Labs staff did just that. By using a webcam I had visual contact and I was shown the alpha prototype print card we would be using during the test. So being in the workshop it was not a finished product, not even sitting in its box, just a print card connected to the PC running Skype.
SkyQube in its basic configuration is giving you the opportunity to connect a PSTN/pots/landline to Skype. This is seen before but here the box is equipped with an impressive set of features. And the SkyQube² (SkyQube Square), is giving you access to your GSM network when you place your SIM card in the SkyQube²
Its HW supports SMS/text messaging on all three/four connections; and conference calls as well. It has a speaker and microphone. The 4 buttons can be preconfigured to call contacts and the left most button can establish a conference between them. The button between the + − (volume buttons) is the Qool button this loads your preferred call ‘forwarding’ setup and lights up to show forwarding is on, no need to access your PC.
So how do you benefit from using SkyQube?
You stay connected with Skype, you are present there, can respond and you can save money too.
At home:
Check if the call plans available in your area allows rebates; on multiple mobile phones using the same billing. You can then stay connected to Skype and order calls (call back by chat/SMS) from ‘home’ at a discount.
Roaming:
When roaming; buy a SIM card that gives you local rates. SkyQube lets you integrate your calls from Skype, PSTN and GSM (if SkyQube²) and forwards them to your GSM number.
Or you order a call to local phone by Skype chat or if SkyQube² (SkyQube Square) by SMS.
By using 2 SkyQubes, one at home and one in the roaming area, you can lower the call fees even further; (saving the difference between SkypeOut and local fees) it does however demand a PC having internet access in your roaming area, and check for same rebates as before.
More diagrams: Combined diagram; save 96% ; SkypeOut saving.
Features:
- some features only works on SkyQube² and or if the other devices or provider supports it.
Normal use of your phones
Speaker phone
Answering machine
Conference calls from phone or SkyQube
Display Skype name or PSTN number on your phone
Record calls
Use landline phones to make GSM calls
Text messaging initially only between Skype and GSM
Auto chat reply – for groups
Filtering of calls and messages for groups.
Forward text messages to Skype/GSM/E-mail
Followme – also to and from Skype
Call back
Order call by chat/SMS
Smart call trough to Skype
Gateway to Skype – use Skype to call PSTN/GSM from your café (hotspot)
PBX friendly - FX0 and FXS
And now the tests:
We tested; SMS to chat, chat to SMS, a PSTN call forwarded to a Skype account, a Skype call forwarded to PSTN and a Skype call where we pulled a GSM mobile in for conference.
SMS to chat; I sent my friend Matt, in Basel, a chat message from my mobile, he got it at once.
Chat to SMS; it worked beautifully, actually we forgot all about it and later my mobile biped continuously, as we started chatting on that account again.
Followme; I called a PSTN number and the call was forwarded to Bill Campbell's Skype account in Kelowna, BC, Canada. It only took 4-5 normal rings and Bill was in the tube crystal clear audio but very low in volume. He had my voice in fine quality.
FollowmeUp; Bill called QOOL LABS Skype account and my phone rang, again Bill had perfect audio quality and mine was too low and this time also noisy. Both of these were explained as HW failure being fixed in a new HW revision.
Skype to GSM; my QOOL LABS test partner and I started a Skype call and he pulled his mobile phone in for a conference call. I was now able to compare, for the first time at the same time, voice on Skype, then on GSM and then on Skype again. And it really illustrates the difference; GSM was normal cellular audio quality and Skype its usual best quality.
The market price is expected to be around 80$ for SkyQube and 150$ for SkyQube² - SkyQube Square.
Next month QOOL LABS should have a device being very close to the end product, but ready for a thorough review.
And all this for well under $200! Sweet.
TrackBack (2)
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Tracked on November 11, 2006 1:45 PM
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